"Everyone is looking for an excuse to ditch the incandescent light bulb," states Mr. Vos whose London apartment has 360 L.E.D. arrays, and about 20 yards of plastic ribbons embedded with the glowing semiconductors. The lighting effects include a kitchen counter that changes color, an illuminated shower stall, a candle that has chips instead of a wick, and a light sculpture. Despite its enormous number of light fixtures, Mr. Vos's apartment uses no more electricity than four 100-watt incandescent bulbs. It started innocently enough. Marcel Jean Vos, an interior and commercial designer in London, bought some light-emitting diodes to create a small lighting system in the kitchen of his apartment. Now, four years later, Mr. Vos has transformed a neighboring one-bedroom apartment into a space lighted entirely with L.E.D.'s, the solid-state technology more commonly associated with the tiny lights on electronic gadgets.
L.E.D. lights illuminate a London apartment designed by Marcel Jean Vos. The apartment has 360 L.E.D. arrays, and about 20 yards of plastic ribbons embedded with the glowing semiconductors. The lighting effects include a kitchen counter that changes color, an illuminated shower stall, a candle that has chips instead of a wick, and a light sculpture. "Everyone is looking for an excuse to ditch the incandescent light bulb," said Mr. Vos, the chief executive of Vos Solutions, his design consultancy. "And it is about time. We are using extra energy for nothing." But his project demonstrates both the advantages and the drawbacks of replacing incandescent light, a technology that has not changed substantially since Thomas Edison developed his first successful bulb in 1879. Despite its enormous number of light fixtures, Mr. Vos's apartment uses no more electricity than four 100-watt incandescent bulbs would, he said. ("And what kind of fun can you have with just four light bulbs?" he asked.) But offsetting the frugality is the staggering cost of the installation. Mr. Voss estimated that he spent $50,000 to create the apartment's lighting system. "Right now it's something that's only for the rich and famous," said Mr. Vos. While Mr. Vos's apartment is unusual - he makes the unverifiable claim that it is the world's first residence entirely lighted by chips - he is not alone in his thinking that L.E.D.'s may help end the reign of the conventional light bulb. Major manufacturers like G.E. Lighting and Philips Lighting, along with some much smaller newcomers, want to find a place in every home for L.E.D. illumination. What began with Christmas tree lights and under-the-cabinet lights may eventually lead to inexpensive, solid-state lighting systems. Researchers are promising lights that will be more like wallpaper than bulbs. Read full NY Times article
