I have recently spent a fair bit of time (and money) renovating my downstairs computer room. Well, when I say ‘computer room’, it doubles as an office space as well as a lounge room. I spent countless hours, along with my dad and brother, laying a new floor, rendering the walls, painting the ceiling, and much more. Needless to say, it was back-breaking work, yet I am finally happy with the room.
With much of the hard work now behind me, I couldn’t help but feel there is something more I could add. Something that would elevate the room a little. Add a bit of excitement or flash to the room. Maybe some interesting lighting would be the answer?
After a bit of research, Nanoleaf caught my eye. The smart lighting brand has some very appealing options that were perfect for my newly renovated space. As a designer, I am not a fan of overdoing things. I wanted to keep the space simple and as minimal as possible, while still adding a bit of colour.
Nanoleaf has a rather big range of options with lots of colours, shapes and sizes. I mostly looked at its gaming collection, as these were the style of products that best matched my space.
Gaming computer setup
My gaming computer was my first and main focus. I had recently upgraded my gaming peripherals, as well as a new mouse pad and monitor stand. All of these new additions performed great while I was gaming, yet looking at the desk when standing back, it all got a bit lost.
To be fair, the desk is black, and my new mouse and keyboard are also black, so this was to be expected. As soon as I saw the Nanoleaf Pegboard Desk Dock, I knew it was exactly what I was after. I went with a two-pack so I could balance my setup with one on each side. I couldn’t live with myself if it weren’t symmetrical. I chose to get the Pegboard Desk Docks in black to match the rest of my setup, yet Nanoleaf have recently released a white version that looks super clean!
Apart from being very simple to set up and something that doesn’t take up much space, I also love that you can hang things on them. Until now, my headphones have forever lived on my desk with no permanent spot. Each dock comes with four pegboard hooks that you can place wherever works best for your items. It’s a super handy little shelving option for headphones, gaming controllers, or whatever you like.
Its reversible design is also a plus. If you don’t want to use the hooks, you can quickly and easily change the orientation of the lighting so that the full lighting faces forward. You can also plug in or charge other items through the Pegboard Desk Dock. It comes with one USB-A port and two USB-C ports. As these handy lighting fixtures are typically positioned just to the left or right of your monitor, they are in the perfect position to plug things into.
Lounge room lighting
Over to the other side of the room now, let’s look at my lounge room area. To be honest, this part doesn’t need as much thought or planning. The TV is the main item in the room, and I just wanted to add a bit of lighting to the entertainment unit that sits below it.
For this, I used the Nanoleaf Matter Smart Multicolour HD Lightstrip. It’s a five-metre lightstrip that was very easy to install. It comes with double-sided tape on the back, ready to stick to almost any surface. Plus, it can be cut down to length, which I love!
Approximately every 10cm, there is an indicator line where you can cut to shorten the lightstrip. As I only needed just over four meters in length, I ended up cutting off around 70cm to make it match my exact needs. In the end, this light strip took about five minutes to install. Not only does it add a sense of flashiness (excuse the pun) to the room, it also brings the room alive at night.
Software, lighting and colour options
Controlling Nanoleaf’s lights couldn’t be easier. For the Pegboard Desk Docks, it was as easy as downloading the software. It picked up the devices right away, giving me instant control of the lighting.
For the Lightstrip, I downloaded the Nanoleaf phone app and connected the strip via a QR code. Nice and easy. Both of these products come with a big list of preset colour options, including lots of multi-colour gradients, flashing and waving style effects.
I’ve had a lot of fun playing with them and deciding which to use each day. My only minor complaint is that the Pegboard Desk Docks can’t be controlled via the app. It’s unfortunate, as I would prefer to control all of the lighting in the room from one central place.
Blocks wall lighting
You may have noticed from the pictures above that I also have the Nonoleaf Blocks Combo XL Starter Kit. I initially hoped to put this up on the wall behind my gaming computer. I thought this would add some nice additional lighting up high and also give me more storage and places to hang things.
Unfortunately, with the style of wall rendering I have, I thought it best not to attempt to put this one up. My wall has somewhat of a rough surface, and it is also very uneven. With the bulk of the Blocks Starter Kit being stuck on with tape, I thought it best to reconsider where I hang it up.
The good news is, my soon-to-be five-year-old son would love this block-style lighting display in his room. We are in the process of fixing up his bedroom with a new-sized bed and furniture, so I think the Nanoleaf Blocks Starter Kit would work perfectly.
Watch this space as I delve deeper into my new smart lighting obsession.
