Matty Lees’ Seamless Home Lighting with Ansell E-Cell RGBW LED Strip

Introduction

When rugby league star Matty Lees and his family designed their new open-plan extension, he wanted modern, stylish lighting that would unify the entire space without cluttering the ceiling. He turned to Ansell Lighting, choosing the E-Cell IP20 RGBW LED strip installed in a flush plaster-in aluminium profile. The result transformed the entire ground floor—kitchen, dining room, living room, and hallway—into a seamless, beautifully lit space that is fully controllable from Matty’s smartphone.

The Lighting Challenge

Matty’s ground floor was designed to be fully open-plan, a popular choice for modern homes. But with such a large area, traditional downlights alone would have required a huge number of fittings, risking a crowded and busy ceiling appearance.

As Matty explained:

“We decided to go with this set of strip lights because the amount of spotlights we would have needed throughout the building, the extension, would have been a massive amount.”

They wanted to avoid the clutter while still achieving excellent, even illumination

The Solution

Ansell’s recommendation was the E-Cell IP20 RGBW LED strip set into a plaster-in aluminium profile. This system is recessed into the plasterboard ceiling so that it sits perfectly flush, delivering an elegant, minimal look with no protruding trim or fixtures.

The continuous lines of diffused light run through the entire open-plan space. This design not only provides even, practical lighting but also enhances the architectural flow of the rooms, reinforcing the sense of one unified space.

Matty was particularly pleased with how seamlessly the lighting integrated into the ceiling, maintaining the clean lines they wanted:

“With it being open plan, we wanted to carry on that seamless look throughout the property. It’s a flush fit to the ceiling. Provided enough light for us in this area. We’re really happy with the finish.”

Smart Control and Flexible Ambience

One of the standout features of the installation is its OCTO smart control. The entire lighting system is connected and controlled through Matty’s smartphone. He can easily adjust brightness, colour, and even dynamic lighting modes to create different moods depending on the occasion.

“Yeah, you can change the colours through an app and it’s really simple to use. Dynamic modes, which provide movement—say the fireplace setting. And then also you have flat colours. Let’s change it to blue there.”

This flexibility is especially valuable in an open-plan setting, allowing the family to create a cosy, colourful atmosphere for entertaining or switch to bright, neutral lighting for day-to-day tasks.

Conclusion

For Matty Lees and his family, the Ansell E-Cell RGBW LED strip in plaster-in profile was the perfect choice to blend function, style, and technology. It delivered the light levels they needed without compromising their clean, modern interior design. With OCTO smart control, they now enjoy complete flexibility—setting the perfect mood at the touch of a button, in a space that feels cohesive, inviting, and uniquely theirs.