This TikToker Created Fake Windows Using Home Depot Light Panels, and the Results Are Bright

If you’ve got a room in your house that offers little to no natural light, one TikTok user seemingly has the solution you’ve likely been looking for. TikToker @tylermclongtowe recently shared the way he infused tons of bright light into his windowless dining room, in the process saving both his many indoor houseplants and his “will to live,” as he joked.

In the video, he explains that the dining room he shares with his boyfriend has “absolutely no windows and no natural light.” In his quest to find “fake interior windows,” he built a prototype using a picture frame and 2×4 LED light strips, which offered a cool glow that makes for a great art piece, but won’t protect his plants.

On a trip to Home Depot, his boyfriend spotted the Metalux 2 ft. x 4 ft. White Integrated LED Dimmable Flat Panel Light ($109), a flat lighting panel that offers glare- and shadow-free bright lighting for any indoor space. Each durable fixture is scratch-resistant and comes in three wattages so you can customize the level of brightness to your liking.

You’ll also need to purchase a wire harness and a picture wire hanging kit to mount your panels on the wall, customizing as you like. The couple added curtains and trim molding to make their panels look even more like windows.

After more than a year, the couple’s plants are still thriving and he notes that guests always think the panels are real windows. He gave a before-and-after video tour and also showed off some of their plants in their new, light-drenched space.

And while grow lights and natural sunlight are generally best for plants, LED lights can work, depending on the brightness and color spectrum, according to The Family Handyman.

Commenters note that similar panels are available at both IKEA and Lowe’s, while one commenter suggested reaching out to local electrical distributors, who might offer them for a lower price than what you’d find at a chain retailer. Either way, it’s a low-key genius method of adding some light to any space that needs it.