NightLights III - Tub Lights

The spa during the daylight. It's very private and the night lighting acceuntuates that.

The hot tub/spa is the one part of the deck that gets used year round, no matter the weather, or feet of snow on the deck. The blizzardier the better for a hot soak. So lighting gets used even more often here. And, knowing that soft light is more flattering than harsh, the emphasis is on soft. I've yet to find a light that makes people look thinner, but I'll keep trying. Another consideration here is that no electrical outlets or fixtures can be above or around the tub.

There are three lighting "options" here. 1). Lighting in the soffit. 2). The underwater lights built into the tub, and 3). Moravian star candle lights above the tub.

Soffit lighting's on a dimmer. For those romantical moments that have yet to happen.

The soffit lighting follows my mantra of, "see the light, but not the bulb." I added a "false" wooden beadboard ceiling three inches below the existing ceiling to what was a former porch, now the roof over the tub. Between the soffit and the ceiling, around the perimeter, I added, you guessed it, rope lights, rope lights, rope lights. Rope lights being one of God's greatest inventions, after rice steamers. These lights, not wanting to attract unneeded attention from neighbors, are on a dimmer switch, so they can be very subtle. The switch is also near the ceiling and far from the tub. Don't want any kids trying to stand in the tub and turn on the lights. Well, depends on the kid.

We don't usually turn on the tub lights. You can see yourselves sitting in water. And who wants to watch themselves sit in water?

The tub came with a variety of colored lights, and settings, built in. It's got basic red (looks like lava), green (looks like green beer), purple (looks like purple water), yellow (looks like pee–rather disconcerting to soak in) and blue (looks like water). There's some soothing colors in what the tub sales people refer to as "light therapy." It can subtle change through all the colors, or any two colors, like from green to blue, which is somewhat therapeutic, I guess. Another setting allows all this to happen at a rapid clip. We call it "disco setting." It's annoying. Only the ten-year-old likes it.

Candles above the tub. If these fall, you get a concussion and slight bleeding, as opposed to electric lights, where you'd get a concussion, slight bleeding and electrocuted.

The last bit of lighting is the Morovian star candles above the tub. They're there just for mood. They don't spit out enough light to count for anything, especially when seen from below. But as you get into the tub, you can see them and I guess it helps set some sort of mood. They look good, unlit, during the day too. That's a plus.

For a past post about the installation concerns & costs of a hot tub, visit here.

Cooking in the dark is just too risky. This beats holding a flashlight in one hand and a spatula in the other - you'd have to put down your drink.

I didn't know where else to put this light. It's not a tub light, but it is on the grill, nearby the tub, so I put it on this post. It's my grill light. It's been frustrating with the grill in this new spot on the deck. It used to be near the back door and the motion sensor light helped in seeing what I was cooking. Now it's in a spot on the deck with all my subtle, soft, demure, ambient light–and I can't see a damn thing. This falls under the category of task lighting, which I don't have a post on, since cooking at night is the only task I have for lighting. It attaches to the grill and is weather-proof and battery-powered.

Monday was the Safety Dance. Yesterday was Ambient Light. The rest of the week? Tomorrow is Fire and Friday is Fun Lights.