Tips & How To

Can I Design My Own Custom Permanent Lighting Patterns?

March 29, 2026
Tips & How ToMarch 29, 20265 min read

Yes. The GOULY app lets you create unlimited custom colour patterns, accent lighting layouts, and architectural designs with individual LED colour control.

One of the most common questions from homeowners considering permanent outdoor lighting is whether they can create their own designs. The answer is yes, and the possibilities go far beyond picking a colour.

The GOULY app gives you full control over every LED on your roofline. You can design custom patterns, save unlimited scenes, and switch between them instantly. There are no subscriptions, no paywalls, and no limits on what you create.

This guide covers everything you need to know about designing custom lighting patterns with the GOULY Gen 3 system.


Individual LED control

Every RGBW LED puck in the GOULY Gen 3 system is individually addressable. That means you can set each puck to its own colour, brightness, and behaviour, independent of every other puck on the roofline.

Want alternating warm white and amber along the front of the house with solid blue along the garage? Done. Want every third puck set to a deep red while the rest stay off? Done. The level of control is per-puck, not per-zone or per-string.

This is what separates individually addressable RGBW lighting from older systems that only change colour in bulk. You are not choosing from a handful of presets. You are designing exactly what you want.

16 million+

Colour options per LED puck (RGBW)

1,000+

Pre-built designs available

100+

Animation effects to choose from


How to create a custom pattern in the GOULY app

Creating a custom pattern takes a few minutes:

  1. Open the GOULY app and connect to your lighting system
  2. Select the zone you want to design for, or select the entire system
  3. Tap individual pucks to set their colour using the colour wheel or enter exact RGB/RGBW values
  4. Adjust brightness per puck or across the full selection
  5. Copy and repeat sections to speed up the process for repeating patterns
  6. Preview the design in real time on your actual roofline
  7. Save the pattern to a folder for instant recall later

You can save as many patterns as you want. Name them by occasion, season, mood, or anything else that makes sense to you. Switch between saved designs with a single tap.

For a deeper walkthrough, visit our tutorials page or start with the quick start guide.


Zones: divide your home into sections

The GOULY system lets you divide your roofline into zones. Each zone operates independently, so you can run different patterns on different parts of the house at the same time.

Common zone setups include:

  • Front roofline as one zone, rear roofline as another
  • Garage separated from the main house
  • Accent sections like dormers, columns, or entryways as independent zones
  • Left side and right side for split designs or effects that sweep across the home

Zones give you architectural control. Instead of treating the entire roofline as one strip, you can highlight specific features, create visual layers, and build designs that respond to the shape of your home.


1,000+ pre-built designs

Not everyone wants to start from scratch. The GOULY app includes a library of over 1,000 pre-built designs that you can browse, preview, and apply instantly. These cover:

  • Holidays: Christmas, Halloween, Canada Day, Easter, Remembrance Day, and more
  • Sports: team colours for NHL, NFL, NBA, and CFL teams
  • Seasons: warm autumn tones, cool winter whites, spring pastels, summer brights
  • Everyday: architectural whites, accent lighting, ambient scenes
  • Events: birthdays, gender reveals, graduations, game day

Browse curated collections on our designs page. Each design can be applied as-is or used as a starting point for your own custom version.

FeatureMany CompetitorsGOULY Gen 3
ApproachWhat you getBest for
Pre-built designs1,000+ ready-made patterns, one-tap applyQuick setup, seasonal changes, inspiration
Custom patternsFull per-puck control, unlimited creativityArchitectural accents, unique looks, personal expression
CombinationStart with a pre-built design, then customizeBest of both, fast start with personal touch

100+ animation effects

Static patterns are just the beginning. The GOULY system includes over 100 animation effects that add movement to your lighting:

  • Chase and sweep effects that travel along the roofline
  • Fade transitions between colours
  • Pulse and breathe effects for subtle ambient movement
  • Twinkle and sparkle for holiday or celebration looks
  • Wave patterns that flow across zones
  • Colour cycling through custom palettes

Animations can be applied to any pattern and adjusted for speed and direction. Preview the full library on our animations page.

Pair animations with zones for effects that move across sections of the house, like a colour sweep that starts at the garage and flows across the front roofline to the far corner.


Custom architectural and accent lighting

Custom patterns are not just for holidays and events. Many homeowners use the GOULY system to create permanent architectural accent lighting that enhances the look of their home every night.

Warm white architectural glow

The most popular everyday pattern is a clean warm white that traces the roofline. Using the RGBW white channel on the LED pucks, you get a true warm white without the colour mixing artifacts of RGB-only systems. Read more about colour temperature choices in our warm white vs cool white guide.

Accent highlighting

Use custom patterns to highlight architectural features:

  • Dormers and gables in a slightly brighter white than the main roofline
  • Entryway and front door with a warmer or contrasting tone
  • Garage with a different brightness level to define the space
  • Stone or brick sections with warmer tones that complement the material

Layered lighting

Combine zones to create depth. Front roofline at 80% warm white, side rooflines at 50%, rear at a soft amber. The result is a layered look that adds dimension to the home without being flashy.


Saving, organizing, and switching designs

The GOULY app lets you:

  • Save unlimited custom patterns with custom names
  • Organize into folders by category (Holidays, Everyday, Sports, Events)
  • Switch instantly between saved patterns with a single tap
  • Schedule patterns to activate automatically at specific times or dates
  • Share designs with other GOULY users

This means you can build a full library of looks for your home, from everyday architectural lighting to holiday themes, and switch between them without ever recreating anything. Plan ahead for the full year or change things on a whim.

For holiday-specific ideas, check out our guides for Christmas, Halloween, and Canada Day designs.


No limits, no subscriptions

There is no cap on how many patterns you can create. No premium tier to unlock features. No monthly fee for advanced controls. Every feature in the GOULY app is available from day one, included with your system.

Create one pattern or one thousand. The app handles it all.

See what other homeowners have built in our gallery, or read about the full system on our what are permanent lights page.

Next step

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Frequently asked questions

Yes. The GOULY app lets you create unlimited custom colour patterns, accent lighting layouts, and architectural designs. Choose individual colours for each LED, set zones, and save your creations.

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