Get smart lighting technology. Heather Merenda © Houzz
The client approached my desk, clearly dissatisfied. Her new granite countertops didn't look as beautiful in the kitchen as she expected. She wondered if the manufacturer had installed the wrong slab. I sent the project manager to the site to check the documents in hand. He admitted that she got her pick of Santa Cecilia, which was very popular in 2005. The problem was the lighting, which made the richly patterned gold and brown stones look downright ugly. If adjustable lighting had been available at the time, her problem could have been solved with simple user-operated color controls. It probably looks better for your guests and makes your kitchen feel more inviting.
That technology and other smart home-enabled lighting advances that improve aesthetics, energy efficiency, and health are available now and are a big trend in home improvement projects, according to home improvement platform Houzz. “In 2022, light fixtures were the most popular technology item among homeowners renovating. What's even more remarkable is the percentage of homeowners who chose smart lighting that can be controlled from a mobile device.” Houzz said senior editor Mitchell Parker. He increased from 14% in 2021 to 17% in 2022. ”
Designers face a surge in demand
Some designers shared about this trend in social media comments, saying they are taking even bigger leaps forward in their practices. “Requests for smart lighting designs have increased from about 25 percent to nearly 75 percent,” commented Sara Walker, a Seattle-area luxury designer.
“Lighting controls are a part of nearly every project we work on,” says Sharon L. Sherman, a designer in the northern New Jersey area. It became so popular that she added technology integrators to her design team. Because the technology is versatile, it won't add much to your lighting budget, she said. “So many people have controls in place to ensure safety, privacy, convenience, and security.”
“Today, 50% more homeowners are requesting smart lighting, regardless of their budget,” declared San Francisco Bay Area interior designer Andrea Jeffrey. “We have had to quickly educate ourselves about the fast-paced and increasingly changing market for lighting technologies and the systems that integrate them, which is difficult due to the speed of change,” she says. added.
Uses and benefits
“Lighting is a big deal for my clients,” exclaimed Jennifer Hutton, principal designer at Grau Building Company in Durham, North Carolina. “If it's not, I'll make the deal.” “I always recommend installing LED strip lights in otherwise forgotten spaces, such as in closets, above cabinet ceilings, in enclosed storage areas, and in the shower. They are also continuous and easy to install. Designers can install smart lighting in their home gyms to adjust for calming yoga sessions or high-energy spin workouts. I shared that I made it possible.
Hutton says customers often request lights that can be dimmed by up to 1%, as well as being able to change the color temperature for flexibility and balance. While wall panels are common, she reported that the most popular lighting controls are systems with audio that also link to smartphones.
“Interior designers and architects are starting to realize how easy it is to radically change the look and feel of a home without using expensive dimming systems,” says the author of the lighting blog Delivered Lumens. says JP Bedell, who has been in the lighting industry for 20 years. veteran. He added: “So this is definitely a high-end, low-priced trend.”
Walker's customers love the convenience and health benefits, she said. She noted that circadian lighting is a particularly favorite benefit. “Its ability to recreate the sun's natural light throughout the day in varying colors and brightness levels matches the human body's natural circadian rhythm, promoting daytime productivity and improved sleep quality.” explained the designer. Color changes, superior dimming capabilities, and the ability to integrate new apps are all at the top of our clients' list of lighting needs.
Heather Ball, an interior designer in Southern California's Beach City, commented that she is also implementing smart lighting, including in more affordable projects that don't opt for full house automation. “Clients often ask to be able to control it from Alexa or their mobile phone. We've also had requests for color-changing capabilities. She said even if a client hasn't chosen a robust system, they can still use these features. We have the resources to provide the right level of smart lighting for your project, so every project gets the right level of smart lighting for its budget. ” the designer thought.
Integrator's view
Eddie Shapiro is one of the technology experts called upon to make homeowners' wishes come true. He is based in the DC area, where he works with designers and builders and serves on the board of CEDIA, a trade association for the fast-growing industry. In his email, he theorized why the demand for smart lighting is increasing: “I think health is playing a bigger role in today's new home planning.”
Customer perception is also a factor driving budget considerations, he said. “When clients understand how good lighting can transform a space and how they feel in their home with better lighting fixtures, they can increase their budget to accommodate better lighting. It changes.'' The rooms that receive these upgrades are usually living spaces on the first floor, he said. and the main bedroom/bathroom suite.
Al Reinhardt of Miami-based multi-location technology company AHT Global sees similar spaces gaining gear and similar client responses to demonstrations of its potential. answered electronically. “We are seeing lighting controls expand across project budgets,” he added. “It's something that homeowners now want to prioritize. Previously, lighting controls were more commonly found in high-end projects. As time went on, more and more projects implemented lighting control systems. .”
The last word
Reinhardt made some astute observations about demand. “We're seeing stakeholders from all sides adopting smart lighting. Even developers who previously didn't want to do it because it was expensive now feel they need to compete in the market.”
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I am a Wellness Design Consultant and Mayo Clinic Certified Wellness Coach with 20 years of experience in architecture, home design, and remodeling.
My third book, Wellness by Design, published by Simon & Schuster in September 2020, won the prestigious Brass Book Award in 2021. In October 2023, we published a bonus chapter, “Lessons on How to Live in the Now,” on our website.
In addition to my writing, I speak on wellness design topics at regional and national conferences and consult with companies and analysts in the design industry.
You can read more about my work on my website jamiegold.net.
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