Would These Fake Windows Fool You? | I Like To Make Stuff

[@Iliketomakestuff]

This room isn't officially listed as bedroom because it doesn't have secondary egress. But, right outside that door, there are two egress windows where Josh and his son practice fire escape. Thank you for your concern, they've addressed this issue when they bought the house. We hope you enjoy the intent of the video, making the space better for his family.

[@DemeDemetre]

Ok, because some people said it was against the code

[@INSIDEHARDWARE]

Raise your hand if you have ever slept in a basement…

[@Npdias]

"THIS IS THE INTERNET SAFETY POLICE" "Come out with your hands above your heads" "We have you surrounded"

[@DOCDARKNESSREAL]

I was half expecting and hoping for an Arduino WiFi solution but KISS principals always prevail 👍 Great idea

[@DOCDARKNESSREAL]

Day time wood top - Night time, flips over nightlight table top. Beers would look epic🤣🍻

[@91jmixes40]

All of the negative comments on this video are cracking me up. He isn't being forced to live down there, that's his room and this is a vast improvement. I highly doubt there is just a spare bedroom lying around that he could be in instead, if he hated this room they wouldn't have made this video. There's absolutely nothing creepy about fake windows like this, daylight-colored lightbulbs are just fake sunlight - adding a window shape just makes it feel more natural.

[@oldtimefarmboy617]

I saw where a neighbor did the same thing but he used big flat screen televisions mounted in the wall and then hooked each window to a separate wide view camera mounted outside the same distance apart as the televisions. He set the television's setting to as close to outside light as possible and then left them on all of the time. That way anybody inside the room could see what was going on outside all day and all night and as long as you did not get too close, like look down the side of the building close, it really gave the feeling of being a widow to the outside.

[@waveformdistortion]

Rather than a timer, I think it would be cool to rig something up with a light sensor placed upstairs so that the "windows" could mirror actual conditions as they change with the seasons or the daily weather.

[@richardking6066]

Or a solar panel to power it directly, as and when it is light outside?

[@TomCee53]

To mix this and another comment, how about a tv, with a scene from a camera upside. Doubles as a security system. Also, add curtains to make it more realistic.

[@wrifraff]

Would be cool to see the color shift for sunrise/sunset too.

[@DragonflyArtz1]

And a little bird on the window seal. Oh sorry...I just thought...never mind...

[@recoveringsoul755]

Can the light grow plants light real light?

[@dnwheeler]

DIY Perks did a similar project using backlight panels from broken LCD televisions. The advantage of that is the TV backlighting has a Fresnel lens that essentially aligns/focuses the light to shine straight out, resulting in shadows that don't change with distance. This mimics the effect of a light source at an infinite distance - more like the sun.

[@nas73603]

was about to mention it. was hoping they'd do something similar with a fresnel lens but i guess no :/

[@kurisutofusan]

Or even better, the one he made with the satellite dish that really mimics sunlight.

[@Ruckusmatter]

quick correction. its not a fresnel lens but rather a collimating layer

[@dnwheeler]

@@Ruckusmatter Thanks for the correction. I just assumed the collimating was done using fresnel principles

[@Ruckusmatter]

@@dnwheeler similar looking sheets since both use those ridges to redirect light but a collimating layer (which CAN be a fresnel lens) is the term for all monitors and tvs. So if you go searching for a fresnel lens in most cases you'll come up with nothing til you figure out you just need that collimator

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

Such a cool idea! Wonder what they would look like with blinds now...

[@Iliketomakestuff]

I think they're going to add some

[@hoguemr]

Wonder what they'd look like encased in rainbow glitter glow resin!

[@Craftlngo]

@@hoguemr that would be very trippy for a junior basement fake window

[@tobiasweber2517]

you guys should make a "fake" window but make the panel out of rainbow resin. id be less a window and more an illuminated art piece but it could be cool

[@dennispoulos6010]

@@Iliketomakestuff Maybe add a sash lock (non-functional of course) to complete the illusion.

[@annsdecor9831]

This is absolutely stunning! For years now I've been researching how to do a window like this. I saw it at IKEA, and I've been making calls and asking questions for several years now about how this was done. I thought about putting different types of lighting's behind tempered glass, but the lights wasn't evenly distributed. I don't know how, after all these years of me searching, this popped up. I literally have tears in my eyes right now. Words can not express how I feel right now. All I can say is, "THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!"💝 NS

[@evilshoemaker]

Ikea does actually sell those windows, they're called the FLOALT

[@annsdecor9831]

@@evilshoemaker thank you soooooooo much. 🎉🎉🎉

[@caquita402]

This will still look and feel like an led light tho, if you want sunlight "diy perks" on youtube has a video about faking it

[@annsdecor9831]

@@caquita402 okay, thank you very much.

[@MrJakson112]

@DIY Perks did a video on it 6 years ago. Just search "fake windows" on his channel

[@Ghreak]

I worked for abouth 6 years mostly as a retoucher in a quiet dark room. The illusion of real winodws would helped a lot. A window with or without light can change a lot in your daily mood

[@Iliketomakestuff]

That's what he's hoping. Thanks!

[@Ghreak]

@Supper@6 good Decision. Over the years I developed a vitamin D deficiency. Since the pandemic I am working from home and everything is so much better now

[@richhagenchicago]

I had some LED lights that I built for a project, and I had some left over. I wired them directly to a solar panel in dark area like the room your project is in. They would light up proportionate to how bright it was outside, similar to a window. Interestingly, in a thunderstorm they would even flash dimly from lightning strikes at night. They have been there for 15 plus years now.

[@ianmalkaviac]

You could use the same idea to make skylights for a kitchen or a living room with a vaulted ceiling. Would give all the looks without the worries about leaks through the roof.

[@rall860331]

A few years back, I was obsessed with renovation shows, and there was a British one I particularly liked. They almost always would end up extending the house down. They would end up putting the kitchen and living room on the basement, and part of the “convincing” the family was by showing the different ways they could bring natural light down. (I thought this was going to be something like that). And one of the things that blew my mind, was a “skylight” the you’ll install on the roof (or the backyard on that show), and it could brought natural light several floors down. (It was basically a very reflective tube). So the idea of putting lcd lights mimicking a window basically blew my mind.

[@kristinebailey6554]

Sola tubes achieve that by using pipe and mirrors and it literally IS natural light.

[@UncleJessy]

Perfect timing! I just saw some long flat light panels at Costco and was thinking they’d make for nice basement fake windows. This is another level of amazing.

[@DemeDemetre]

They aren't really realistic tbh

[@Iliketomakestuff]

They are actually.

[@Iliketomakestuff]

It made a world of difference

[@DemeDemetre]

@@Iliketomakestuff To make it realistic you need parallel light rays, so the shadow doesn't change in size when you move your hand closer or further from the light. Also, you need a thin blue filter over the light, like DIY perks did, watch that video

[@AnthonyGerbore]

I think they look great. Good jobs guys!

[@sleepyBear33]

Now imagine those led panels were actually smart TVs that allowed you to display live backgrounds!

[@GUN2kify]

there's bunch of samd projects, that uses old damaged TVs go get these LED-Planel ...

[@kevinwelsh7490]

in 2d

[@raventhorX]

the outside of that room would look like hell, or space maybe? maybe make it look like the warp effect in various sci fi shows.

[@chickenfoundation9323]

I would pretend to be a news show with Times Square in the background

[@nicoelgreeko]

'Total Recall' has entered the chat.

[@Dogsnark]

This gives me an idea for making a “renter-friendly” version for people in an apartment. It could be hung just like a picture with drapes on both sides to make it seem more like it was part of the wall. Thanks for your inspiration!

[@betterhoodproperties]

Exactly what I am planning on doing

[@lesleyvids2610]

DIY Perks once built a fake sunlight with an old satellite dish, making the light appear to come from infinitly far away. There are also some flat lenses that mimic this effect. Maybe adding these to the window would make them even more daylight-realistic

[@dungeonseed]

My first thought was of DIY Perks.

[@caffau]

Came here to say this too. Not quite as amazing an effect as DIYPerks columnated light, but much more practical to fit in a wall cavity.

[@1988dgs]

The one from an old tv was better. It used the fresnel lens to give infinity to the light

[@volodx]

the option to simulate subtle realistic shadows of trees and tree leaves would be super cool

[@thewol7534]

What a great idea! If you used sunlight-spectrum lights in them, you could put windows like these in an inside wall in a kitchen or family room as a way for people who have Seasonal Affective Disorder (they get really depressed in the wintertime because of the short winter days and not getting enough natural sunlight) could have a way to get enough sunlight in the wintertime that subtle and just looks like room decor. Could be a life saver for people who suffer from SAD.

[@reason5591]

I suffer from S.A.D. and you have a grand idea there 👍

[@captnredbeard]

This project turned out awesome. Electrician here. We’ve been installing that style dimmer in a ton of commercial application lately and they are a pain but also kinda handy. Traditional dimmers would displace a ton of heat and had a max of 600w load unless you got a special type. I don’t know if there is a limit to the number of fixtures you could dim using only one switch.

[@Graeme.b]

If you add a fresnel lens in front of the light you'd also get a strong directional light that would mimic the sun a bit more too. I saw on another KZbin video someone took fresnel sheets from an old lcd tv and put that over a lightbox to create a really strong sense of sunlight into the room.

[@Logaan777]

DIY Perks YT channel made screens like these with old TV and computer monitors using those lenses.

[@GavinMogan]

@@Logaan777 and a satellite dish!

[@RAndrewNeal]

The only problem with this method is the chromatic aberration that results from the fresnel lenses. Though it has the advantage that it is more space efficient than the more accurate parabolic mirror method.

[@thesneakyfoxtss]

@@Logaan777 I just made a light panel from his video it's amazing (but mine is ugly af)

[@wishingb5859]

This is the best idea I have ever seen for basement apartments. Psychologically, it is so damaging to not feel like you have windows. This can help so much with mental health.

[@wheelerdavea]

Love it. We have a basement apartment with a "bonus" room that these windows would be perfect in. Thanks for doing the engineering for me.

[@Iliketomakestuff]

Our pleasure!

[@j10001]

At my employer, there is a large conference room in the interior of the building on the second floor-windows and skylights are not possible. But one wall has fake windows with backlighting, like these, and it looks awesome. I really enjoyed seeing how it was done. I might want to do this in a basement family room of our house as a decorative element. Thanks!

[@TOXIXIFY]

I've considered something similar by putting led strips in my actual windows because it's depressing when it gets dark at 4:30pm during the winter.

[@biancap3943]

Now he needs your help building a decent enclosure for that bearded dragon.

[@dawnofem]

Exactly that's way too small of an enclosure for that dragon.

[@gabriellacastillo5589]

lmaooo i was looking for a comment just like this one!

[@mflabkanonier]

Was thinking the same, that terrarium is way to small

[@F3Ibane]

These guys half-ass almost everything (cip: the "studs" they added in this video), not sure why anyone would be surprised at an inadequate terrarium.

[@frostbite1991]

50 gallon for my guy and a 70 for my two girls. Plenty of space for them to do absolutely nothing but lay in a single spot under the heatlamp for weeks on end lol.

[@huancoco3480]

I used these in my photography set to simulate real windows in my photos. I actually did that before I saw this video though. Works great.

[@Molimo86]

You don't technically need a Switch that does Both 110V Switching and 10V Dimming. You can separate the two. Use a Relay to controller the 110V Switching (On/Off), use a PWM, probably with a transistor to provide 0-10V Dimming. All controlled from an ESP, have it connected to your router/internet to get Sun Up/Down times and provide an automatic dimming window.

[@Iliketomakestuff]

We considered this, but we'd have to run a separate power supply for the ESP. We were really surprised that there weren't more off-the-shelf IoT dimmer switches for light panels.

[@Molimo86]

​@@Iliketomakestuff Yeah, But power is already there for the light, just tap into it. But yeah it would require a more hands on approach, nothing really available off the shelf. I'm tempted to do this myself now and make a Circuit/PCB for this....

[@MaulikParmar210]

He could have gotten away with dc panels that have off the shelves components and pwm controllers available. Panel itself tries the same thing with pwm signal to reduce or increase brightness. Only difference would be grade of LEDs used, but at the end you can actually find equivalent panel for cost effective way since they don't come with inbuilt controller. Regardless it can be hooked with esp and easily connected to assistants. And agreed as esp isnt everyone's first choice when it comes to non technical people. Thus going with off shelf components works well which actually exists and available easily.

[@captnredbeard]

I think the problem is those lighting panels are more of a commercial grade product and IoT is really more of a residential thing. I know there is absolutely a way to integrate this system exactly how you want it. Unfortunately, I have no idea how lol

[@TheCHRISCaPWN]

I am interested in this project for my recently finished basement, but I don't fully follow what is needed and what to do to make it self-automating. Any help with that?

[@stonelark]

Good job! In my basement studio I just hung $90, 2x4 LED light panels on the wall, put a thin, sheer IKEA curtain over them using curtain rods, and called it good. No cutting holes in the wall, and they looks just like a windows with a closed curtain.

[@SJ-fx8gu]

Would love to see a photo of what you did!

[@joepie221]

4:26 I just encountered that exact scenario. Solution....Buy dimmable LED bulbs. They do exist and are available in most home centers. I literally just learned this myself, 2 days ago.

[@NinjaJeean]

I got one of these dimmable led bulbs and slapped a wall outlet dimmer cord onto it - turns out the dimmer doesn't turn the bulb on until its 50%+ ON, then the light comes on at 50% brightness and I can then dim it down to 5-10%. That gap is a pain when its pitch black and the light comes on so, like they mentioned, make sure your dimmer works as intended or you'll be miserable :)

[@hashiramasenju6058]

@@NinjaJeean I have smart light bulbs which can turn on at 5% so there's no need to start at 50%. Try TP-Link's smart light bulb.

[@brucesherman5625]

To retrieve small items like what was dropped, there's a tool that may be of help. I bought one at Lowe's when you push the knob down three little fingers extend out. Then you release the knob it grabs the item. The unit I chose had a light built in to it.Hope this will help. Very nice project.

[@kdawg2468]

I have a friend that has a room with those old ugly fluorescent light panels on the ceiling like its a shop in a basement. This video gave me the idea to replace them with these so they don't have the old ugly lights and it'll look like a skylight and light up the area when the sun is on the other side of the house.

[@a.a.alexander6030]

You guys did a cracking job and i appreciate the skinny guy with glasses being so knowledgeable and credible. What would I have done differently? I'd have put a glass pane in under the trim to give it a more authentic look. I'd also have added a small window pane to make the fake window even more functional. And maybe some curtains... Never knew this solution was available till i watched this. Great video guys!

[@Zogg1281]

This would be an awesome addition to any home living in the Arctic circle where you don't get to see the sun in the winter. Now we just need a black hole version for their summer 🤔👍👍👍

[@impalic]

You should try to use smart plugs or switches. If they are Alexa enabled devices, you can set a routine where it turns on at morning and turns off at night. Alexa has sunset sunrise detection so it will be pretty accurate to the real one.

[@ParentsandProjects]

Looks great! Will just hurt a little when you do an emergency jump out the window head first into the stud..

[@jaytee2642]

Wow. I know nothing about home improvement and I have no idea why this video popped up in my feed, but I'm amazed. It never would have occurred to me that something like this was even possible. Very cool.

[@disturbedangel1085]

Love this project. Just a fyi the bearded dragon tank is to small. It should be in a lest a 4’x2’x2’ enclosure. That would be great to see you build one.

[@colehelderman2755]

thats the first thing i noticed, it would be awesome to see them do an enclosure build

[@TheNukedNacho]

I was wondering about that. It looked a bit small

[@Brownstone31]

Wouldn't that depend on how often they have him out. Most bearded dragon owners I know have them out more than in.

[@U53R-AKA-GREG]

I came to the comments to see if someone had said something, cause I was like he's half the size of that tank. Lmaoo

[@colehelderman2755]

@@U53R-AKA-GREG they should really be in a 5'x2'x3' tank for them to have adequate space

[@AerisShenlin]

I applaud you for doing this. As a teenager I had to live in the basement. My window was large but it faced north. This caused me endless depression, never a glimpse of sunlight in the room. But what I hated more than that was the fact that my dad had this house built, and he planned for a whole room for his toy train hobby, another room for a bar, but only three rooms for his four children. My oldest brother had the best room, upstairs, window facing the garden, but he left shortly after the house was built to study elsewhere, so his room was only used when he came to visit, meanwhile my sister and I had to share the basement room which wasn't even declared a bedroom, and we fought tooth and nail to at least get a drywall divider so we could have a room each. I am surprised you even bought this house with no bedroom for your son. He might suffer similar depression from this. But at least you made the windows.

[@ClAddict]

Sounds like a great project to hook up to a HomeAssistant setup with Zwave connections. Should be able to sync with the weather/sunrise/sunset no problem. Give a chance to dust off the raspberry pi skills

[@Iliketomakestuff]

We had the hardest time trying to find a Zwave dimmer with a 0-10v control

[@DrLoveQc]

maybe the Qubino zwave 0-10v dimmer could works. didnt try but I love the idea for my basement!!

[@daveypeterson]

@@Iliketomakestuff what about LIFX Z light strips. They are controlled on a smart phone, connected through WiFi. They have a mode for day to dusk lightning that can be programmed to simulate natural lighting. It also has some crazy colors that are super customizable.

[@HumanHiLiteReel]

@@Iliketomakestuff Leviton DD710-BLZ It's bluetooth. But you can get a module for rPi and it works in HomeAssistant. This is what I use in my basement.

[@dennisdelbene6042]

This is exactly what I was looking for for my TV room. Excellent idea! There are window clings that could go on the surface of the Lightbox that has a nature scene (trees) that would really give it the look of a window with a view if that is what someone wants

[@ShantDotMe]

Auto controlling the light temperature as the day goes by might be way more real than making it dimmable. and just in case you want to take it a step ahead, put a photosensor outside & let it control the intensity of the light. Keep the current switch to switch between auto / manual modes.

[@frostbite1991]

you can buy astrological timers for this reason. Mainly used for patio lighting, but can be reversed. The real problem is getting a module that slowly dims to mimic sunrise and sunset. I believe this is the module they are waiting on.

[@geoffcowan2384]

I feel like there is a way to control this via Arduino that monitors weather, like a smart mirror. So if the weather is cloudy, the light temp could change and sun up and sun down could change daily. I know you’re always looking for projects Bob. There you go. :) seriously, nice job. The windows are excellent just how they are if you never get around to doing the Arduino part.

[@alexandrealbergaria6224]

Love the idea, could also be cool to use the Phillips Hue Light strips and setup the sunset and sunrise mode. That way you can use your smartphone for everything and use their automation for "wake up" light.

[@anadd6195]

Boa ideia!

[@DhowayanAbuYara]

nicely done.. but.... how do you plan to replace the light if it dies? have you though of that? i know LEDs are long life but you might end up with a bad unit that doesnt have he full life span of an LED.

[@SheilaSpencer1]

I was thinking the exact same thing; and wondering if it could be installed as a swing out door (w/hidden latch) instead of a fixed installation. That way any maintenance could be done if needed.

[@endall39]

Thanks for sharing this very cool project. You mentioned that the light "temperature" setting is on the back of the light fixture and so I guess you need to set that before you install. So, what temperature did you use? Pretty important decision based on the natural light objective. The camera probably skewed the actual appearance, but they light in your install looked pretty blue on my screen.

[@timwhite10]

4000K for daylight I believe.

[@bperkins684]

Wow. Exactly what I'd like to do with my basement. I think I need to take it 1 or 2 notches down though based on my skill level, but this gives me some creative ideas! LOVE the execution of this.

[@Grizzlox]

The addition of curtains will look fantastic. I will definitely keep this in mind for my storm bunker project.

[@christmassnow3465]

There are windows with simulated sunshine. The setup recreates the perspective of a sun that appears fixed no matter how you move, and the light can even cast a shadow on the adjacent wall. Do you make these as well?

[@bobbyfischer7609]

Perfect application for Star Wars Death Star back lit pattern wall.

[@Iliketomakestuff]

We talked about that :)

[@BradyMcClanahan]

I wonder if they made a TV that would be bright enough so he can put backdrops in there cityscapes fun stuff like that and still get the light output. Nothing like looking out the window literally and seen the rolling grassy hills of the windows XP background.

[@GavinMogan]

I really love this idea. I'll have to remember it when i'm in the situation again. I recommend taking a look at the esp8266/esp32 line, you can get some with relays so you could wire up all the swiches and main lines and have full wifi enabled control. With esphome its super easy to program one, and you could have timers, sunrise/sunset based things, etc.

[@masterofreality926]

Indeed, but this lacks color temp change

[@floatswitch]

@@masterofreality926 I think they said there was a control on the back to set temperature color. Just hook that into inputs on the esp32.

[@beardeddragonwood]

My first thought about the lack of dimmer options is that it's a perfect job for an Arduino or low-end Pi.

[@ChrisFWhite]

Similar thought crossed my mind. 0 to 10V DC output is pretty simple with an Arduino. If you forego any intelligence then a trivial analogue circuit would do the job.

[@SingleHandedly]

@@ChrisFWhite You could also build this out to include a light sensor in another location that monitors the current outdoor conditions and set the brightness according to current weather.

[@c31979839]

@@ChrisFWhite the issue is, that the 0-10V signal is provided by the panels themselves, the control device needs to act as a variable resistor. So using a 0-10V DAC on the Pi or Arduino would not work. But you still can use a Pi or Arduino, but there would need to be a little extra circuitry to make it work.

[@lstanczykRC]

@@SingleHandedly That is what I will be building here within next couple of weekends.

[@shawnmcfadden6900]

gotta love the closed captioning said "hi I'm Bobbitt and I like to make stuff". I do like seeing this kind of stuff. ive followed you since the Lowe's escape room when you teamed up with Grant Thompson the king of random.... it sucks he's no longer with us.

[@gutz1981]

Also would be cool to ad some kind of air flow system. That way you could add drapes or blinds next to them and they would move creating the illusion of airflow.

[@liondirk]

Back when I was a teenager in the 70’s, just for fun I designed an underground house and for the windows I drew in flat tv monitors to place behind widow openings to simulate a window view with cameras above ground facing in four directions for a live view of what that window would see if it was above ground. Also had a fan built into the frames to simulate an open window, sort of like the dyson fan’s with no visible moving parts. Keep in mind that this was in my head back in the mid 70’s. The technology for 90% of what I wanted to put in my home did not exist yet, I am still not quite there yet as the solutions to my early build come into existence I keep redesigning the house with even better technology yet to be created.

[@m.maclellan7147]

I had thought of the fan - variable speed, and also a fake "tree" that would blow in the wind.......though not for true "4 seasons"!

[@Zadow]

What about an led panel skylight?

[@doubledarefan]

Start with a slip of paper taped to the ceiling with "Skylight, please" written on it, just like in the movie The Indian In The Cupboard.

[@Jaxon_Wii]

There is a business in town that has “fake windows”.. the business is a storage company. So there is no need for window. I watched them install some of the windows.. they are simply boxes that have glass and shaped like windows. After they were installed it made the building look as if they had windows. I think these “fake” windows could be made better with computer technology and programmed to display themes. Like Christmas, Halloween, Easter, ordinary days like summer…

[@jlammetje]

I’ve seen this idea before, and I’m excited to try it out in my attic when I move to my new house 😃

[@Iliketomakestuff]

Go for it!

[@Jagnathbaba]

yeah by the DIY perks guy. That was more realistic !!

[@hamzasadouk4741]

@@Jagnathbaba yes that version was pretty much sunlight in a box

[@jlammetje]

@@Jagnathbaba no, I just saw a picture on Pinterest

[@Craftlngo]

@@Jagnathbaba yeah, but it needs a whole room behind the window to reproduce this awesome effect

[@susie154]

Well done! Great idea! You also could include a night view with the full moon and stars in one window, and the other all stars!

[@JesusUruchurtu1]

Great video and great idea for a poorly lit bedroom. I wonder if installing two LED screens could project a picture on it, like giving the appearance of a tree outside or a street or whatever you want it to be, instead of just white light. Just to make it more realistic.

[@Duncanldah0]

Your website has the smart switch listed but not this mystery "in wall" dimmer. Did you ever get it? Do you have a linmk for that? Have my lights and so ready to put these bad boys in!

[@INSIDEHARDWARE]

JOSH: this is purely cosmetic (referring to the lattice) ME: umm? Your project is all cosmetic. Trim, caulking, and the FAKE WINDOW! Great jo

[@Justin-lx5cz]

jo

[@ashw8495]

jo

[@just-dl]

I had an idea like this years ago for my parents house. They had a basement with zero daylight. Because my mother has long lived Asian art, I wanted to do a maple frame and rice paper walls. Behind the walls, I proposed rows of different colored lights, to emulate time if day. The lighting system was prohibitively expensive. The same project today would be pennies on the dollar to 30 years ago. Love how you did yours!

[@haydar_kir]

A few days ago I was thinking about custom windows with built in speakers to emulate nature sounds. Speakers will be behind the windows to give the realistic sound effects like rain, thunder, waves, birds singing, wind chimes… etc.

[@Iliketomakestuff]

That's a cool idea!

[@gregoryjohnson6518]

You could tie the speakers into a microphone setup outside/ near an actual window and have real time ambient noise.

[@1943L]

Another idea that I used was to place an LED panel on top of a corner cupboard in a dark north facing room. It is great in winter reflecting light off the ceiling.

[@billunderwood5453]

What would it take to attach them to a solar panel on the roof instead of house wiring, so that they come on when the sun is up and go off when it goes down?

[@brendaswann7292]

So cool. Turned two bedrooms into one. This would look great in the place of the one door that is now redundant, bonus is a brighter hallway. Genius. 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽🇨🇦👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

[@BlazeMakesGames]

I feel like the illusion would be made more convincing if there were some shades on the windows to obscure them slightly. That way you don't just see a white void you have at least something making it harder to see what's on the other side at a glance, which would make it more convincing.

[@anadd6195]

Maybe they'll add some later 🤷‍♀️

[@davidwho8215]

TVs behind the window frame with outside video cameras showing the actual outside on the display would be cool.

[@korycoster3586]

I love Josh being a clown and Bob laughing behind the camera

[@maraudershields283]

You could make a stencil of suburban rooftops, on semi translucent material, to go along the bottom of the window, to simulate being in a second story bedroom.

[@wosc]

What did the gecko(?) think about these changes to the room? ;) I definitely loved that you gave it a (written) voice.

[@ElvesofZion]

Bearded Dragon

[@Iliketomakestuff]

He's an avid supporter of our channel, so his opinion is biased.

[@dawnofem]

@@Iliketomakestuff so are you going to build a proper enclosure? Way to small. Very bad for the dragon.

[@m.maclellan7147]

@@dawnofem I bet they could have a "guest expert" on to talk about enclosures ! There's reptile rescues in many places - that would be a good place to start !

[@StickInTheMud49]

Doing this behind some vintage stained glass could make a really cool art piece in a house!

[@m.maclellan7147]

You can get colored vinyl sheets that mimic stained glass or frosted. Many styles !

[@mzread-aloud6804]

Could you program an Arduino to do an "if this, then that" program for the rising and setting of the sun based upon a network connected clock? That would be cool.

[@MagentaRV]

I'd do it with an external light sensor. So as the real sun rises and sets it brightens and dims. It'd be way more efficient than clock/time based solutions that you'd have to finick with regularly to sync them relatively accurately.

[@bradley3549]

@@MagentaRV Light sensor isn't a bad idea. But what was mentioned could be achieved using Alexa and an Alexa compatible light switch as it can automatically turn on and off lights based on the local sunrise and sunset (plus or minus some fixed value I believe.) So a very low effort, easy solution that works for anybody who is already a slave to Bezos.

[@chrisgraham2904]

A great idea possible by the large LED panels. Typically all homes in Canada have basements and the lack of natural light, or light from only small windows constructed thigh through on the wall are the biggest distraction from enjoying the basements. Basements are often used as apartment rental spaces and the lack of windows is the biggest complaint by those live in them. There are negative psychological affects created by that cave feeling.

[@DemeDemetre]

*@DIY perks* did this

[@iVolkswagen]

And his actually looked real because he got into the science of it. DIYPerks is one of the best makers on here.

[@emotionaldistress4159]

Yep

[@emotionaldistress4159]

@@iVolkswagen yes, he did the crappy way and recently he did actual realistic one

[@Iliketomakestuff]

True, but we didn't have any extra laptop screens.

[@LuxGamer16]

@@Iliketomakestuff where did he use laptop screens? All he used was water with soap to give it a blue-ish hue.

[@jazzyg530]

I lived in a remodeled basement "bedroom" for a year at my parents house. It had very small windows that I could never fit through, and I'm petite. One day my doorknob fell apart and part of it actually fell inside the door (not sure how it happened- a complete freak accident). I was locked inside my bedroom and no one else was home. It was then that I realized remodeling a basement bedroom and not adding egress windows was absolutely stupid. You never know what can happen and if you care about your family you spend extra money or don't use that space. I also had a small fire that I quickly put out when living there but luckily it didn't happen on the same day. It really isn't something to mess with.

[@steair]

Those are great. For the "smart" implementation, I suggest some kind of Arduino-based trickery with a light sensor outside the house so you can "sync" the fake light with the real outside light. No need to program sunrise and sunset timings and the light would be much more realistic on a rainy day (for example). Post some updates! :)

[@davidparker5345]

OMG!!!!! Thank you and thank the weird and wacky algorithm that brought this to my attention. I have 2 slag glass ( kind of like stain glass) windows blocking the view out a window with a terrible view. I have for a long time thought being able to light them up from behind would be GREAT. A great ambient light. I have tried xmas lights... florescent and small LED spot lights. Nothing really works THESE look perfect

[@astzfat3319]

Perhaps installing a door into the "secret office" will provide a 2nd fire exit for BOTH rooms!

[@hgtydjdjdgh67889]

I think this is the most creative (and practical) thing I've seen on KZbin in awhile

[@joehaas4980]

Y'all should do an update that uses esp to have the windows mimic the sun/overcast/brightness outside. With an override obviously 😉

[@LukasEragon]

Did you end up using a different type of 0-10v dimmer? I am looking for alternatives that aren't electrical switches due to my project not being on a wall. Ty!

[@pedersonscountrywoodworkin6967]

Great video, I really like how the windows turned out. However, excuse me for saying, I don't recall where you live and what your building code is, but in most cases, a bedroom requires an egress window to the outside. Just be careful that you don't get busted by your local building inspector.

[@naynayhooray]

This is not a legal bedroom anywhere in the US. International Residential Code requires a accessible window or door to the building’s exterior. More to the point, this room is a death trap for a sleeping child in a fire. You can get more than dinged by your inspector for this. If something tragic happens you could be charged with a felony. Parents, please don’t do this.

[@spoenk7448]

It always amazes me that this passes for a wall in American houses. I've never lived in a wooded house, so the walls I know are load bearing concrete walls or concrete blocks with plaster. I now have this style of wall in the attic of the new house that I've bought and I look forward to finishing it up and replacing the (admittedly old and amateurishly built) wood/drywall with blocks. Then again my house is only 1300 ft so you can't win everything. Cool window idea btw.

[@QuietlyExplained]

Feeling so sorry for that bearded dragon. Little buddy has nothing to do in that enclosure and it barely looks big enough for him to stretch out. Next DIY project?? 0.0 I'd be happy to consult lol

[@Iliketomakestuff]

He gets out quite a bit.

[@SJ-fx8gu]

This idea is a life saver for me as someone who suffers with SAD - (Seasonal Affecive Disorder) Thank You!!

[@zahrulexe]

that looks awesome.. some semi transparent curtains would definitely make them look more realistic

[@Iliketomakestuff]

I think Josh plans on doing that

[@genocanabicea5779]

I do this in finished basements. You can get cheap monitors that you can display videos of outside. Or attach a camera setup outside.

[@ALAPINO]

Poor Beardie: He thought he was getting fed.

[@rfaccord]

Made something similar for my kitchen few years ago. I made mine way too complicated and had a RaspberryPi with a python script drive my LEDs. The script would hit a weather website for my zipcode every minute or so and adjust the dimming of the lights per cloud coverage, rain, sunset and sunrise to mimic the light coming through actual real windows. Nothing worst than having a super bright faux window on a overcast day.

[@--Paws--]

The bearded dragon looks like it trusts you.

[@Iliketomakestuff]

I don't think he really had a choice at that point.

[@nicholasvellios6555]

A very intriguing video! One of the things I noticed quickly, however, is that your son's bearded dragon appears to be in an unsuitable habitat (much too small). For a future project, you should build the dragon an excellent, large (absolutely no less than 4'×2'×2', larger if you can swing it) vivarium! For craftsmen such as yourselves, it should be a simple project that will greatly improve the animal's quality of life!

[@timberwolfmerlot]

These are some fantastic looking window… lights. Yep! I was fooled.

[@Iliketomakestuff]

You and me both!

[@mason03bodine]

Worked with these light panels before they make AC to DC power converters you can wire in before the fixture. Input is 120 volts output is 10 volts.

[@TigerCarpenter]

these pseudo windows really made a huge difference will you at some point let him out of the cave? build a staircase leading up to the ground level? the staircase would make a cool video too. and you could actually film him seeing the outside world for the first time. that would be a cool story. [I hope everyone can share my "dark" humor]

[@jonathanmcadams-nx5zp]

I had these in a new york city apartment in the middle apartment with no windows It fools you and you forget. It really feels pike it is open because your brain is tuned to not be depressed and as long as you keep them on they fool you andnit is great. I had no windows and just four of these and it was amazing how it made you feel open and alive but you were in a freaking cell. Hahahhah

[@DaKosi]

If there are some kind of blinds or curtains it will be even more realistic

[@Iliketomakestuff]

True. I think he has plans on dressing them up

[@SheilaSpencer1]

GREAT idea! Great project! I hate dark spaces; this would be great in a basement or just about anywhere you need more light! Love it!

[@shado7614]

“Would these fake windows fool you?” Yes

[@Iliketomakestuff]

Josh says it still fools him, and he's a relatively smart guy.

[@michaelalexispalmer3375]

That is so Dope! I want them in my basement office! Great idea!

[@TechsScience]

A fake window which will give you light But not wind

[@Iliketomakestuff]

We should have thought of that.

[@ragnkja]

Lightow?

[@DejayClayton]

This also doubles as a Darwin trap, as guests frantically try to escape the fake window in the event of the fire. "Honey, stand back, I'm just gonna break this window and we'll be free!"