If you've read my blog for any time now, you know that my husband and I have been remodeling our home (replacing floors, painting, updating appliances and bathrooms, etc.). I declared that we were "done" and for the past several weeks, I thought we were.
And then, it happened. I got an email out of the blue one day from Josh Scharf, President of Archetype Ltd in Short Hills, NJ. He wanted to let me know about a product his company had developed that he thought I might be interested in, given this "mission" I was on to remodel. It turns out Josh understands that the boomer generation is his target, since we are leading the trend in home remodeling and are determined to age in place as stylishly as possible.
Am I ever glad he wrote! He even sent me a box containing three PathLights, an automatic radio-frequency lighting system for staircases and hallways. Of course, I had seen lighting systems before, but dismissed them as either too expensive, too ugly, or two "geriatric." In other words, I loved the idea, but did not want to install something that screamed "I'm getting older and can't see in the dark!"
That's important for two reasons: 1) I do have my pride, after all; and 2) we're likely to be among the 55+ crowd that will end up selling our home to a younger family. (Did you know that 75% of all homes sold by those over 55 are purchased by younger people?) No point in spending money on something that would turn off a potential purchaser.
Now, I would dare someone to tease or question me about these lights! I absolutely love them! They're stylish, very easy to install and work flawlessly. One light serves as the motion-sensing light and tells the other lights to wake up and light your path a few seconds ahead of where you're walking. The lights stay on for one minute, then reset themselves until you're ready to pass by them again. They each use three double-A batteries and you can either install them with screws or simply peel away the sticky back and pop them on in a flash.
PathLights are attractive, easy to dust and the light is bright enough to see by without being so bright as to distract, or perhaps wake someone.
I learned that the Home Shopping Network is selling PathLights for $34.95 for a box of three lights and all installation tools. You can also find them in several catalogs, including Improvements. Or check Amazon.
I sure wish these lights had been available seven years ago when I fell down an entire flight of stairs in the dark (rushing to see my favorite TV show at the time, Judging Amy). I broke my right foot and ended up in a wheel chair for almost 10 weeks! (BTW, the show that night turned out to be a rerun, which I watched while lying in pain in the ER.)
Now that I've tried PathLights, I've thought of several places where I'd like to use them. What's more, I'll be ordering some for my parents, who complain about nightlights being distracting, but are worried about getting out of bed in complete darkness.
So, apparently, I'm not done "remodeling" after all!
