Houston Outdoor Lighting, Indoor Art Lights, Landscape Lighting Designs, Home Automation Blog

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Hospitality Lighting Along San Antonio’s Magnificent River Walk Sets the Mood.

San Antonio hospitality lighting design services by Illuminations Lighting focus on emphasizing the keynote features of five star hotels and restaurants along San Antonia’s world famous River Walk. Our multi-disciplinary approach to lighting emphasizes a unity between natural and architectural themes that creates a blending of phenomenon bound together with layers of light.

Lighting is as important to hospitality both as an industry and an experience. Designing a lighting system for any location requires first an understanding of its many elements, and, secondly, planning and developing a lighting design and installation that will establish and elevate the essence of place, time, and action.

Exterior and Landscape Lighting
Hospitality lighting begins with architectural and landscape lighting that make the hotel edifice clearly visible along the River Walk and distinguish it as an area of unique excursion and romantic adventure.

After many years of partnership and cross-training with leading architectural firms, ILD has developed a number of proprietary landscape lighting techniques that enable us to conceal lighting fixtures in such a way as to highlight building features with apparently sourceless light.
We also balance the edifice with the surrounding landscape by combining four layers of light around waterworks, sidewalks, piers, and outdoor dining areas. We seek to unite natural and man made features by emphasizing what has been there before the landscaping crew and treating it with equivalence to what has since been sculpted.

Trees with lights figure prominently in our outdoor hospitality lighting systems, providing both boundaries for the property and special points of interest. We are one of the few companies that take special care not only to use “green” equipment that is environmentally friendly, but also to rely upon proprietary installation methods that do not harm the trees in any way.

Landscape lighting contractors further accentuate pathways, walkways along the river, fountains, and outdoor sculptures to blend the man made with the natural. This synthesis contributes greatly to the feeling of genuine “getaway” that so many people come to San Antonio to find.

Lobby Lighting
ILD Hospitality lighting designers work with mathematical precision to establish points of expression, areas of task, and moods of decorum that unite furniture and interior design into an aesthetic of welcome. We design the lobby lighting system in such a way as to produce a minimum of reflective glare, so that guests may comfortably enjoy certain key elements as ornate antique furniture, display cases, bookshelves, and especially fine art lighting for works of art and statuary from recessed art lighting without having light reflected back into their eyes.

We also work to create an upbeat atmosphere of activity accomplished through soft, direct surface lighting and stronger, low voltage recessed lighting from above that “washes” surfaces in light without blinding the eyes. All desk areas and corridors leading to and from the lobby area can be lit by multiple desk, wall, or suspended luminaries that eliminate pockets of shadow and glare by striking surfaces from multiple angles of lighting incidence.

Restaurant Lighting
Many of San Antonio’s finest restaurants overlook the River Walk and utilize a view of the landscape as an important element for establishing atmosphere and ambiance.

In order to provide diners with a clear view of the exterior, hospitality lighting designers have to overcome the reflection that interior lights sometimes cast upon the windows without inadvertently diminishing indoor lighting.

This is where our multi-specialty offers San Antonio hotels and restaurants something truly unique. We are able to install low-profile outdoor lights with lighting control systems that penetrate the glass just enough to overcome reflection and enable a clear view of patios, sidewalks, and the river itself.

Within the interior, we employ a high level of affect lighting to create atmosphere, illuminate wall art, and provide ambient lighting for booths and tables. This constitutes a blended lighting array that extends the exterior into the private space of the restaurant, utilizing San Antonio’s rich scenery as an adjunct to interior design.

Imagine how your guests will feel sitting inside, but feeling like they are outside.
For restaurants that also have meeting rooms, we utilize sophisticated overhead lighting controlled by dimmer switches and home automation lighting controls that allow hosts to turn the lights down for audiovisual presentations, or to adjust them and place a spotlight on a keynote speaker.

Banquet room lighting involves a similar approach to overhead lighting that is user controlled, although the fixtures here tend to be more formal in nature. Classic chandeliers and candelabras not only provide excellent sources of down lighting, but they also create a formal sense of hospitality and refined sensibility that sets the banquet room apart as a special place within a special place.

Contact us toll free at 800-863-1184 to learn more about the many dimensions of hospitality lighting that ILD’s award winning team delivers to restaurants, hotels, and country clubs throughout The United States.

Labels: Commercial Lighting Designers, Hospitality Lighting Central Texas, Hospitality Lighting San Antonio, Hotel Landscape Lighting, Resort Lighting Design

Wednesday, January 09, 2008

Hospitality Lighting for Houston Country Clubs, Restaurants, Five Star Hotels, and nearby Galveston Resorts.

Houston is known for its hospitality, and because it is our home city we place a special importance on hospitality lighting for Houston country clubs, premier restaurants, five star hotels, and nearby Galveston resorts.

Designing a lighting system for any of these locations requires an understanding of certain very key elements. It also requires careful planning to develop a interior lighting design that will establish and elevate the essence of place, time, and action.

Formal Entertainment
Hospitality lighting in meeting rooms, banquet halls, and ballrooms requires the best in light sources and quality lighting controls.

We employ multiple layers of direct, indirect, and accent lighting technologies to accommodate both action and frame of mind.

As a classic touch is normally called for, we often use top commercial grade decorative fixtures such as chandelier candelabras. Chandeliers provide excellent overhead lights that can be adjusted with lighting control systems to set different moods for different times of day or night.

For accent lighting around walls and tables, we can choose from literally thousands of decorative wall lights and any number of specialty lights appropriate to the nature and size of the facility.

These premium fixtures require little lighting maintenance and provide years of service.

Restaurant Lighting
Hospitality lighting in restaurants calls for a high end lighting design to create atmosphere. Dining areas tend to need a great deal of low ambient lighting. Some of Houston’s finest restaurants are actually hotel dining rooms, and as such attract the attention of executives, travelers, and residents alike.

Our restaurant hospitality lighting team pays close attention to the desires of the hospitality management staff to implement a lighting system that reflects the values and sensibilities of their patrons.

Functional light may come from wall sconces that light floor space evenly, and a variety of sconce fixtures can be utilized to match the lighting equipment itself to hospitality interior design elements.

Energy savings can be created with low voltage fixtures, dimmer controls, new LED lighting technologies that can make corridor lighting not only a function of level, but also add an element of color with little lighting maintenance.

Meeting Room Lighting
Hospitality meeting rooms require architectural lighting that is bright, glare free, and variable in levels. This is because bright lights are essential to visibility during speeches, trade shows and corporate award ceremonies; but they must be dimmed if musical entertainment takes the stage, or if audiovisual presentations are required for the event.

With our expertise in lighting control systems, we can anticipate any user lighting requirement in country clubs meeting rooms, hotel seminar facilities, and even large corporate boardrooms in buildings downtown. The advantages our team brings to the table as a multi-disciplinary consulting firm allows us to match equipment function, to purpose on a room-by-room basis throughout the location.

Exterior and Landscape Country Club Lighting
Hospitality lighting begins with architectural and landscape lighting services that make a country club clearly visible and distinguished as an area of unique excursion and experience

We are proud to have been awarded hospitality lighting design contracts for River Oaks Country Club, Lakeside Country Club, and Carlton Woods Country Club. We also provide lighting maintenance to these fine Houston Country Clubs.

Nature and its beauty play a significant role in these Houston landscape lighting designs because we recognize the innate love that most of humanity holds for greenery and waterways. We as an organization place significant importance on the magnification of natural elements as keynotes to the entire experience of vacation, entertainment, celebration, and most importantly piece of mind.

Trees with lights figure prominently in outdoor hospitality lighting, providing both boundaries for the property and special points of interest. We are one of the few companies that take special care not only to use “green” equipment that is environmentally friendly, but also to rely upon advanced installation methods that do not harm the trees in any way.

Landscape lighting contractors further accentuate walkways, waterways, and outdoor sculptures to blend the man made with the natural like fine art lighting. This in turn creates a theme of unity that enables us to install architectural commercial lighting systems that create the impression that buildings are rising up out of the landscape as part of the natural scenery.

Click here to learn more about Houston hospitality lighting designs for hotel lobbies, corridors, and guest rooms.

Labels: Hospitality Lighting Designers, Hospitality Lighting Houston, Hotel Landscape Lighting, Resort Lighting Design, River Oaks Country Club

Friday, January 04, 2008

Resort lighting represents the most sophisticated expression of light found in the lighting design services industry.

As a reflection of luxury, lighting combines the universal, the functional, and the aesthetic in a phenomenon that is both a science and an art.

Resort lighting represents the most sophisticated expression of light found in the lighting design services industry and requires a blend of multiple disciplines that must be applied in such a fashion as to separate and elevate the experience of a luxury resort to the level of the timeless and the impeccable.

Resort landscape lighting has recently moved to the forefront of the outdoor commercial lighting industry as resort management teams realize the need to showcase the entirety of a property as a single point of differentiation from the world of daily life.

It bears noting at this point that truly superior resort lighting must address interior facilities with equal attention to detail and finesse as that paid to the external layout of the grounds themselves. Without this, the uniqueness of the experience will diminish when guests enter the building.

Illuminations Lighting and Design foresaw many years ago that the current explosion in resort landscape lighting would one day sweep the nation, and we also anticipated an equal need would arise to congruently match the sophistication of interior lighting to exquisite and custom outdoor lighting presentations.

As an eclectic firm focused on bringing custom solutions through multi-disciplinary blends of various high end lighting design methodologies, we positioned ourselves to rise to the forefront of the resort hotel and high-end lighting market when the time came to do so. To prepare ourselves, we formed a network of strategic alliances with some of the worlds leading architectural, landscape, and lighting fixture-manufacturing firms. This network of strategic partnerships has enabled us to cross-train our professional teams in domains normally not directly addressed by standard lighting companies.

This overlap of skill set has also enabled us to customize methodologies specifically created for hotel, hospitality, and resort lighting in three crucial areas necessary to create a truly balanced and superior lighting system.

Outdoor Lighting Design

Interior Lighting Design

Fine Art Lighting

Lighting Control Systems

Simultaneous attention to all three areas allows us to address every element of the resort as a unique, individual component of an interconnected whole. The restaurant is set apart for romance, conversation, and sublime escape from the mediocrities of ordinary life. The banquet hall is both decorated and illuminated with lighting themes that invite to celebration. Layered landscape and architectural lighting arrays emphasize the multi-dimensional elements of natural beauty blended with the finest human engineering and design. Pathways, outdoor dining areas, tennis courts, and even parking lots are both lit for safety and decorum, contributing like strands in a web of light to the exclusive world that resort lighting creates.

To learn more about how we specifically achieve these results, click here to read additional articles on our multi-disciplinary approach to lighting design, hotel lighting design, country club lighting, and high-end lighting.

Labels: Hospitality Lighting Designers, Hotel Landscape Lighting, Outdoor Architectural Lighting, Resort Lighting Design

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

An evening at Houston's prestigious Lakeside Country Club

An evening at Houston's prestigious Lakeside Country Club is a long day's journey into illuminated, romantic night. Located near beautiful tree-lined Memorial Drive in West Houston, Lakeside Country Club caters to a clientele with finer tastes, a strong sense of faith, family, and community, and a desire to retreat into a natural setting after spending a day in the office in the busier, more commercial districts of our city. As such, our work for Lakeside Country Club was centered around the intent to highlight the lush, resort-like environment, the pristine beauty of an exceptional private lake, and to underscore an evening at Lakeside Country Club as a visit to a better, beautifully simplified world where natural beauty, refined taste, and absolute comfort separate experience within the grounds from the outside world of breakneck business and congested traffic.

Lakeside Country Club by its very design supports this since of differentiation and escape to better surroundings by bringing travelers gradually to the clubhouse by means of a gently winding road that meanders through the grounds. By the time members and guests hand over their keys to the valet attendant, the slow approach to the building has already helped them forget the stress, disappointments, and pains of the day and helped them look instead toward an evening of pleasure they have worked very hard to afford. In keeping with this aesthetic, Illuminations Lighting and Design installed high-end accent lighting fixtures using proprietary installation techniques that cast the precise amount of light on structural keynotes along the driveway. We utilized sophisticated sign lighting to emphasize the Lakeside Country Club sign and also placed low-key fixtures on the flagpoles to emphasize the colors of our nation, state, and the Lakeside Country Club emblem itself. To blend our lighting theme with Nature's perfection, we deployed our moon shadow and canopy lighting specialists trained in environmentally friendly installation methods to place hidden lights within the branches of trees that light the driveway. These fixtures cast pools of light on the ground very similar to the soft glow of moonlight (hence the term, "moon shadow lighting"). By placing these lights within trees that line the roadway, ILD created a grand entryway of light that enlivens the mind and lifts the spirit of anyone who journeys into the world within the gates.

Upon entering the dining hall at Lakeside Country Club, members immediately experience an illuminated unity of architecture and nature as they peer through the clubhouse windows onto the landscape lit by fixtures positioned at both the front and rear of the building. These fixtures cast the light in a circle around the building, eliminating the reflective glare of the interior lights and making it possible for members and guests to see clearly through the glass. It is now possible to view the Vista of the golf course surrounded by tree canopy lights that shine down upon the driving range, the putting greens, and landscaping elements that blend indigenous vegetation with aesthetic terraforming. The interior of the Lakeside Country Club dining room thus becomes one with the surrounding exterior due to the unifying field of light cast by strategically positioned, sophisticated lighting equipment. As the eye follows the light from the dining area into the surrounding countryside, it encounters the pinnacle of our work - the illuminated suspension bridge over the lake. Lit clearly by accent lighting fixtures that help establish its position as the central outdoor structure of the property, the illuminated suspension bridge has earned high acclaim from Lakeside Country Club members and guests.

Because so many people join Lakeside Country Club to not only to dine in refined settings free from traffic congestion and parking shortages, but also to experience the natural beauty of the property, ILD completed its lighting design work with refined touches of outdoor lighting placed strategically along pathways and structures that form the patio dining areas. The palm trees, dining tables, pools, and surrounding deck all bathe in soft, relaxing light cast down from surrounding oak trees just beyond the perimeter of human activity. This results in a blended experience of activity, form, and natural ambiance where earth and architecture come together in a field of light and contribute to an unforgettable experience of refined conversation, peace, and serenity for all those who attend evening events at Lakeside Country Club.

Illuminations Lighting and Design extends its warm thanks to the directors of Lakeside Country Club for choosing us as their design partner in excellence. For other similar organizations, we stand available for all inquiries to accomplish a similar vision for their establishment. Call us today at 713-863-1133 for a complimentary, in-depth consultation to begin a long day's journey into light.

Labels: Hospitality Lighting Designers, houston landscape lighting, Lakeside Country Club, Landscape Lights, Mercury Vapor Tree Lighting Houston, outdoor lighting maintenance, Resort Lighting Design

Friday, June 15, 2007

River Oaks Country Club Landscape Lighting Design

The front facade of the River Oaks Country Club preeminently defines the evening sky for all those who travel along River Oaks Boulevard at night. Rising into the darkness like an edifice of light, it serves as a monument to the eclectic sensibilities of architecture and lifestyle that has made River Oaks premier among the world's finest neighborhoods. It is a matter of historical fact that River Oaks Country Club played a pivotal role in the development of the surrounding community, which quickly earned its reputation as prime real estate located around one of the finest golf courses in the nation. When it came time to remodel the clubhouse, River Oaks Country Club awarded Illuminations Lighting and Design an exclusive landscape and architectural lighting design contract. We implemented a plan of action that resulted in clearly showcasing the many fine points of River Oaks Country Club building design, decorum, and exquisite landscaping that would otherwise become invisible after sunset.

Conjunctive to the clubhouse remodel, we illuminated the entire facade of the building so that the angles and physical structures of the clubhouse stand out from all angles of approach along River Oaks Drive. Whenever River Oaks Country Club members and guests attend nighttime events, the very first thing they see as they approach the facility is the illuminated edifice of the building inviting them to an evening of luxury and relaxed entertainment. To create this effect, the ILD consulting team drew upon years of training and experience in advanced commercial architectural lighting techniques. Using only the best equipment from major manufacturers with whom we have solid, ongoing relationships, we minimized the physical appearance of the lighting fixtures to better enhance and highlight the aesthetic of the building itself. Our team has cross-trained with many architectural firms to learn these subtle installation techniques that are absolutely essential to successfully light a main facility like the one at River Oaks Country Club. The outcome has been pleasing to all who now visit the facility, who feel the enhanced, unobstructed view of the building helps to set the mood for sophisticated, relaxed evening entertainment.

River Oaks Country Club also requested that our team provide accent lighting for their outdoor decorum. River Oaks Country Club lines the walkways of the property leading too and from the clubhouse with groupings of urns, flowers, and benches. People can enjoy greenery, flowers, and outdoor seating under the shade of large trees whenever they move between the clubhouse and the outdoor facilities. Illuminations Lighting installed accent lights that allow River Oaks Country Club members and guests to clearly see the walkways and decorations whenever strolling outside during evening visits and nighttime gatherings. This is very important to the world of country club lighting, as many evening events that occur at the clubhouse may also coordinate with other events involving outdoor dining, lakeside gatherings, pools and spas in certain facilities, and of course, sporting events—all of which require proper lighting both for the safety and the sensibilities of their membership.

From within the clubhouse itself, members and guests can enjoy a relaxed evening free from stress of Houston's busy streets and growing parking problems. They can see clearly through the clubhouse windows onto the River Oaks Country Club Vista and enjoy the ornate landscaping, decorum, and fine greenery of the golf course. Using environmentally friendly equipment and installation methods, we enhanced the view of the River Oaks Country Club Lake with moon/shadow lighting techniques that cast pools of illumination downward from fixtures hidden within the trees. To accentuate the physical tree line surrounding the grounds, we selectively employed tree canopy lights to up light the trees themselves, thus giving a sense of natural perimeter to the ground by uniting indigenous vegetation with human engineering. The result is a blended experience for the diner where art, design, architecture, and nature become one singular, fine, memorable event.

Illuminations Lighting and Design is proud to have partnered with the many fine people of River Oaks Country Club to create a landscape and architectural lighting experience complimentary to the tastes and expectations of both the members and the surrounding community. ILD consultants will travel to any location to complete similar design projects for country clubs, hotels, and resorts throughout the United States looking to showcase their amenities both day and night. Contact us today at 713-863-1133 for a complimentary, in-depth consultation.

Labels: Commercial Landscape Lighting, houston landscape lighting, Houston Texas Contractors, Landscape Community Lighting, Resort Lighting Design, River Oaks Country Club

Friday, May 11, 2007

Architectural Custom Lighting Company in Texas

Architectural custom lighting utilizes illumination to enhance structural beauty and develop aesthetic sub themes that support the overall design and decorum of buildings. Commercial clients and residential homeowners alike benefit from the exponential enhancement that architectural custom lighting brings to building form and function. As a distributor of the world's best architectural custom lighting equipment and a full-service firm certified in electrical and design work, Illuminations Lighting and Design delivers solutions that bear the signature of superior planning and technical skill by balancing key elements of structure and function into synthesized, synergistic themes.

Many people are surprised to learn that materials play an enormous role in architectural custom lighting. Since the purpose of any lighting theme is to either minimize fixture visibility or blend decorative fixtures into their surroundings, architectural custom lighting in particular requires the trained eye of a professional lighting designer who is familiar with building materials knows which lighting fixtures will compliment the environment with maximum aesthetic. It also requires access to the widest variety of fixtures on the market, as each building and custom home will consist of one or more very unique elements that require a highly customized equipment to properly illuminate. ILD delivers value on both levels by cross training its technicians in architectural theory and methodology so that no surprises occur when they arrive on site to service our client. We further support our projects by making available the widest selection of lighting fixtures from the world's top manufacturers. Armed with knowledge and advanced technology, our technicians can bring out the hidden beauty latent in building materials such as marble, glass, granite, and even wood.

As a creative firm fully aware of the philosophical, scientific, psychological and spiritual connotations of light, we pay careful attention to color in all of our lighting design work. Superior custom architectural lighting rarely consists of a single design theme. Due to the complex nature of most custom homes and buildings with high-end architectural design, customized lighting has to first focus on key structural and aesthetic features and accentuate points of differentiation. Once a balanced illumination of keynote features appears within the structure, a synthesis evolves where various illuminated subjects combine into an aesthetic of interrelationship and design similarities. Color is the key to all of this. By correctly applying varying degrees of color to objects and features which otherwise would appear in congruent or separatist in relationship, ILD architectural custom lighting specialists create fields of complimentary colors that combine to aesthetically support high-end building and custom home design elements.

As in any custom lighting project, architectural lighting in particular requires precise measurements of light on the color-rendering index and in photometric calculations. (Photometrics measure luminosity and determine the level of brilliance a particular bulb emits upon the subject.) Lighting architecture with customization foremost in mind requires that we determine in advance what combinations of color; light, and possibly even shadow will most effectively highlight homes, office buildings, and public facilities. For ambient and mood lighting in custom homes we normally link custom architectural lighting design to home automation controls that can change the appearance of the room or even the entire house with multiple lighting themes, each offering its own unique aesthetic and point of view. In commercial arenas we often link architectural lighting to security lighting and landscape lighting to fully protect and beautify commercial property at all hours of the night.

Custom architectural lighting is a must for any eclectic homeowner or business owner looking to create the appearance of multiple realities within the space of fixed reality. The fluidity of design available through this medium makes it one of our most sought after service offerings, and has helped build our twenty-seven year reputation as a lighting design industry leader. Call us at 713-863-1133 or request a design consultation to see what new experience we can bring to your world today.

Labels: Commercial Lighting Design, Hospitality Lighting Designers, Lighting and Home Automation, Lighting Design Company, Resort Lighting Design

Friday, September 16, 2005

Disney selects Phantom Lighting for Parrot Cay restaurant on Disney Magic cruise ship.

When the imagineers at Disney wanted a special lighting projector to enhance the interior of the Parrot Cay restaurant, on the cruise ship Disney Magic, they specified Phantom Lighting a creation of Illuminations Lighting Design. What the Disney designers envisioned was a small recessed optical framing projector that would project patterns of light onto the walls and draperies to create a magical effect. They needed a framing projector that would project focused light, fit into a tight space, produce very little heat, operate at 220 volts and ship quickly. In order to meet Disney's specific resort lighting needs, the technicians at Phantom Lighting fabricated a custom holder that would accept a stainless steel pattern filter, or "gobo," which is typically used in theatrical lighting.

In addition, the Disney designers specified and are using Phantom Strip Lights in several of the many display cases located in a boutique on the ship. The small linear light source with remote transformers was perfect for the application.

In addition to creating a dazzling theatrical environment for the Disney company, the Phantom Contour Projector, with its control and precision, is the perfect compliment to your fine art collection. It truly brings objects of art to life - colors become more vivid and rich, forms more lustrous and distinct. The splendor of your art will dazzle you when you add the artistic illumination provided by the Phantom Contour Projector to creatively affect the palette of mood, whether bright and illustrious or subtle and warm.

This form of art lighting intensifies the magnificence of your art with a contoured light beam that flawlessly embraces the distinct outline of your individual pieces of art. Through the use of its standard or custom designed templates and an unbroken line of direct lighting, the Phantom Contour Projector provides luminescence for single, multiple and irregularly shaped art objects. Three different art lighting applications - one projector. With cutting-edge technology, this unseen projector can be used as far as 30 feet away to as close as just a few feet. The richness of your art will illuminate your environment with beauty and splendor. Additionally, Phantom offers five different housings to meet the needs of any project, from a remodel to a top access to surface mount.

Because needs are diverse, the Contour Projector provides options to fit almost any situation--whether you're one of the world's leading entertainment companies or simply looking to beautify your own home. For more information regarding Phantom Lighting System, please visit or call toll free 800-863-1184 to speak with Tom Kretzschmar.

Labels: Custom Art Lights, Display Lighting Fixtures, Fine art lighting, Picture Lighting Solutions, Resort Lighting Design