Tiny Lights

The LED light fixtures for our tiny house arrived today.  They are Gold Stars GW21500 steel LED RV reading lights, made in China.  They were sourced from a reputable seller on eBay.  Although it is too early to tell whether these light hold up to the rigors of tiny living, they do have the characteristics that are important to me.  They are fairly cheap too, so they will not break the bank if they have to be replaced over time.

We went with LED bulbs because our goal is to run the tiny house on solar power.  LED bulbs are better suited for low-voltage systems than traditional incandescent bulbs.  Each has a switch so they can be individually controlled to conserve power.

These lights feature replaceable MR16 LED bulbs.  In many of the LED fixtures on the market the bulbs are sealed making them essentially disposibles.  Personally I cannot see going that route.

We prefer to pre-wire the house with permanent fixtures rather than relying on candles, lanterns, or table lamps.  These lights are small will fit out of the way yet be accessible where direct light is required.  Lights will be installed at either end of the sofa and bed, over the table, above the kitchen counter, and so on.

Some tiny houses use light strips.  While this is attractive to some, I prefer the swivel style spotlight fixtures.  They are advertised as RV reading lights.  If you have ever spent time on an RV or boat with swivel lights, you can appreciate their advantages in small spaces.  Each fixture can be directed downward to illuminate a specific task, such as reading a book, preparing a meal, or starting the wood stove.  Turned upward, in unison they create a soft yet broad effect throughout the room.

Each bulb uses just 3.1 watts, provides 190 lumens, adjusts up and down, and rotates 360 degrees.  We intend to install ten (10) throughout the tiny house at specific stations.