Lighting feature in Grand Designs magazine

It’s been out for a couple of weeks now but we’re pleased to be featured in the December issue of Grand Designs Magazine in their Lighting Buyer’s Guide.  It’s a measure of how far the discussion on residential lighting has come that so much of the article concentrates on architectural rather than decorative lighting.

When we talk about architectural lighting, we’re talking about lighting and luminaires integrated into the building or landscaping.  The focus is on the effect of the light rather than on the luminaire itself as opposed to a decorative chandelier or wall light.  Decorative and architectural lighting sit happily alongside each other in many schemes and it is architectural lighting that makes up the discrete backbone of most of our designs.

The article makes the point that advances in LED technology have created many more opportunities for integrated lighting besides downlights.  Recessed linear fittings, shadow gap lighting and floor-recessed uplights all offer options for discrete lighting that can accentuate features or create focal points.   Learning how to use these sources means getting familiar with the characteristics of the light source and the luminaire itself.   That can mean the physical characteristics of the fitting and how it’s installed as well as the amount, quality and nature of the light it puts out.  The “Ask the Expert” section in the article features Melanie, our Lighting Design Director.  She looks at the differences between retrofit and dedicated LED light sources, the costs of designing and executing a lighting scheme and the role of lighting control systems.  For a more in-depth look at the fundamentals of lighting and designing with LED, have a look at the Lighting Buyer’s Technical Reference Guide.