Young House Love

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How To Add Remotes To Your Bedside Lamps

Number five is alive! (Short Circuit, anyone?) I went with that intro because we recently added a helpful robot to our household (you know I’m into gadgets – I think my favorite post ever was this one entitled Super Toilet).

Let me start from the beginning. We’re big proponents of having lights that you can reach from bed. It sounds obvious, but for a while the only light in our first master bedroom was overhead and operated by the switch by the door (which feels miles away when you’re lying in bed half asleep). So until we installed the wall sconces two years into living there, we experienced a battle of wills each night to see who would have to make the trek to flick the switch. Picture both of us trying to fake-sleep to avoid having to be the one to get up.

Bedroom After

And when we rearranged our bedroom last September, we nearly ignored our own advice. Since my bedside lamp was sunken back in that nook, it took a good stretch of my long monkey arms to twist the switch each night. People asked if it annoyed me and I honestly replied that it didn’t. What’s wrong with a little pre-bed stretching? It definitely still beats getting out of bed and walking across the room.

Bedroom After

But over time… let’s just say that it wore me and my monkey arms down. My best description of the slow I-hate-this evolution would be this. A week or two of doing the pre-bed-arm-stretch = not so bad. A month or two of it = getting old. Three to six months of it = I’m finished with the straining of the arm (said a la Ben Stiller in this “I’m finished with the checking of the bags” clip). There are certainly worse problems in the world to have, but I’m always down for upgrades that make a room more functional – especially after six months of doing the harlem shake the sloppy swish the light limbo before bed.

Remote Straining

And since we’re both really happy with the room’s layout except for this small lamp-reaching detail, the solution I had in mind was some sort of remote (which a bunch of you had actually recommended months ago when we shared the new arrangement). Initially I yearned to implement some Jetson-esque system that I could control from my phone (since it’s often the last thing to leave my hands each night). Then I briefly reminisced about The Clapper (which I had growing up, btw). But the things I was finding (like this system from Belkin) started to feel like overkill. Then I stumbled upon this $50 system that was marked down to just $19. Sold.

BedRemote Amazon Shot

About a week after I ordered it, my little robot system arrived – and I was all dorked out about getting it hooked up. That’s when I discovered one major flaw in the design. The remote outlet is so big that no matter which outlet you place it in – the top or the bottom – it blocks the other one from being used. Bad robot.

BedRemoate No Thanks

And since the outlet behind my dresser needs to serve more than one electrical device, I was kinda annoyed at first. But it ended up being a blessing in disguise because it forced me to dig an old power strip out of storage so that I could plug the remote into that. Which meant that not only did I now have room for the bulky remote device, but I could plug everything else in at once (we used to rotate things out, so the fan or the baby monitor were only plugged in occasionally). Now that everything has power, this dresser is the quite the hub of activity.

BedRemote 4 Things Charging

But let’s not forget the best part. My mystical remote that makes light disappear right before our very eyes. Ooh. Ahh. (No strained arm muscles required.)

BedRemote Magic

Of course, reaching for the remote on the dresser every night wouldn’t be much of an improvement. So with a little 3M velcro I stuck it to the side of our bed frame, where it’s 100% hidden from view beneath the bedspread after we make the bed.

BedRemote 3M Glued

I tell ya folks, this is the life.

Remote Not Straining

And in case you’re wondering, I put one of the other remote outlets (since the set came with three total) in Sherry’s lamp so she doesn’t have to lift a finger to turn off her light either. Hers wasn’t as much of a stretch since it’s not set back in a nook, but I’m a gentleman, what can I say? It’s a far cry from the old days of negotiating who would have to get out of bed and hit the wall switch. Now I’m all “Oh, you must be tired honey. Let me get that light for you. You just rest.” #madhusbandpoints

I’m sure I’m not the only one who has added a simple techno fix that makes life a little easier. Are there any quick and handy updates going on in your house? Do you have The Clapper song in your head now? I do. Clap on. (Clap clap). Clap off. (Clap clap).

Psst- Today my lady wife is over on Style Me Pretty Living, just jabbering about “life behind the blog.”

Comments

  3. Tracy says

    I bought my husband “the Nest” right when it first came out. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, it is an amazing little update to our old home that allows us to control the temperature in our house via our iPhones. Living in Florida, it is a MUST that the house be cold at night, and therefore, being able to control the A/C with our phones = amazingness!!

    Reply

  5. Misty says

    I was seriously laughing out loud while reading this post then I got to the velcro to the side of the bed and about fell out of my chair from laughing even harder. I just love you guys!

    Reply

  6. Athena Warner says

    For years I had to do the get up, turn off the light, then race back into bed (you know, before the monsters could catch me….bed=safe zone!). When I grew up and was able to better organize my lifestyle however I wished, having a light I turned off at my bedside became one of the top priorities in my bedroom spaces. No matter how much overhead lighting I have, I always make sure I have a light that turns off right next to me (or husband!). It’s the little things that matter sometimes. I love that you guys found a solution that really works for you!

    Reply

  7. Amy L. says

    Fun! Glad you mentioned The Clapper too, because that’s totally what I was thinking of when I started reading this post. We’ve come a long way now with these crazy remotes, haven’t we? :)

    Reply

  8. Lisa says

    Hi Sherry,

    Where did you get the multi colored Zigzag pillow shown in your kitchen post with blue walls? I LOVE it!

    Thank you!

    Lisa

    Reply

  9. Jonathan M says

    My wife got me started following you guys. A dash of honesty, I thought it was going to be too girly for me. But I really do love yall’s stuff!. Then, after noticing that I own the same shirt John is posing in above (Coca-Cola classic?, Yes please), I must say it must be fate.

    Great post though. My wife and I do the same thing, hate getting up for the light… Will probably do a similar solution soon! Thanks!

    Reply

  10. Jerri says

    Oh my gosh! Your very own Deluminators! Dumbledore would be so proud his invention is spreading beyond Ron!

    Reply

  11. Rachel T says

    We had this same remote system in our living room and found that it caused the bulbs to burn out upon clicking — often once a month. Maybe it’s just because we used incandescent bulbs then, we have since switched and I assume you use CFLs, but keep an eye out for electrical issues. Otherwise, enjoy!

    Reply

  12. Brian says

    I here ya. I am currently half way through upgrading our house with all Z-wave operated switches. Next stop is the bedroom to eliminate the same exact battle you described above. I love Z-Wave switches simply for the fact they operate like a normal switch, but then they are radio controlled so you can set them up with the phone. Setting up scenes increases the enjoyment of the home as the perfect lighting is available at a flip of a virtual switch.

    Reply

  13. Lesley says

    Popped over to Behind the Blog – do you ever get your hands on Style at Home (may only be in Canada, but sometimes it’s the same mag by a different name down there)? My girlfriend’s kitchen is on the front cover and has a painting by a 3rd friend hanging in it. Based on your current colour loves, you would love the spread of her main floor!

    Reply

  15. Jae says

    We’ve got a good portion of our lights controllable via iPhone, which is especially great when you realize you left a light on downstairs after you are already in bed and half asleep. On top of that, we changed our thermostats over to the Nest. Also controllable via iPhone, but it’s got other cool features such as learning your living patterns and adjusting the temp in the house automatically.

    I’m sure more and more of our house will be automated over time. What can I say? I’m married to a geek. :)

    Reply

  16. Bethany says

    Let me just say my day needed a Short Circuit Reference! That was the best movie ever! Yay for growing up in the eighties!

    Reply

  17. shells says

    Oh I love those remote switches!!! I have the same ones!! After not being able to find the perfect corner vanity and cabinets in my first remodeling project, I collected a heap of used woodworking tools from craigslist (long story short, took some classes, read some books and learned woodworking and cabinet making and now have an awesome woodshop in my basement- my husband says the dust collection system looks like it was hung by gypsy’s: left over flower fabric strips beats expensive hangers anyday!) Anyho, I have a remote switch in my apron to turn on the dust collection from anywhere in the woodshop, and another remote that controls the mains switch for the table saw strapped to the shoulder of my apron, within easy access of my chin in case of need of hands-free shut-off. waaaaaaaay cheaper than the $100+ saftey switches that still need a hand or knee to turn off.

    Reply

  18. Ann says

    With your bedside lights recessed, do you have a problem reading in bed? I see that you’ve solved the problem of turning them off and on, but I think I’d need more direct light to read. Love the high tech!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We read in bed for about an hour most nights and don’t have an issue with lighting (we use CFL bulbs, which can be super bright without going over the recommended wattage so maybe that helps?).

      xo
      s

  19. Laura says

    We installed one of these remotes onto two lamps in our bedroom a few months ago and it’s so convenient! Except…occasionally there’s some kind of interference (we think it might be linked to when it rains or storms) that causes the lights to randomly come on every now and then. It doesn’t happen often enough for us to go back to actually walking over there to turn them off but it does happen often enough that we now call them ghost lights. As in, (at 2:00 am) “Holy crap, what just happened?” says my husband while springing out of bed. Me: “Just ghost lights, go back to sleep”…

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Haha, no way! Someone else mentioned that perhaps if your houses are close to others and other people have remotes they might interfere with each other?

      xo
      s

  21. Amy @ a new old house says

    Love the gadget! I need to get this for the kids’ rooms (although I could see the remote getting lost in the toy box! Did it come with one or three remotes?)

    Our problem is that there are NO overhead lights in any of the bedrooms… you should have seen us scrounging up every table lamp we could find when we first moved it! Someday we’ll get around to putting them in- the ceiling fixture installation doesn’t bother me, but for some reason the wall switch seems intimidating!

    Reply

  23. Lou says

    I am SO loving this. My hubby falls asleep with his lamp on. Then I wake up and it’s still on. I am so getting this for his side and putting the remote on my side.

    Reply

  24. Tara says

    Many years ago I bought The Clapper for my father, an amputee with one leg as a sort-of gag gift but truthfully thought it would be great in his bedroom for turning off lights while in bed. We immediately installed it but he could never get the hang of it (he is old school and thought it was a high tech gadget). We all forgot about it’s existence. Well about 6 years later he was in bed and for some reason clapped his hands loudly. All of a sudden many lights came on in the room and he and my stepmom were totally confused. It’s something we still laugh about today!

    Reply

  27. Krissy says

    We used something similar before we got down to the nitty gritty rewiring of things in our house. The bathroom and bedroom didn’t have light switches, so you’d have to fumble in the dark to get to the lamp and turn it on (not cool when you’re on a midnight bathroom run). We got an outlet? that plugs into the real outlet, but is controlled by a switch that you can stick anywhere on any wall without wires. Pretty sweet.

    Reply

  28. Sarah says

    These were epic for me this Christmas. Crawling under a real tree to get to the wall to unplug the outlet wasn’t in my game plan. Luckily I registered for these for our wedding, you know, just in case, and they were perfect for turning off our tree, mantle lighting, and ceramic houses with the lights in them, all without leaving the couch (or crawling under trees/furniture!).

    Reply

  31. Kristen says

    Short Circut was my favourite (note Canadian spelling) movie way back in the day. “Whatever God wants, he keeps! nyuk, nyuk, nyuk”

    Reply

  32. Nancy says

    We had a switch right next to the bed in our old house which was great! Not so lucky in the new place. My hubby was getting tired of walking through the dark to bed so he sent me on a search for a Clapper. (Never thought to check for a remote control online. Duh!) We didn’t know if they even still sold them, but after looking high & low I finally tracked one down. It’s kinda fun, but my brother-in-law said we must be REALLY be getting old!!

    Reply

  33. Ally says

    I hope our lovely spokesmodel was wearing pants during this this little boudoir re-enactment? :)

    Had no idea this system existed…wow…I’m off to get one ASAP! I have a disabled sibling with very limited mobility…this handy gadget will make his life easier. And it even uses a (manly :) remote – WIN WIN! :)

    Thx, JBoom! :)

    xox

    Reply

  37. Erin G. says

    We use these all over the house! Bistro lights on the patio with a plug 10 feet up the wall? Remote! Extra lights hanging from the garage ceiling, plugged in where the door opener is? Remote! Soft lamp in the baby’s room? Remote (velcroed by the door)! Lights on the Christmas tree, mantal and shelf? Remote! :)

    Reply

  38. Nicole S. says

    Sometimes when I’m settled in bed or on the couch I try clapping in the hope that the lights will turn off by themselves. If my husband’s nearby, he’ll often get the hint and do it for me. : )

    Reply

  39. Gil says

    This really has nothing to do with your light issue but I have a question. When you moved the furniture in your bedroom around, many people had suggested a change from where it was origninally, but you said many times that was the only way the furniture could be arranged. Many people also commented about changing the paint in your kitchen but you said many times that you both loved the grellow color.
    Both have since been changed. Does it make you question yourselves and what you’ve chosen when others continually suggest changes? Is a seed planted and it just grows?
    Just wondering…

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Great question! I think in general it’s easier for people looking in on the blog to suggest changes (we try not to make knee-jerk changes or judge things too quickly since the middle makes no sense) so we live with things and eventually tweak whatever we don’t love – or what we love but then start to dislike over time. In both of those cases we didn’t hate them at first (the furniture seemed to be the best arrangement and the kitchen color was fun). Then over time we came up with better options. We tweaked our first house for 4.5 years, so that’s definitely normal for us. In the end, we still have total faith in trial and error. We get there somehow!

      There are also tons of things that we do where the opposite thing happens: readers hate our first choices and tell us to change them and then the rest of the room comes together and they comment to say “you totally saw ahead to how it would look and now I love it!” So I think it’s a nice little mix of both :)

      xo
      s

  40. Cleo says

    Haha you guys don’t web have to get a could arm reaching out from under the bedspread now! So awesome! I used to have curtains that closed with press of a button by my bed and it entertained me for hours haha my friends were always so impressed when they came over for sleepovers;)
    I think I may have to rig up a little system like this in my own bedroom(feel free to check it out on my blog)! Seems pretty darn handy!

    Reply

  42. HeatherM says

    We use the same gadget on all of our indoor Christmas lights. With just a click of the buttons we can turn off the tree, lighter garland, and other decorations

    Reply

  43. Marcia says

    Great story … my in-laws bought The Clapper for their bedside lamp many years ago. The convenience of it was short-lived, however, because my FIL, being a horrific snorer, caused the light to flash on and off all night long. Inhale … light on. Exhale … light off. Inhale … light on. Exhale … well, you get the idea!!

    Reply

  44. Heather Flint says

    Our overhead fan and light in our new house has a remote too, and I’m now trying to figure out how I ever lived without it. However, everytime I shut it off, I expect 80’s music to start playing and the bed to start spinning like in the movies. haha!

    Reply

    • Heather Flint says

      I have no idea if there ACTUALLY is a movie that this happens in, but I’m pretty sure there should be. LOL! :)

  45. Melina says

    You have just answered all our questions! The gadget is now ordered and I cannot wait for the simpler evening ritual of who’s turning out the lights tonight!! Thank you!!

    Reply

  46. Jessica L. says

    Hi Sherry and John. This is a very odd question but the baby monitor on your dresser…is it the Angelcare video monitor? My husband and I are expecting our first in August and your monitor looks like the one on sale at BabiesRus. :)

    Reply

  49. Erin says

    OMG, this post is killing me for several reasons. (1) Just yesterday, I went back through your archives so I could pin that exact picture at the top of this post with the swing arm sconces. Seriously, yesterday–and then, bam, it’s top of today’s post! Ha ha. (2) We installed a similar remote thing and then went ahead and told everyone we knew (and some strangers) about how awesome it was. I don’t why it’s so much more fun to push a remote button than to flip a switch, but it IS! (3) Before we discovered the remote thing, we had the Clapper…and loved it (despite what I’ll call “light ribbing” from friends about it). Clearly the remote control solution is more elegant, but the Clapper does have supreme convenience going for it. I mean, your hands are always right there. :)

    Reply

  50. Lisa A says

    My bedside lamp is too far away from my bed, too. But the outlet it plugs into is within reach. I bought one of those plugs that has a switch on the top of it and turn it on and off that way. And I can still use the other outlet, too.
    I use one on my antique sewing machine, too, because the light switch is stuck in the “on” position. At least it’s on and not off.

    Reply

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