I hear you on the “less is more” front. My house is from the 1920s, and every time I try to add something “smart,” it’s like opening a can of worms—old wiring, weird junction boxes, you name it. I’ve looked at those outdoor dimmers that aren’t connected to WiFi, and honestly, they seem like a good middle ground. I do miss being able to tweak the lighting from my phone, but not enough to deal with another app update or random disconnect.
Curious if anyone’s found a dimmer that actually works well with older wiring? I’ve had mixed luck—sometimes they buzz or just don’t play nice with LED bulbs. Part of me wonders if it’s worth rewiring for the sake of mood lighting, or if I should just stick with string lights and call it a day...
Dealing with old wiring is always a bit of a gamble. I've had the best luck with Lutron Caseta dimmers—they're not cheap, but they handle older setups better than most, and they don't need a neutral wire. Still, some LEDs will buzz no matter what, especially with older fixtures. Rewiring just for mood lighting seems like overkill unless you’re already opening up the walls for something else. Sometimes string lights really are the path of least resistance... and they look pretty decent, honestly.
Yeah, I hear you on the rewiring—definitely not worth tearing up old plaster just to swap a switch. I ended up mixing Caseta dimmers with a few Hue bulbs outside, but honestly, string lights have been the least fussy. Sometimes simple just works better with these old houses.
I get where you’re coming from—these old houses just don’t play nice with new tech sometimes. Tearing into plaster is a nightmare, and you never know what you’ll find behind the walls. I tried a smart switch in my dining room once, and the wiring was so old I ended up with half the lights flickering like a haunted house for a week.
Mixing Caseta with Hue is a solid workaround, though. I’ve done similar, but honestly, I keep coming back to this bit you said:
...string lights have been the least fussy. Sometimes simple just works better with these old houses.
Couldn’t agree more. I put up some old-school globe string lights across the back yard last summer, and it’s been the easiest thing by far—no apps, no weird resets, just plug and play. Sometimes I think these houses just want to be left alone, you know? Smart stuff is great when it works, but sometimes low-tech just fits the vibe better.
Smart Lights Vs Smart Switches For Yard Setup?
That haunted house flicker is all too familiar—been there, done that, and it’s never as fun as it sounds. I tried to get fancy with smart switches in my 1920s place, thinking I’d outsmart the old wiring. Ended up with a breaker trip and a lot of cursing under my breath. After that, I just went with outdoor-rated string lights on a heavy-duty timer. No fuss, no apps, just reliable light every night.
I do like the idea of smart bulbs for certain spots, especially if you want color or dimming without rewiring. But honestly, for the yard? Sometimes less is more. The string lights have survived storms and winter without a hiccup, and if one goes out, it’s a quick fix—not a whole troubleshooting session.
Guess it comes down to how much you want to tinker versus just enjoying your space. Old houses have enough quirks already... sometimes simple wins out over smart.
