Story
Make your stairs smarter, safer, and more stylish – with this fully animated RGB LED stair lighting system! Controlled by an ESP32 running ESPHome, the lights react to motion sensors at the top and bottom of the stairs, triggering smooth, cascading animations as you walk up or down. The project integrates perfectly into Home Assistant and supports full customization: speed, colors, brightness, and even idle effects – all defined in YAML.
This is not just a decorative project – it’s practical, reliable, and 100 % locally controlled. Whether you're upgrading your hallway or building a new smart staircase from scratch, this is the ultimate showpiece for any smart home enthusiast.
📌 Key Features:
- ESP32-powered with native ESPHome firmware
- Two PIR motion sensors for top/down detection
- Individually addressable WS2812B LED strips
- Smooth fade-in/fade-out animations per step
- Full Home Assistant integration (no cloud needed!)
- Customizable brightness, speed, and effects
- Optional idle animations (e.g. rainbow, pulse)
- Wall-mounted control PCB + power management
- OTA update support via WiFi
- Scalable from 5 to 20+ steps
📌 Components used
ESP32 Dev Board: https://amzn.to/3FKSqY5 *
WS2812B RGB LED Strip 5 m: https://amzn.to/4l33qii *
PIR Motion Sensor 5–24 V: https://amzn.to/3HxEdhM *
5 V Power Supply (e.g. LEICKE 5 V 1 A): https://amzn.to/4l1v5jA *
Resistor Set: https://amzn.to/4kOwpXx *
Photoresistor: https://amzn.to/4kDSS9A *
LED Set: https://amzn.to/44fKjfq *
Videos
Main Video
https://www.youtube.com/embed/jhAS_OhYyys
Animation Update
https://www.youtube.com/embed/29ch0v86I_o
Standalone variant (no Home Assistant needed)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzkHVJpzZmQ
Full documentation, wiring, ESPHome code and 3D-printed case available on my website:
👉 https://smarthomeyourself.de/rgb-treppe
* Note: The links above are affiliate links. If you use them, I may earn a small commission – this helps support my projects at no extra cost to you.
