I actually tried glow-in-the-dark paint once in my old Victorian house attic... let's just say the results were more "radioactive spill" than "starry night." It was fun, but definitely lacked the subtlety of fiber optics.
"the price and effort seemed way overboard."
True, fiber optics do seem intimidating, but maybe a simpler LED strip setup hidden behind some sheer fabric could give a similar dreamy effect without breaking the bank or your sanity? Has anyone experimented with something like that?
I actually did something similar in my basement—it’s not Victorian, but old enough to have its quirks. I used warm white LED strips behind some cheap sheer curtains from IKEA. The effect was surprisingly nice, more cozy tavern than radioactive disaster. Just be careful how you position them; too close to the fabric and you’ll see every individual LED dot, too far and it gets dim. Took a bit of fiddling, but definitely easier (and cheaper) than fiber optics.
"Just be careful how you position them; too close to the fabric and you’ll see every individual LED dot, too far and it gets dim."
Did you find a sweet spot distance-wise, or was it more trial and error? I did something similar in my attic hangout—ended up using parchment paper as a diffuser because the sheer curtains still showed dots. Worked surprisingly well, and super budget-friendly. Curious if anyone else tried alternative diffusers that worked better?
"Did you find a sweet spot distance-wise, or was it more trial and error?"
Definitely trial and error for me. I did something similar last summer when converting my basement into a chill gaming/movie space. Here's what I learned:
- Distance matters big time. I started around 2 inches away from the fabric and saw every single LED dot—looked like Christmas lights gone wrong. Ended up closer to 4-5 inches, which gave a nice soft glow without losing brightness.
- Your parchment paper idea is pretty clever. I tried using cheap white shower curtain liners from the dollar store as diffusers. Surprisingly effective, and dirt cheap. Just make sure they're not too close to the LEDs (they can warp a bit if they get warm).
- One thing that helped me was layering. I had sheer curtains first, then the shower liner behind it. The combo diffused the dots nicely without dimming things too much.
- Another DIY hack I've seen people use (haven't tried myself yet) is frosted window privacy film. Seems like it would diffuse nicely without cutting too much brightness. Might be worth experimenting with if you're still tweaking things.
Overall, sounds like you're on the right track. DIY lighting setups always take a bit of fiddling, but once you hit that sweet spot it's totally worth it.
Totally agree on the trial and error part—reminds me of when I redid lighting in my old Victorian attic. Ended up using muslin fabric stretched loosely about 6 inches below the LEDs...gave a nice, soft "cloudy" effect without losing too much brightness.
