Home Assistant A-Z: L is for Light – From Simple to Creative

Sun, 14 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Welcome to the A-Z Series: L is for Light

In today’s episode of the Home Assistant A-Z Series we’re tackling the absolute classic for beginners: light! For many people, their first lighting automation is the magical moment when an idea becomes a real smart home. But there’s so much more to it than just on and off!

Today I’ll show you how I use light in my smart home – from simple motion-sensor automations to gentle wake-up lights and creative visual reminders. Let yourself be inspired!

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How I Control My Lights: The Hardware

Before we get to the exciting automations, let me show you which hardware I use for my lighting control. Spoiler: it’s a colourful mix – and that’s exactly what makes Home Assistant so flexible!

Shelly Modules: The In-Wall Solution

The bulk of my lighting runs through Shelly modules that I’ve fitted behind existing wall switches. There are several advantages:

✅ The existing wall switch still works
✅ Additional control via Home Assistant
✅ Completely local, no cloud required
✅ Affordable retrofit for existing lamps

In my home these cover, among others:

Guest bathroom
Hallway
Bathroom
Dressing room
Storage room

The Shellys are integrated directly into Home Assistant via the Shelly integration and respond instantly – whether I use the physical switch or trigger an automation.

In the video I show you exactly what that looks like in the dashboard!

Philips Hue: Colour and Flexibility

I also have some Philips Hue lights in use, which I control via Zigbee2MQTT. The advantage: no Philips Hue Bridge needed – everything runs through my Zigbee stick!

Where I use Philips Hue:

Bedroom – for the gentle wake-up light (more on that in a moment!)
Terrace – for atmospheric evening lighting

Depending on the model, Hue lights can:

Change white tones (from cool white to warm white)
Display full RGB colours
Dim softly over long periods

In the video you’ll see the difference between the various Hue models live in the dashboard!

ESPHome LED Strip: The DIY Project

My personal highlight is a custom-built LED lamp in the hallway, made from an LED strip with individually addressable LEDs. Control is handled by an ESP32 microcontroller running ESPHome.

What makes it special: the lamp consists of several rings that I can address individually with different colours. I use this for creative automations – more on that shortly!

Make sure to watch the lamp in action in the video – the effects are impressive!

What Can I Do With the Different Lights?

Now it gets interesting: what are the possibilities of the different light types?

Shelly: Simple but Reliable

The Shelly-controlled lights are the simplest in my setup. They can:

✅ Switch on and off

Sounds underwhelming? It is – but that’s exactly what makes them so reliable and fast. For rooms like the bathroom, hallway, or storage room, I don’t need anything more. The main thing is that the light comes on when I need it!

Philips Hue: The Colour Artists

With the Hue lights things get considerably more interesting. Depending on the model they can:

Warm white / cool white lights:

Change colour temperature (from cosy warm white to energising cool white)
Dim brightness continuously
Smooth transitions over minutes or even hours

RGB lights:

Display any colour in the RGB spectrum
Colour-change animations
Combinations of colour and brightness

In the video I show you both variants live in the dashboard – the difference is striking!

ESPHome LED Strip: The All-Rounder

My custom-built LED lamp can do everything Hue can – and more:

Full RGB display for every individual LED
Individual control of separate rings with different colours
Special effects such as running lights, rainbow, or pulsing
Dynamic displays for smart home status

I use this flexibility for the most creative automations – more on that shortly!

The Interesting Automations

Now for the exciting part: what do I actually do with all these lights? Here are my favourite automations!

Motion Sensor + Shelly: The Classic

The simplest and simultaneously most useful automation: light comes on automatically when I enter a room.

How does it work?

Motion sensors distributed throughout the rooms
Trigger: Motion detected
Action: Switch on Shelly light
Timeout: Automatically switch off after X minutes without motion

Where I use this:

Hallway
Storage room
Dressing room
Guest bathroom

Sounds trivial, but it’s incredibly practical! You come in from the car with your hands full and don’t have to feel for a light switch. The light is simply already on.

In the video I show you the automation and how it responds live!

Wake-Up Light: A Gentle Start to the Day

This is where it gets more interesting: my Philips Hue lights in the bedroom serve as a gentle wake-up light.

The problem: A normal alarm clock tears you brutally out of sleep. With light, it’s so much gentler!

How I implement it:

Trigger: Wake-up time (weekdays only)
Action: Gradually dim lights up over 20 minutes
Starting point: Very warm, dimmed light (simulates morning sun)
End point: Bright, cooler light (gently wakes you up)

The trick: Home Assistant can slowly brighten lights using a transition parameter. This means the light continuously changes brightness and colour temperature over 20 minutes!

Additional feature: At the same time I also switch on the radio and slowly increase the volume. The perfect start to the day!

Make sure to look at the automation code in the video – I’ll show you the transition parameter!

I use the custom-built LED lamp in the hallway as an intelligent night light:

The idea: When someone needs to use the bathroom at night, the hallway should be subtly lit – but not so bright that you’re fully awake.

How it works:

Motion sensor detects movement in the hallway
Condition: It is between 22:00 and 06:00
Action: LED lamp switches on with very low brightness and warm light
Timeout: Automatically switches off after 2 minutes

The brilliant part: the lamp is bright enough to navigate by, but not so harsh that it wakes you up completely. The perfect compromise!

Bin-Day Reminder: Never Forget Visually Again

Now it gets really creative: I use the individually addressable rings of my LED lamp as a visual reminder for bin collection!

The problem: I regularly forget to put the bin out in time.

The solution: The lamp shows me in colour which bin is being collected tomorrow!

How it works:

Trigger: Afternoon at 16:00
Condition: Check whether a bin is being collected tomorrow
Action: Show a coloured ring on the LED lamp
- 🟢 Green = Food/garden waste bin
- 🟡 Yellow = Recycling/yellow bag
- 🔵 Blue = Paper bin
- ⚫ Black = General waste

Every time I walk through the hallway I see the coloured ring and am reminded. Better than any push notification!

In the video I show you the complete automation and what the lamp looks like when multiple bins need to go out at the same time!

By the way: how I integrate bin collection schedules into Home Assistant is covered in a dedicated article about the bin collection integration. Definitely check it out if you’re interested in that topic!

More Creative Ideas for Light in Home Assistant

You can see: light is so much more than just on and off! Here are a few more ideas I haven’t implemented myself, but which might be interesting for you:

Presence Simulation While on Holiday

Use your smart lights to simulate presence when you’re away:

Lights come on and go off at random times
Different rooms are lit in sequence
Timings oriented around realistic patterns (living room in the evening, bedroom at night)

Alarm Visualisation

If movement is detected in the garden or a window opens while you’re away, lights can:

Flash red as a warning
Alert you acoustically and visually
Act as a deterrent to intruders

Mood Modes

Create different scenes for different situations:

🎬 Movie mode: Dimmed, warm light
🍽️ Dinner mode: Bright, cosy light over the dining table
🎉 Party mode: Colourful colour changes
📚 Reading mode: Bright, neutral white light

Daylight Adaptation

Automatically adjust the colour temperature of your lights to the time of day:

Morning: Cool, energising light
Midday: Neutral white
Evening: Warm, relaxing light (supports your natural sleep rhythm)

Why Light Is the Perfect Entry Point into Home Assistant

If you’re new to Home Assistant: light is the ideal starting point!

Reasons:

Immediate feedback – you see straight away whether your automation is working
Not critical infrastructure – if something goes wrong, it’s not a disaster
Many hardware options – from affordable (Shelly) to comfortable (Hue)
Simple automations – perfect for learning the basics
Plenty of room for creativity – once the basics are in place, you can experiment

In the video I give you even more tips for beginners!

Hardware Recommendations

Want to get started smart? Here are my hardware recommendations based on my own experience:

For Wall Switches: Shelly

Shelly 1 or Shelly 1PM for simple on/off lights
Works with existing switches
Completely locally controllable
Affordable to purchase

For Colour and Comfort: Philips Hue

Zigbee2MQTT instead of a Hue Bridge (saves money and increases flexibility)
White Ambiance for colour temperature control
White and Colour for full RGB control

For Makers: ESPHome

WLED-compatible LED strips with WS2812B LEDs
ESP32 or ESP8266 as controller
ESPHome for easy integration into Home Assistant

Affiliate links to recommended hardware can be found in the video description!

Avoiding Common Pitfalls

From my experience there are a few typical mistakes when getting started with lighting control:

Mistake 1: Too Many Automations for One Light

When multiple automations control the same light, they can conflict with each other. Example: a motion sensor switches the light on, but at the same time another automation wants to switch it off.

Solution: Use conditions in your automations or central logic helpers.

Mistake 2: No Manual Override

It’s annoying when an automation switches the light off while you’re still in the room!

Solution: Build in manual override options, for example via an Input Boolean.

Mistake 3: Motion Sensor in the Wrong Spot

A poorly positioned motion sensor detects you too late – the light stays off.

Solution: Test different positions and pay attention to the detection range of your sensor.

In the video I go into these pitfalls in more detail!

Watch the Video!

I’ve told you a lot, but you’ll understand it best when you see it! In the video I show you:

✅ All lights live in the dashboard
✅ The automations in detail
✅ The custom-built LED lamp in action
✅ What the bin-day reminders look like
✅ The code for the wake-up light

Click the video above and watch it now!

Further Articles and Videos

If you’re interested in the topic of lights and automations:

Never forget the bins again – How I use the bin collection integration
Installing Shelly roller blinds – If you want to learn more about Shelly modules
Blueprints – How to easily import automations

The complete A-Z Series can be found here: Home Assistant A-Z Overview

Wake-Up Light on Smart Home? Sure — But Secure!

Home Assistant A-Z: L is for Light – From Simple to Creative

Welcome to the A-Z Series: L is for Light

How I Control My Lights: The Hardware

Shelly Modules: The In-Wall Solution

Philips Hue: Colour and Flexibility

ESPHome LED Strip: The DIY Project

What Can I Do With the Different Lights?

Shelly: Simple but Reliable

Philips Hue: The Colour Artists

ESPHome LED Strip: The All-Rounder

The Interesting Automations

Motion Sensor + Shelly: The Classic

Wake-Up Light: A Gentle Start to the Day

Night Light Mode: Navigation Without Glare

Bin-Day Reminder: Never Forget Visually Again

More Creative Ideas for Light in Home Assistant

Presence Simulation While on Holiday

Alarm Visualisation

Mood Modes

Daylight Adaptation

Why Light Is the Perfect Entry Point into Home Assistant

Reasons:

Hardware Recommendations

For Wall Switches: Shelly

For Colour and Comfort: Philips Hue

For Makers: ESPHome

Avoiding Common Pitfalls

Mistake 1: Too Many Automations for One Light

Mistake 2: No Manual Override

Mistake 3: Motion Sensor in the Wrong Spot

Watch the Video!

Further Articles and Videos