OK, I don't know the brightness difference, so maybe I'm talking out of my hat, but those high-tech controllable RGB LED light bulbs are still way out of reach for anyone without a lot of disposable income.
What I've noticed about the maker community isn't really related to disposable income. Most people with skills like programming and soldering have disposable income. The people that could benefit from saving money by making their own stuff don't usually have the skills to do so because they didn't have good schooling.
Anyone could benefit from saving money by making their own stuff, if they are interested (i.e., their time is worth it) and they have the knowledge and skills... and the project I suggested wouldn't take more than hardware skills than plugging things in and no more software skills than a few lines of Python.
I can't imagine the maker movement is made up of the idle rich, but of everyday people, some with mortgages and kids (like me), or some who are themselves kids. Given how much one of the main selling points we hear about neat new devices like the Pi is the price, I think your characterization isn't correct.
I'm sure in 10 years, something like the Hue will cost as much as a regular light bulb does today, but for those of us who don't have hundreds to drop on a cool colored lighting system for their homes, there are other options, just like you described, that are much cheaper and often not complicated at all.