There’s something about October that brings out my inner child. Maybe it’s the excuse to cover the house in coloured lights, or perhaps it’s the legitimate reason to buy ghost-shaped decorations. Either way, this month delivered on all fronts.
Halloween Mode: Activated
As soon as October hit, the smart home went into full spooky mode. One of the joys of having addressable LEDs and smart bulbs throughout the house is being able to transform the whole vibe with a few taps. This year, I went with a pink and green colour scheme for the exterior – the porch lights glowing an eerie pink while the LED strip under the bay window cast a ghostly green glow onto the driveway.
The upstairs windows got the red treatment too, giving the whole place a proper haunted house feel. I love that the neighbours probably think I’m slightly mad, but a few of them have asked how I did it, so perhaps I’m starting a trend on the street.
New Decorations for the Collection
Every year, the Halloween decoration box gets a little heavier. This October, we picked up these fantastic ceramic ghost figures with light-up eyes. They’ve got proper character – one’s wearing a little top hat with a bow tie, the other’s got a moustache. Very distinguished spectres.
The black pumpkin “Trick or Treat” jar in the middle has been perfect for keeping sweets ready for any little visitors. We had a good turnout of trick-or-treaters this year, and the light-up ghosts were a hit with the kids.
Costco Run: Christmas Already?
Yes, I know. It’s October. But we made a Costco trip towards the end of the month and couldn’t resist picking up some Christmas bits while we were there. Wrapping paper, a few decorations – you know how it goes. You walk in for a rotisserie chicken and walk out with half a Christmas shop. The trolley was looking rather festive by the time we hit the checkout.
The Little Things
October wasn’t all about Halloween preparations. There were plenty of quiet moments too – cosy evenings with the dog sprawled across the sofa, some online gaming sessions with mates, and a fair few bacon sandwiches (the breakfast of champions, obviously). Sometimes the best parts of a month are those unremarkable moments that you only appreciate when scrolling back through photos.
Tech Corner: Getting Started with WLED
Since the Halloween lights got a few questions, here’s a quick primer on WLED – the open-source firmware that powers most of my addressable LED setups:
What is WLED?
WLED is free firmware you can flash onto cheap ESP8266 or ESP32 microcontrollers (about £3-5 each) to control WS2812B LED strips. It gives you a web interface, app control, and integrates beautifully with Home Assistant.
Quick Setup Tips
- Power matters: Don’t try to power more than about 30 LEDs from the ESP itself. For longer strips, inject power every metre or so, and always use a proper 5V power supply rated for your LED count (roughly 60mA per LED at full white brightness).
- The data line trick: Add a 300-500 ohm resistor between your ESP’s data pin and the LED strip’s data-in. It prevents flickering and random flashing.
- Home Assistant integration: Once WLED is running, add it to Home Assistant via the WLED integration. You can then create automations like “turn exterior lights purple at sunset during October.”
Seasonal Presets
WLED lets you save presets and playlists. I’ve got presets saved for different occasions – Halloween (purples, greens, oranges with a slow twinkle), Christmas (warm white with occasional red/green accents), and an everyday warm white for when I want the house to look normal. Switch between them with a single tap or automate them based on date.
If you’re interested in getting started, the WLED documentation is excellent, and there are loads of tutorials on YouTube for first-time setups.
Looking Ahead
November’s already knocking on the door, which means darker evenings and the slow march towards Christmas. I’ve got a few home automation projects in mind – mainly sorting out some outdoor lighting that’s been on the to-do list for far too long. But for now, I’m content with how October turned out. The house looked properly spooky, the decorations were a hit, and there were plenty of good moments in between.
Until next time!
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