Haha, I totally relate to the "movie mode" and "chill" overload. When I first got smart bulbs, I went down a similar rabbit hole—had one setting just for dinner parties (which I rarely host), another for rainy days (because apparently that's a mood?), and even one called "zen," which honestly just confused everyone who visited. Eventually, I realized that simplicity is key. Now I've got just two or three clear setups, and it's way more intuitive.
You're right though—less really can be more. It's easy to get carried away with all the possibilities, but at the end of the day, if you can't remember what each mode does without checking your phone, it's probably too complicated. Glad you found a balance that works!
Had a similar journey myself—initially got way too technical. I had modes like "reading nook," "deep focus," and even one called "midnight snack," which was basically just dim hallway lighting leading straight to the fridge. Clever in theory, but did I ever actually use it? Maybe twice.
Eventually, I found that practicality trumps complexity. Now it's down to just a few clearly defined scenes—bright for cleaning, dimmed warm tones for relaxing, and something neutral for general use. It's less flashy, sure, but honestly way easier to manage day-to-day.
Still, I do keep a custom setting or two on reserve, mostly because it's fun to impress guests now and then (or confuse them, depending on the audience). But yeah, totally agree—simplicity usually wins out once the novelty wears off.
"Eventually, I found that practicality trumps complexity."
Couldn't agree more. When I first installed smart bulbs, I went all out with color-changing scenes and voice commands...but honestly, after a month or so, it felt like more hassle than convenience. Now I mostly stick to a couple of simple presets. Curious though—has anyone found a genuinely useful way to integrate smart lighting with other smart home devices? I've been thinking about motion sensors but haven't pulled the trigger yet.
Motion sensors are actually pretty handy—especially in hallways or bathrooms. I set mine up to trigger dim, warm lighting at night...makes midnight trips way less jarring. Worth trying if you're after practicality rather than flashy features.
I've found motion sensors useful too, although initially I worried they'd drive up my electricity bill. Surprisingly, my hallway setup with dim LEDs actually cut down power usage—no more forgetting to switch lights off. Practicality definitely wins out over flashy features for me as well.
