Motion-activated night lights aren’t new. Unlike most you’ll find in the market, though, the Ellum isn’t a wall wart that sticks out of an outlet during use. Instead, it’s designed to serve as decorative lighting that automatically illuminates your path as you find your way in the dark.
Made by Feltmark, it consists of wall-mountable wooden panels with LEDs on the underside for shining a light immediately underneath. Mount it below knee level to illuminate the floors, put it up a little higher to shine light directly on the walls, and even around corners to make them visible, whether you’re making your way to the illuminated bowl in the bathroom or to the kitchen to grab some cold water after a bad dream.
The Ellum comes in two sizes: one that measures 6 inches wide and another that stretches 22 inches. Both are precision-milled from solid hardwood, each with two motion sensors that can recognize when people are coming through, automatically switching on for 20 seconds a time. It uses warm white LEDs covered by an acrylic diffuser on the underside, with the small one providing 52 lumens of brightness and the larger one producing 158 lumens – enough to keep things visible without destroying your circadian rhythms. Each set comes with 3M adhesive dots for mounting, although you could opt to use the included hardware (screws with magnets) for a more sturdy but still detachable installation. Battery requirements are four AA for the small and eight AA for the large, with a fresh batch lasting each up to six months of regular use.
Available in black walnut and white oak finishes, the Ellum is priced starting at $129.