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We are a full service design build firm specializing in residential and commercial indoor lighting and outdoor lighting installation, service and maintenance as well as home automation, home theaters and lighting control systems.
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 Illuminations Lighting and Design offers the Houston Home Construction company a subcontract resource in home wiring, home controls, and home lighting that is multi-dimensional and multi-specialized across the board. Working with ILD can make both the architect’s and the general contractor’s job much easier, because there are several things we can do under their invoice that can fulfill the most robust demands of the particular and eclectic Houston homeowner.
Houston Home Construction Companies can subcontract ILD for advanced electrical wiring services.
Custom homes normally feature very spacious floor plans and ornate interior lighting designs. They also tend to house very expensive audio-visual equipment and top-of-the-line appliances. This equipment requires dedicated circuits be installed in order to power and protect it from power fluctuations and surges. Home theater and whole house audio, for example, are rising in popularity and require both dedicated circuits and sophisticated controls to operate. The best time to install these systems and control is when the new home is built. Many residents also want to have Lutron lighting controls and home automation networks installed in their new home when it is built. Houston construction companies can bring in our new home wiring and home automation team for any and all of these projects.
Houston Home Construction Companies can contact ILD to install sophisticated power protection and backup systems.
Houston home construction companies must safeguard electrical components and lighting equipment with backup power systems that will not only protect home equipment in the event of a power failure, but also maintain basic home functionality in the time of a crisis. Whole house surge suppression is the homeowner’s best line of defense against power surges. It will protect the circuit panel and the interior wiring from overload in the event of a power surge. If the entire neighborhood suffers from a blackout, the home needs a second line of defense—the electrical generator. We install any number of electrical generator types and sizes in new homes that will power a portion of the home or even the entire home itself for a reasonable period of time until inclement weather passes or the municipal power grid is restored.
ILD partners with Houston Home construction companies to give the builder’s clientele the very best interior lighting systems possible.
Custom home owners choose the very best floor plans in order to live the most eclectic and personalized lifestyles possible. The home is a sacred retreat from the traffic jams and busy pace of Houston office life and therefore very much a personal, private space. Home construction companies may contract ILD to design and install house lighting systems that make both the exterior of the house and the interior of the living space shine with a light that is special and unique to the lifestyle of the homeowner. Our access to all types of specification grade fixtures, along with proprietary art lighting and display lighting fixtures, makes us a one-stop resource for any Houston home construction company or interior design firm that is called upon to develop a new living experience with light.
ILD will integrate and/or automate home systems at the request of the construction company.
As the complexity of new home architecture increase, the many subsystems that make a house into a home require both more advanced controls and more integrated functionality. For example, a whole house audio system needs to be connected to a network that will not only control the choice, distribution, and volume for the music, but will also create complimentary lighting that compliments the mood and tempo of the selection. This is tantamount to a technological integration of sensory experience that requires sophisticated lighting and home theater control systems to be installed and wired properly. Many homeowners would rather minimum of automation for these controls, choosing to rely upon manual controls to choose their own system settings. Still others prefer that their home construction company build their residence with as much automation as possible. In either case, ILD home system integration experts can fulfill these requirements under the umbrella of the general contractor.
Houston landscapers and construction companies can come to ILD for advanced and cost effective Landscape Lighting Design.
The architecture of most custom homes is very ornate and often reminiscent of earlier historical periods and/or classic motifs. Ideally, the surrounding property this architectural uniqueness as much as possible, and it should strive to unify the presentation of the dwelling with the geometry, balance, and aesthetics of Nature itself. Lighting is essential to creating this unity, as house lights and landscape lights can be balanced and timed in such a way as to create an outdoor living experience equivalent to that within the home. Houston home construction companies who are building new houses on large lots are encouraged to consider our landscape lighting services as a finishing touch to architecture, wiring, and home lighting customization.
Proven Success
For 27 years now, ILD has worked with Houston home construction companies and home remodeling firms to help the custom homeowner enjoy the most technologically sound and aesthetically pleasing home lighting and control systems possible. Our staff has been cross trained in landscaping, art theory, interior design, and basic principles of architecture and is intended to function hand in glove with the general contract invoice any Houston home construction firm. Call us at 800-863-1184 today to talk about your next project.
Illuminations Lighting Design is a full service design build firm specializing in residential and commercial indoor lighting and outdoor lighting, electrical service and maintenance as well as home automation, home theaters, emergency generators, surge protection systems, phone systems and lighting control systems.
We are located in Houston Texas but provide lighting and design services in Austin TX, El Paso Texas, San Antonio TX, College Station Texas, Beaumont TX, Dallas Texas, Midland Tx and points beyond.Labels: Electrician Jobs Houston Texas, Home and Garden Landscape Lighting, Home System Integration, Houston Electrical Contractors, Houston Home Construction, Independant Residential Electrical Contractor
 What do corporate art consultants do?
Corporate art consultants choose and hang art that is appropriate for a specific office environment. They use a number of selection criteria are used to choose the hospitality lighting design for these environments. Art may be chosen to reflect the lifestyle or hobbies of an executive on staff. Other organizations may prefer images and themes that relate somehow to their mission statement. Still others may desire to establish a more formal atmosphere with classical images and symbols. It is the job of the corporate art consultant to help companies make these determinations and then select the appropriate types and genres of artwork that fulfill the wishes of the client and offer the best fit for the corporate culture of a particular organization.
Do corporate art consultants also do art lighting?
Most develop a conceptual design for lighting, then partner with a fine art lighting company like ours that will actually install the lights for them. After they have selected, framed, and hung artwork, consultants call on us to help illuminate these works in a way that blends into the general, lighting scheme of the office and yet distinguishes the art as “special space” within office space. When three dimensional abstract pieces, modern art or sculptures are installed, our work is even more important to that of the corporate art consultant, because many of these works require several layers of light, and often a blend of light and shadow, for effective display.
What types of lights are used for corporate art lighting?
Fluorescent lights are the corporate art consultant’s worst nemesis. In spite of their energy efficiency and superb color rendering as a general lighting source, fluorescents ability to bring out the diversity and intensity of the full color palette found in most works paintings. Halogen light sources are much better for this. Colors appear true and fixtures offer a smaller format with high performance results. We often install recessed halogens, picture lights or lighting projectors with halogen bulbs in the ceiling that will direct light down onto a canvas, photograph, or sculpture. We add our expertise to that of the consultant, recommending the best wattages, lamp types, and accent lighting equipment to appropriately accommodate their work.
Does ILD hang art?
We do not hang art or install statuary, but we do offer advisory services to corporate clients who are working with an art consultant firm, or who have worked with one in the past. Many times, companies hire us to rewire and replace existing art lighting fixtures and improve the illumination for their overall collection. This is almost always needed when companies have undergone a major remodel, or who have had existing lamps replaced by maintenance crews. Many crews can locate replacement parts relatively easily, but they lack the training in art lighting design that a corporate art lighting consulting firm has. The result of several well-intended overhauls of the lighting system is a hodgepodge of general office lighting mixed in with high-end, decorative art lighting—not a good combination.
Working with an ILD corporate art consultant can resolve these issues expeditiously and cost effectively. Something as simple as a simple trim change, or perhaps a few new fixtures, will transform existing art into a conversation piece. Works that have existed for years appear alive and now hang prominently like a shining star.
Where are your main offices?
We are located in Houston Texas but provide lighting, consulting and design services in Austin TX, El Paso Texas, San Antonio TX, College Station Texas, Beaumont TX, Dallas Texas, Midland Tx and points beyond. Visit our lighting blog or call us today at 713-863-1133 to request a consultation online using our contact us form. Labels: Art Lighting Consultants, Artwork Lighting Experts, Corporate Art Consultants, Fine Art Lighting Experts, Houston Texas Art Lighting
 ILD art consultants provide art lighting advisory services to private and professional art collectors on a nationwide basis. Our clients range from private collectors and commercial organizations in a variety of high-end markets and eclectic industries. Art collections themselves often contain everything from high-end photography and statues to abstract art, prints, and fine paintings. Most collections contain more than one type of art and require complex lighting designs and a combination of sophisticated lighting fixtures, to properly illuminate. This is where ILD art consultants step in to advise and recommend artwork lighting options. In most instances, clients call us because they are having difficulty on one or more of three major problem areas: glare, spill light, and shadows.
Minimizing and Redirecting Glare
Art consultants work to light art from the best “angle of incidence.” This term describes the angle at which light strikes the surface of an object. In art lighting, this is very important to minimizing glare. It is impossible to eliminate all glare, but it is possible to direct it enough of it away from the eye of the viewer so it remains undetected. Art consultants are trained in these modern art lighting techniques, having worked extensively in for 27 years now with interior designers and museum curators. By adjusting where the light strikes the artwork, art consulting teams also change where the reflection of that light travels. This keeps the light it from striking another large object, a nearby wall, or the eye of a viewer looking at the piece.
Eliminating Spill Light
Spill light is never good. It looks sloppy, and it distracts the eye away from the work of art being viewed. Spill light is most often caused by lighting that is too intense. Retail grade art lights are often the culprit for this because they lack the ability to be adjusted. Art consultants install commercial grade picture lighting equipment that can be dimmed or brightened at will. They also prefer to use fixtures that allow the light beam to focused and shaped to match a frame, canvas, or three dimensional object on display. One of the most popular methods for achieving this effect is the use of a framing projector mounted in the center of the ceiling that can direct an invisible beam of light toward any piece(s) in the collection. When the beam strikes the piece, it suddenly becomes visible in the form of an aura of light that appears to emanate from within the art itself.
Shadows
There are many types of shadows in the world of recessed art lighting. Most are undesirable and have to be eliminated. Frame shadows are the collector’s worst nemesis. When light from an inappropriately chosen or improperly positioned fixture strikes the frame, the frame blocks the light and casts a shadow over the picture. Art consultants will either move the fixture to a different lighting angle of incidence, or replace the fixture with a more controlled and adjustable lighting source.
When it comes to three dimensional art, fine art lighting companies and consultants are less absolutist in their insistence on eliminating shadows all together. Statuary and modern art features contours and angles that are often “flattened” by too much light. Art consultants integrate certain shadows into a comfortable level of illumination that is appropriate to each piece. This helps create a more lifelike, realistic presentation of statuary, and it contributes as well to the avante guard nature of abstract pieces on high end lighting projects.
Visit our main website here to learn more about specific services that we offer in fine art lighting and interior lighting systems for homes, offices, and hospitality organizations.
Illuminations Lighting Design has mastered these mini-disciplines and has been lighting art in Houston, Beaumont, Austin, and San Antonio areas for many, many years. Our staff holds licenses in electrical service work and understands the complexity of fine art lighting, home automation and interior design.
Illuminations Lighting Design is a full service design build firm specializing in residential and commercial indoor lighting and outdoor lighting, electrical service and maintenance as well as home automation, home theaters, emergency generators, surge protection systems, phone systems and lighting control systems.
Call toll free 800-863-1184 for a complimentary lighting consultation.
Labels: Art Consultant, Art Lighting Consultants, Fine Art Lighting Experts, Hidden Art Lights, Projector Art Lighting Equipment
 Why is home system integration necessary?
Today’s large, custom homes feature complex floor plans and sophisticated electrical systems that makes it all but impossible to conveniently control the many sub systems within a home from multiple access points. The sheer size of some homes precludes the convenience that smaller homes offer of having all controls located in the kitchen or living room. Eclectic architecture and advanced electronics require a central controller with a variety of touch panel and remote controls that give the homeowner access to lighting, climate control, security, and audio visual equipment from any point in the house, at any time.
AMX home system integration combines the benefits of technology with the convenience of human thought and command and brings a number of unique, specific benefits to today’s eclectic homeowner.
How does home system integration control audio/visual equipment?
ILD home lighting control and electrical specialists install AMX touch panels throughout the home, creating multiple zones of distributed audio and video. This creates separate, customized A/V environments, each one of which is unique to a particular area of the home. In the living room, for example, we can program audio distribution feeds to play soft music in the background of conversation. In the home theater, we can program the system to supplement the score and/or soundtrack of the movie with appropriate background music. For parties and celebrations, we can program the system to play music from a particular era, or music of a particular type favored by the majority of the guests.
How can AMX home system integration make my home more secure?
By combining the ability to see an approaching stranger, dialogue with the stranger from a point of safety, allow/disallow access to the home, and notify authorities if necessary. ILD can configure the system to automatically control shades, doors, and gates at certain times of the day and night. Security camera surveillance monitors the property and alerts you when someone approaches the front gate. The phone system can be linked to the intercom to allow the homeowner to question the visitor before deciding whether or not to grant access. One touch control panels placed in secure areas of the home can either be used to grant access or notify authorities to the presence of an intruder.
This is all well and good, but I travel too much to make much use of this convenience.
AMX home system integration is built with the travelling homeowner or owner of multiple houses foremost in mind. You can access any residence remotely over the Internet to communicate directly with their AMX technology. When you are travelling, you can log in and monitor their home from a hotel or a laptop with Wi-Fi connectivity. If you own more than one house you can manage all of your properties throughout the day through this technology.
Does home system integration offer control over home lighting?
Yes. We can set your system up so that the same set of lighting fixtures can generate very different lighting levels and effects with AMX controllers. Everything from relaxed evening lighting, romantic mood lighting, and bright lights for family gatherings and celebrations can be accessed with one touch convenience.
Can I control my HVAC system through home system integration controls?
You can either control HVAC operations directly or have the system automate its activities for maximum efficiency. AMX home system integration allows homeowners to do exactly that. ILD professionals can pre-program the system with settings that reflect individual preferences in temperature and ventilation. Different settings can be created for different rooms of the house, keeping costs at a minimum in rooms that are used less frequently than others. The system can also monitor each room in the home and make sure that the desired temperature is maintained.
What can you tell me about your lighting design firm?
Illuminations Lighting Design is a full service design build firm specializing in residential and commercial indoor lighting and outdoor lighting, electrical service and maintenance as well as home automation, home theaters, emergency generators, surge protection systems, phone systems and lighting control systems.
Where are you guys located?
We are located in Houston Texas but provide lighting and design services in Austin TX, El Paso Texas, San Antonio TX, College Station Texas, Beaumont TX, Dallas Texas, Midland Tx and points beyond.Labels: AMX Lighting Control Systems, Home Automation Specialists, Home System Integration, Houston Electrical Contractors, Houston System Integrators, Lutron Homeworks Lighting Controls
 Why should I install eco-dimmers when I already have a lighting control system?
You will have greater flexibility with your lighting control system. Dimmers allow you to manually intervening in the pre-programmed lighting sequences and make fine-tuned adjustments at will. You can either do this to achieve more specific ambiance suitable to a certain special occasion, or you can manipulate lighting levels to blend with natural light coming in through your windows. Dimmer controls in the kitchen, for example, allow you to set lighting levels to a soft glow that compliments the growing light of the rising sun. If you are hosting a party in the dining room, you might want to dim the lights for a special moment, such as blowing out the candles on a birthday cake. It is even possible to control the entire house with a more sophisticated lighting control system.
Install a dimmer in your kitchen, for example, and you can brighten lights at breakfast or when preparing meals, and lower them to catch up with your family over an evening snack. In the bathroom, a dimmer means you don't have to begin your morning routine in full bright light, but rather in a soft glow to help you ease into your day. Dim the lights in your dining room or living room you can create the perfect atmosphere for entertaining friends.
How do dimmer controls work?
Incandescent and halogen bulbs produce light by passing current through a thick metal wire called a filament. When the filament heats up, it produces light. This is not the most efficient way to produce light, and it has its drawbacks. A great deal of current has to go into the filament to heat it to this level, and the heat itself deteriorates the filament over the course of time.
Dimmers actually interrupt the current to prevent as much heat, and therefore light, from being produced. This happens to fast for the eye to see, so the rather than the light going on and off, it simply appears to emit less illumination. If you are remodeling or involved in new home wiring, now is a good time for considering a Lutron dimming system.
How much energy does a dimmer switch save?
Dimmers on the average have saved people a minimum of 5% on electrical costs. New eco-dimmers by Lutron have improved this minimum considerably. With the new Lutom home lighting control dimmers, you can expect to reduce your electrical consumption, and therefore power bills, by a minimum of 15%.
If you are using older model dimmer controls, consider the fact that upgrading to new eco-dimmers will rapidly recover your investment through additional savings.
How much money can I save with eco-dimmers?
Lutron estimates approximately $40.00-$150.00 per dimmer over a 5-year period. Of course, this number varies on how many bulbs you control with the dimmer, the type of lighting control system you install, how often you have your lights on, and the degree to which you dim them.
Are there green benefits to using eco-dimmers?
Yes. By regulating incandescent lights more efficiently, eco-dimmers reduce CO2 emissions. In fact, if every home in the U.S. had only one Lutron wall box dimmer installed, it would eliminate CO2 emissions equivalent to that of 370,000 vehicles.
Landfill waste is also reduced thanks to eco-dimmers, because they will extend bulb life up to 10 years.
Is a dimmer difficult to install?
No, it does not take advanced electrical installation skills. but it is best to have a professional install your dimmers in conjunction with a lighting control or home system integration network. Contact ILD for a free evaluation on which of our many system integration packages will best meet the needs of your home and lifestyle.
Where are your main offices?
We are located in Houston Texas but provide lighting and design services in Austin TX, El Paso Texas, San Antonio TX, College Station Texas, Beaumont TX, Dallas Texas, Midland Tx and points beyond. Call us today at 713-863-1133, visit our lighting blog or request a consultation online using our contact us form.
Labels: Energy Saving Switches, Houston Electrical Contractors, Lutron Dimmer Switches, Lutron ECO-DIM Home Lighting Controls
 Does ILD offer a free photometric analysis to every caller?
We offer photometric analysis for a marginal fee to clientele seeking just a report, and complimentary analysis to clients who hire us for lighting design. Lighting is an art form that requires careful consideration from a seasoned lighting professional.
What software do you use to generate photometric reports?
We use AGI32, a lighting design, a 3-D modeling suite that calculates light levels and renders electrical lighting systems. The capabilities of this photometric analysis software are amazing. By generating 3-D model of the room, home, or building, the software allows us to input hypothetical figures to determine where best to install recessed lighting fixtures and what angles of lighting incidence to incorporate in the overall design of the system. It can be used to determine the best possible lighting levels for any residential or commercial lighting environment.
Why should I have a photometric analysis done rather than just hiring a freelance contractor to install lighting fixtures I buy myself?
The human eye cannot always see every potential problem area of darkness and shadow. Every outdoor or indoor environment contains physical objects that will cast shadows when light strikes them from certain angles. Shadows are cast not so much by inadequate amounts of light, but rather by inaccurately calculated angles of incidence that send a beam of light straight toward a solid object which blocks luminance completely on the other side. Many times, these areas are very hard to find from an eye-level perspective, but later become all too evident once low voltage recessed lighting fixtures have been installed and shadows suddenly spring from out of nowhere.
The 3-D modeling aspect of our photometric analysis software allows us to literally move around these objects from any angle, height, or perspective to see where best to locate a ceiling light, lamp, recessed fixture, recessed art lighting, pendant, or chandelier. We can also try different wattage and bulb hypotheticals to determine the most efficient lumens per watt ratio once the optimal angles have been located. In commercial environments, this goes a long way toward saving businesses a great deal of money.
What aesthetic benefits does a photometric analysis offer my company?
We can conduct a room by room photometric analysis of floor space and vertical cube space to determine precisely where to install lighting equipment and exactly how much power each light will need to do its job. This is very similar to the way interior design partners and space planners work—creating individual sub designs within the overall design of the facility. This enables our team to develop a much more energy efficient, Spartan system that relies much more on design, light distribution, and precise lighting angles than it does on excessive numbers of fixtures using more power than necessary. Another benefit you gain from a photometric analysis offers is better fixture concealment. Because the report tells us exactly how many watts and lumens we need for each fixture, it is often possible to use smaller, more concealable lights for a more aesthetic compliment to the overall environment.
What lighting manufacturers do you represent?
Essentially, we act as a design build contractor for all of the major manufacturers headquartered and operating here in the United States such as Lutron Radio Ra dimmer controls. Choosing the right manufacturer for your needs is again accomplished in part through tools available in AGI32’s photometric analysis software. AGI32 actually contains manufacturer’s spec sheets and engineering documents on specific fixtures in different categories. We can use this database to generate a luminaire comparison report instantly that details optics, lumens per watt efficiency, and expected lamp life. By comparing and contrasting necessary and fixture placement recommendations with specific data on each luminaire, we can pinpoint the best possible quality and energy efficient luminaires to use in commercial, residential, and high-end lighting design.
Illuminations Lighting Design is a full service design build firm specializing in residential and commercial indoor lighting and outdoor lighting, electrical service and maintenance as well as home automation, home theaters, emergency generators, surge protection systems, phone systems and lighting control systems.
We are located in Houston Texas but provide lighting and design services in Austin TX, El Paso Texas, San Antonio TX, College Station Texas, Beaumont TX, Dallas Texas, Midland Tx and points beyond.Labels: Architectural Lighting Houston Texas, Commercial Lighting Designers, Independant Residential Electrical Contractor, Lighting Consultants Texas, Lighting Design Services Houston, Photometric Analysis
Illuminations Lighting Design
607 Durham Drive
Houston, Texas 77007-5316
(713) 863-1133 Main Line
(800) 863-1184 Toll Free
(713) 863-0044 Fax
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