I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of automating my home, especially when it comes to lighting. After spending a year tinkering with Home Assistant (HA) on a Raspberry Pi 3 and experimenting with Tasmota on Sonoff devices, I decided to take on a project that would perfectly fit my needs: creating WiFi RGB lights under my kitchen cabinets. The goal was to eliminate the harsh overhead lights and instead have soft, customizable lighting that could set the mood or simply provide task lighting.The project, which I’ve affectionately named the OneRing WiFi RGB Light, uses the D1-Mini ESP8266 MCU connected to two push buttons and ten WS2812D-F8 8mm RGB LEDs. The setup is controlled through HA’s MQTT integration, allowing me to adjust the brightness and color from anywhere in the house. At about 30% brightness, the LEDs provide a warm glow that’s perfect for the kitchen, and at full brightness, they offer enough light for a small closet.While the initial setup was straightforward, I encountered a few challenges along the way. For instance, ensuring the LEDs were evenly spaced and the PCB was securely mounted under the cabinets required some creative problem-solving. I ended up using double-stick tape and USB wall warts for power, which worked surprisingly well.One thing I’d love to explore further is integrating voice control through Alexa or Google Assistant. I’ve heard great things about the ease of integration with HA, and it would be a fantastic addition to this project. If anyone has experience with this, I’d love to hear your tips or any potential pitfalls to avoid.This DIY project has been incredibly rewarding, not just for the functionality it brings to my kitchen but also for the satisfaction of creating something from scratch. It’s a testament to how much you can achieve with a bit of engineering know-how and the right tools. If you’re considering a similar project, I highly recommend starting small and gradually expanding as you become more comfortable with the technology.Here’s to many more tinkering projects and the joy of seeing them come to life! 