How to think about Architectural lighting : Top 5 considerations when creating a lighting plan that works for your needs and budget and how to avoid the dreaded "Glare Bomb"

Lighting is the unsung hero of home design. Light brings spaces to life, enhances function, and sets the mood. Architectural lighting in todays renovations can have a transformative impact- or it can be a missed opportunity. You will want to consider your lighting plan in relationship to the scale of your renovation, the size of your budget, and the value of your home

In many renovations, Architectural lighting is often the last thing budgeted or even considered. I am guilty of this! I made this mistake in my own renovation planning. At the last minute I delayed my builders bid when I realized I should have taken more care to select the specific arhitectural lights I wanted. I put hours of time into selecting the perfect decorative fixtures. I made a combination of selections from Visual Comfort and had several custom fixtures made by the The Brass Lighting Gallery as well as Hudson Valley Lighting Group . I had custom exterior lanterns made by Carroll Lighting .

YET, I spent no time thinking or planning for architectural lighting. And here is the thing- if you don't make these selections or have your designer do it, you very well may get a $15 home depot 6" can with the wicked glare bomb. You and your guests may look....less than your best, while your ceiling may look like swiss cheese.

Why? The truth of the matter is that there are very few Interior Designers that actually know enough about Architectural lighting to make confident selections. Myself included. We gloss over it when everyone is exhausted and ready to move along with the project. Just the truth!! If lighting matters to you and you are spending a significant amount of your net worth remodeling your home, it is wise to allocate a budget toward architectural lighting. Let's talk about what Architectural lighting is and what the key features of good Architectural lighting are.

What is Architectural lighting anyhow?

These are all the sources of lights that are not your traditional decorative lights like chandeliers and sconces
This includes recess ceiling lights commonly called "Can lights"
channel or strip lights for under-cabinet, in bookshelves or stair lighting
Art lights that focus soft light on a piece of art or gallery wall

Why Architectural Lighting Matters

It enhances aesthetics and functionality
Great lighting can make a room feel larger, cozier, or more dynamic, depending on your choices
It increases home value, especially in premium neighborhoods like Northshore.
It is a key element in layering light: Combining ambient, task, and accent lighting.

Partnering with Professionals

If you want to get your lighting on point, you will need to hire a lighting designer. This can be an expensive additional line item
One option is to use the "free" lighting designer provided by the person who sells your lights. Yes, if this is an option, you will naturally be purchasing more expensive lights. However, this may reduce cost.
Communicate your specifc goals and objectives to that designer so they can help you put your budget in some key areas and save in some less important ones.
Visual Comfort provides a lighting designer with a deposit of $1 per sq ft. The designer will talk you (or your interior designer) through the options and help make appropirate selections. Then the money spent on the design service is applied to your lighting bill. Voila!!
Electricians can help locate lights and advise on what can or can't be achieved. While they are not trained designers they have been inside countless renovations and their opinion can be helpful.

So what are the key benefits of spending more on good architectural lighting- Why spend more $$$

We want to avoid this - large glare bombs

1- The lights are smaller. You can reduce your "can" size from 6" to 3"-4" and obtain the same amount of light

2- The color quality of the light is superior. Better lights will better reflect the actual colors in your rugs, art, textiles with light that is closer to the quality of the sunshine.

3- The ability to specify the beam spread of your light. Focus on a piece of art, a table or spread the light for general purpose. You have this flexibility with top of the line lights.

4- The can is placed higher into your ceiling so that the fixture or bulb in not as visible. This is called a quiet ceiling. When you walk into a room you want to focus on the room versus having your eye drawn up to the ceiling that looks like Swiss cheese.

5- You also get to select the warmth of the light depending on the room. Most homes demand warm light but sometimes in office or medical environment cooler light might be needed. If you really want to geek out on lighting, you can have lights automated so that you can change the temperature of the lights at different time of day. That's more granular than I personally care to get, but to each their own.

6- A high end lighting company like Visual Comfort offers many specialized lighting solutions for very niche situations such as recessed lights specifically for wood paneled ceilings, lights for sloped ceilings and very specific channel lights for any cabinet or book case application you can dream up. There are other companies that offer these unique lights. Additionally, many home technology companies can walk you through these choices.

7- If you are into creating a "smart" home, you can hire an integrator or "tech company" (the people who install speakers and home automation systems) to program smart switches with settings for evening lightscapes, morning lightscapes, dinner parties etc ... so that it's all set to go. OR, if you are like me and prefer a "dumb home", you can just set your preferred lighting temperature and put it all on a manual dimmer.

In Conclusion

In conclusion, Architectural lighting can take your remodeling outcome to the next level. While you don't have to buy premium high end lights for every room, consider upgrading in a few key areas where you will entertain or spend the most time personally.

I decided to upgrade the lighting in my office so that I would have the best color value to assist me in combining rug and fabric samples for clients. Additionally, we wanted lights that sit higher in the ceiling to reduce glare in our living room in a relatively low 8 ft ceiling.

If you are overwhelmed with lighting choices and don't have the interest or resources to hire a specific lighting designer, simply ask your designer to work with Visual Comfort on your behalf. Visual Comfort . Their stunning new Milwaukee 3rd Ward showroom has a lab to demonstrate the difference various Architectural light options make compared to simple can lighting.

Please comment if you appreciate good architectural lighting or have experienced a missed opportunity in this department? I would love to hear all about it.

If you are local to Whitefish Bay or the broader Milwaukee area and looking to start a project - contact me here: Carrie Lucke