Is it really necessary to plan residential lighting? Why can’t we just buy new lights?
We cannot emphasize enough the importance of working with a professional who can help you develop your residential lighting plan. It will be much better to get the help of a professional lighting designer and prove well worth the investment in the long run. Working with someone trained in architecture, interior design, and landscaping basics can help you plan a lighting layout that compliments the physical aspects of your home and the personal elements of your living experience. You will feel so much more compliment and truly “yourself” in your home after they have taken the time to work with one of our home lighting design consultants.
Do you recommend decorative fixtures as a key element to the design?
In many cases we do. This, of course, depends on the type of interior decorations you have in your house. Many people like to emphasize certain historical periods in their interior design. Others prefer a specific motif, such as the Arts and Crafts décor, while still others like an ultra modern look. Picking out home decorative lighting to match your decorations can be difficult without a professional’s guidance. We can help you with this, and we can supply you with better lighting equipment than you would find on retail shelves. Pendants, chandeliers, and wall sconces are a few examples of lights that residential lighting planners that are used during electrical remodeling or new home custom homes.
How much specialty lighting do we need in a residential design plan?
That depends again on the nature and contents of your home’s décor. Residential interior lighting must have a blend of accent and general lighting to be effective. This requires “layering” light throughout the home in such a way as to compliment interior architecture and room content. Artwork requires it own type of lighting fixtures to be illuminated. At other times, however, decorative fixtures actually function as important elements of interior design.
Do you recommend lighting control?
Yes, wallbox lighting controls or lighting control systems are how you set light levels. The larger the home, and the more sophisticated individual specialty rooms like kitchens become, the more they require user-friendly means of regulating both the level of light and the type of light they create. This makes your actual light fixtures more flexible, because they can be used to create any number of lighting layers and effects when connected to dimmers, hand-held remotes, wall box control, and automated home lighting control programs. An added benefit to this is improved energy efficiency, because regulated lighting means power-saving lighting in today’s world.
Call Illuminations Lighting Design now at 800-863-1184 toll free or locally at 713-863-1133 for an appointment. Let’s talk about how the very best quality interior lighting maintenance can bring a whole new level of personal experience both within and around your home today. You may also visit our extensive lighting blog for helpful and informative information.
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, Custom Home Lighting Designs, House Lighting Plans, Lighting Consultants Texas, Residential Lighting Plans
What is custom home lighting?
Custom home lighting design is an eclectic, professional, and technologically sophisticated blend of art, math, and hard science. It is cost efficient and aesthetically complimentary to interior design and architecture. Custom home lighting is intended to support the many facets of daily life and entertainment. It requires sophisticated technique and superior equipment, and it is best done by licenses professionals who can handle both electrical wiring, home lighting repairs and fixture installation from an aesthetically-minded perspective. It is not something you should attempt on your own.
How important is energy efficiency?
It is extremely important in Austin home lighting designs, not only for personal financial reasons, but because of rising regulatory controls. Because some states such as California have recently banned some use of incandescent lighting, a new movement is underway to replace incandescents nationwide in anticipation of similar legislation from Coast to Coast. A good number of people are retrofitting store-bought fluorescent bulbs to lamps and overhead lights in places like the living room, bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom. These lights indeed save a lot of power and last for many years as promised, but they often fall short when it comes to matching pre-existing levels of light. Striking the right balance between cost consciousness and quality of luminance is one of the many areas of specialty we provide to our clientele in Houston Texas home lighting design.
How do you design new home lighting systems for custom houses?
We use a custom home lighting software program that allows us to conduct a scientific, photometric analysis of your home. This software also allows us to experiment with varying combinations and levels of light and render a 3D, animated movie of any hypothetical system we conceptualize. You can watch this virtual tour of your own home and foresee results prior to authorizing an installation, choose between different options, and make any changes you desire prior to signing anything.
Do you install any special effects lighting or lighting controls?
Yes. ILD is famous in Texas for combining custom home lighting design with home lighting automation and controls. With the right combination of automation and manual controls, you can have instant, one-touch access to a myriad of colors, brightness levels, and special home decorative lighting effects throughout the house.
We combine technologies to create unique atmospheres and moods in various portions of the home or office lighting designs. Layered lighting effects of this nature have a powerful effect on human emotions and can be used to set the tone for family reunions, home movies, home theater, musical enjoyment, fine art collecting, displays of collectibles, and parties. They can also set the pace for daily activities that sometimes require a bit of an emotional push to get us to do. Lighting design installations can be adjusted to create and “activity based” atmosphere conducive to doing things such as studying, home projects, repairs, and cleaning.
Is this going to require a large investment in equipment costs?
We do our best to limit the actual number of light fixtures we install. Too many visible pieces of equipment will clutter the ambiance of a room, so we custom design home lighting systems around the principles of concealment and lighting angles of incidence. Also, we use only lights that American-made, factory-grade, and backed up with written warranties from our nation’s leading manufacturers. We aim to give you the best in both design and technology so that reduced power costs and minimized replacements help recover your investment over the years to come.
Custom home lighting design starts with a simple phone call!
To get started, call us right now and request a complimentary initial consultation to assess your home’s current lighting system and see what custom design and better equipment can add to your lifestyle and peace of mind. Our lighting maintenance contracts and lighting design services will keep your home in the best light.
No other lighting design firm is able to provide such a well-rounded service line or a more informative Lighting & Home Automation Blog. But do not just take our word for it. Just ask Lance Armstrong, Tracy McGrady, Mayor Bill White, President George W. Bush, or dozens of other commercial clients or residential clients, large and small clientele, across the great State of Texas who have enjoyed our lighting services.
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: Commercial Lighting Designers, Custom Home Lighting Designs, Home Lighting Plans, Hospitality Lighting Designers, Houston Texas Lighting Designers
Unfortunately there are just too many factors that affect the number of lights needed to give a straight answer to this question. Factors include: the interior finishes of the room (Dark woods? Light colored walls? Large mirrors?), the type and size of recessed fixture used (4" aperture, 6" aperture, 2" pinhole aperture, black baffle or diffuse reflector?), the type and wattage of light bulb used (Reflector lamp? Diffuse A-Lamp?), and the intended function of the room (Is it a busy kitchen? An office? A circulation space? A bedroom that needs soft reading light?)
As lighting designers, when we look at a room, it is rare that we are looking at it to figure out simply "how many fixtures" it will need to give it a blanket of light. Instead we are considering all of the above questions as well as "Where can we add accent lights? Would the architecture benefit from an indirect cove or up lights? Would decorative sconces or a pendant enhance the interior design? Will specific task lighting aid in the function of the room?" More often than not we draw from several of these areas when compiling a lighting design - combining light types, intensities, and functions simply makes for the best design both aesthetically and functionally.
For lighting design assistance for your home or office contact Tom Kretzschmar at
Illuminations Lighting Design toll free at
800-863-1184 or locally at
713-863-1133.
Labels: Architectural Lighting Houston Texas, Commercial Lighting Designers, Custom Home Lighting Designs, Designing Lighting Plans, Independant Residential Electrical Contractor, Lighting Consultants Texas
