Introduction – Create a Sparkle Lighting Design

Create unforgettable designs for your clients. This guide breaks down how to create a sparkle lighting design for your residential project, through practical strategies for architects and interior designers. Let’s get started …

Table of Contents

• Sparkle Vibe
• Sparkle Lighting Layout
• Sparkle Lighting Calculation
• Sparkle Lighting Project Example
• What to Look For In a Quality Light
• Color Rendering Index
• Dimmer Compatibility
• Why Is It Important to Do A Lighting Calculation?
• Works Cited

Create a Feeling: Sparkle Lighting

VIBE: Luxe, premium.

LIGHTING STRATEGY: In this scheme, the majority of the lighting should come from decorative pendant lights, with crystal, or soda bubble glass. 

ROOM FINISHES: Walls and ceilings can be medium to bright tones, with a mixture of matte and polished surfaces. 

Creating a Sparkle Lighting Layout

Gold leaf… but drab?

I never would have thought that a ceiling gilded in gold leaf could look depressing and dark, but I stood corrected.

We were tasked with bringing the life back to a historic lobby in Baltimore. The answer was clear. Keep the beautiful gold ceiling, but introduce an element of sparkle and uplight to showcase this pristine ceiling.

Normally, I like to let the lighting be understated and let the architecture speak for itself, but this was a great example of when lighting needed to take the lead. And like this lobby, sometimes a living room design is begging for decorative, sparkling lights, that unapologetically say “I’m beautiful…look at me”.

How Many Lights for a Sparkle Lighting Design?

To figure out how much illumination is needed for the whole room, we can do a quick calculation. It only takes a couple minutes. First follow the link to our sparkle lighting estimator here.

Example Sparkle Lighting Calculation

Sparkle Vibe: Project Examples

CHASE BREXTON LOBBY

Architect: NBBJ | Lighting Designer: Steve Duncan while at NBBJ

What to Look for in a Quality LED Light for a Sparkle Vibe

Regardless of the vibe you are going for, there are two things that can trip up designers when they are selecting LED lighting: ​

COLOR RENDERING INDEX (CRI)

If you only remember one thing from me, please remember that color rendering is EVERYTHING when it comes to lighting. If you love incandescent and halogen lights, but hate fluorescent, then color rendering is the reason.​

We always want to find lights that have a color rendering (CRI) of at least 90, so that we can bring out the true color of our room finishes and decor. Many LED lights have a color rendering of 80, and this score is actually worse than fluorescent (which has a score of 82). As you can see in the image below, the true color of the wood is brought out with the light on the right, which has a score of 90. The red tones of the wood come through and it feels warm. In contrast, the light on the left makes the wood look a bit greenish and yellow, because it has a poor color rendering score of 80.​

Trust me! It’s worth it to spend just a little bit more on lights to make sure that you’re getting LEDs with a score of 90 or higher, so that the people and finishes in your spaces feel vibrant and full of life. Make sure to pay attention to this when you find a light you like and you’re ready to hit that “order” button.

DIMMER COMPATIBILITY

Lastly, make sure that the LEDs you select are dimmable. This is something you need to check in the product cut sheet or through the web store that you are browsing. ​

Also, you’ll need to make sure that the dimmer you select will be compatible with the LED light fixture.  In the past, we could easily dim incandescent and halogen lighting with a simple rotary dimmer. This may or may not work for a new LED light fixture.  

You wouldn’t expect your television remote to be able to turn on your stereo system, would you? The same is true for LED dimmers. You have to make sure that the dimmer switch can actually communicate with the light fixture.  

There’s a variety of dimming protocols: it may be TRIAC, Electronic Low Voltage (ELV), 0-10 Volt, or DALI. So make sure to work with your electrician or a sales representative to make sure that the components of your lighting design are all compatible. 

Why it is Important to do a Lighting Calculation?

If you want to be confident in your lighting design, you have to do a lighting calculation. It’s as simple as that. ​

But how do we actually estimate how bright a room actually needs to be? Well, the footcandle targets for a room are set by the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA), and the International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD). This professional organization has studied and analyzed the functional requirements for each kind of space designed by architects. For residential projects, I like to refer back to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory & Department of Energy’s footcandle targets, since those are made freely available to the public. These are the targets I use for my own projects, and are the basis for the lighting estimator on this webpage. ​

You don’t want to have too little light. It’s expensive for a contractor and electrician to come back after the fact to revise the lighting strategy and patch the walls/ceiling. This happened to an interior designer early in my career, and it wasn’t a fun situation. For me, it was the beginning of a great collaboration with this design professional, because we worked on many projects after that – but of course it would have been better if this interior designer hadn’t made that mistake to begin with. ​

Likewise, you also don’t want to be too bright, and overspend on lighting, just because you’re unsure what is needed and just hoping for the best (yikes!). 

This is fundamentally why I created lighting estimators – to balance making sure there’s enough light, while also making sure a client isn’t paying for too many lights. Hopefully using the calculator was straightforward. Reach out with questions (before buying/building anything), if you’d like help! Good luck on your project!​​

Steve Duncan, AIA​

Architect & Lighting Designer

Works Cited

Duncan, Steve. “Why Is It Important to Do a Lighting Calculation?” Lighting Design Insights. [LightingJUMP.com, https://www.lightingjump.com/how-many-lights-cinematic-vibe]. 

The author emphasizes the necessity of conducting lighting calculations to ensure effective lighting design in various spaces. He cites the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA) and the International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD) for their established footcandle targets that help determine appropriate lighting levels. Duncan also mentions the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the Department of Energy’s publicly available footcandle targets, which he uses for residential projects. He shares a personal anecdote about the complications that arise from inadequate lighting, stressing the importance of precise calculations to avoid costly adjustments and excessive spending. The lighting estimator featured on his webpage is designed to assist clients in achieving optimal lighting without overspending.

REFERENCES

International Association of Lighting Designers. “About the IALD.” https://iald.org/IALD/IALD/About/About-the-IALD.aspx?hkey=104e951f-5da0-4cb8-8ca8-8cce8a7b4caf.

Duncan, Steve. “Why Is It Important to Do a Lighting Calculation?” Lighting Design Insights.

National Renewable Energy Laboratory. “Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) in Residential Lighting.” NREL/TP-53467. 2012. https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy12osti/53467.pdf.

Illuminating Engineering Society. “Standards.” https://store.ies.org/individual-standards/?v=0b3b97fa6688.

Introduction – Create a Winter Lighting Design for Your Residential Project

Create unforgettable designs for your clients. This guide breaks down how to create a winter lighting design, through practical strategies for architects and interior designers. Let’s get started …

Table of Contents

• Winter Lighting Vibe
• Winter Lighting Layout
• What to Look For In a Quality Light
• Color Rendering Index
• Dimmer Compatibility
• Why Is It Important to Do A Lighting Calculation?
• Works Cited

Create a Feeling With Light: Winter Vibe

VIBE: Free, floating, fluid.

LIGHTING STRATEGY: Most of the light in this room needs to from adjustable downlights. 

ROOM FINISHES: Walls, ceilings, and floors should be bright tones with matte finishes. 

Creating a Winter Lighting Layout

Today we’re pulling lighting inspiration from the experience of skiing and snowboarding.

Although lighting is a key consideration for this look, the key to pulling of this vibe is to select finishes that are bright and matte.

What to Look for in a Quality LED Light: Winter Vibe

Regardless of the vibe you are going for, there are two things that can trip up designers when they are selecting LED lighting: ​

COLOR RENDERING INDEX (CRI)

If you only remember one thing from me, please remember that color rendering is EVERYTHING when it comes to lighting. If you love incandescent and halogen lights, but hate fluorescent, then color rendering is the reason.​

We always want to find lights that have a color rendering (CRI) of at least 90, so that we can bring out the true color of our room finishes and decor. Many LED lights have a color rendering of 80, and this score is actually worse than fluorescent (which has a score of 82). As you can see in the image below, the true color of the wood is brought out with the light on the right, which has a score of 90. The red tones of the wood come through and it feels warm. In contrast, the light on the left makes the wood look a bit greenish and yellow, because it has a poor color rendering score of 80.​

Trust me! It’s worth it to spend just a little bit more on lights to make sure that you’re getting LEDs with a score of 90 or higher, so that the people and finishes in your spaces feel vibrant and full of life. Make sure to pay attention to this when you find a light you like and you’re ready to hit that “order” button.

DIMMER COMPATIBILITY

Lastly, make sure that the LEDs you select are dimmable. This is something you need to check in the product cut sheet or through the web store that you are browsing. ​

Also, you’ll need to make sure that the dimmer you select will be compatible with the LED light fixture.  In the past, we could easily dim incandescent and halogen lighting with a simple rotary dimmer. This may or may not work for a new LED light fixture.  

You wouldn’t expect your television remote to be able to turn on your stereo system, would you? The same is true for LED dimmers. You have to make sure that the dimmer switch can actually communicate with the light fixture.  

There’s a variety of dimming protocols: it may be TRIAC, Electronic Low Voltage (ELV), 0-10 Volt, or DALI. So make sure to work with your electrician or a sales representative to make sure that the components of your lighting design are all compatible. 

Why it is Important to do a Lighting Calculation for a Winter Vibe?

If you want to be confident in your lighting design, you have to do a lighting calculation. It’s as simple as that. ​

But how do we actually estimate how bright a room actually needs to be? Well, the footcandle targets for a room are set by the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA), and the International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD). This professional organization has studied and analyzed the functional requirements for each kind of space designed by architects. For residential projects, I like to refer back to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory & Department of Energy’s footcandle targets, since those are made freely available to the public. These are the targets I use for my own projects, and are the basis for the lighting estimator on this webpage. 

AVOID MISTAKES​

You don’t want to have too little light. It’s expensive for a contractor and electrician to come back after the fact to revise the lighting strategy and patch the walls/ceiling. This happened to an interior designer early in my career, and it wasn’t a fun situation. For me, it was the beginning of a great collaboration with this design professional, because we worked on many projects after that – but of course it would have been better if this interior designer hadn’t made that mistake to begin with. ​

Likewise, you also don’t want to be too bright, and overspend on lighting, just because you’re unsure what is needed and just hoping for the best (yikes!). 

This is fundamentally why I created lighting estimators – to balance making sure there’s enough light, while also making sure a client isn’t paying for too many lights. Hopefully using the calculator was straightforward. Reach out with questions (before buying/building anything), if you’d like help! Good luck on your project!​​

-Steve Duncan, AIA​

Architect & Lighting Designer

Works Cited: Winter Vibe

Duncan, Steve. “Why Is It Important to Do a Lighting Calculation?” Lighting Design Insights. [LightingJUMP.com, https://www.lightingjump.com/how-many-lights-cinematic-vibe]. 

The author emphasizes the necessity of conducting lighting calculations to ensure effective lighting design in various spaces. He cites the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA) and the International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD) for their established footcandle targets that help determine appropriate lighting levels. Duncan also mentions the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the Department of Energy’s publicly available footcandle targets, which he uses for residential projects. He shares a personal anecdote about the complications that arise from inadequate lighting, stressing the importance of precise calculations to avoid costly adjustments and excessive spending. The lighting estimator featured on his webpage is designed to assist clients in achieving optimal lighting without overspending.

REFERENCES

International Association of Lighting Designers. “About the IALD.” https://iald.org/IALD/IALD/About/About-the-IALD.aspx?hkey=104e951f-5da0-4cb8-8ca8-8cce8a7b4caf.

Duncan, Steve. “Why Is It Important to Do a Lighting Calculation?” Lighting Design Insights.

National Renewable Energy Laboratory. “Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) in Residential Lighting.” NREL/TP-53467. 2012. https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy12osti/53467.pdf.

Illuminating Engineering Society. “Standards.” https://store.ies.org/individual-standards/?v=0b3b97fa6688.

Check out our blog for a variety of similar articles, or get started with our post below:

Fashion Shoot Lighting: How to Light Your Residential Design

Introduction – Create a Fashion Shoot Feeling With Your Lighting Design

Create unforgettable designs for your clients. This guide breaks down how to create a fashion shoot lighting vibe for your project, through practical strategies for architects and interior designers. Let’s get started …

Table of Contents

• Fashion Shoot Lighting Vibe
• Fashion Shoot Lighting Layout
• Fashion Shoot Lighting Calculation
• What to Look For In a Quality Light
• Color Rendering Index
• Dimmer Compatibility
• Why Is It Important to Do A Lighting Calculation?
• Works Cited

Create a Feeling: Fashion Shoot Lighting Vibe

VIBE: Striking, main-character, confident.

LIGHTING STRATEGY: In this scheme, most of the light in this room needs to be aimed at one wall, and balanced with large pendant lights which act like a softbox for the most flattering lighting. 

ROOM FINISHES: Walls and ceilings should be bright tones with a matte finish. Drywall should have a Level 5 Finish. 

Creating a Fashion Shoot Lighting Layout

I have a sneaking suspicion… that models aren’t actually as attractive as we think they are, and that actually, it’s just really REALLY good lighting.

Got light? Maybe instead of hitting the gym, you should just get better lighting.

Just kidding, do both and be unstoppable! Now hand me that box of donuts.

How Many Lights for a Fashion Shoot Lighting Design?

To figure out how much illumination is needed for the whole room, we can do a quick calculation. It only takes a couple minutes. First follow the link to our fashion shoot lighting estimator here.

Example Fashion Shoot Lighting Calculation

What to Look for in a Quality LED Light for a Fashion Shoot Lighting Vibe

Regardless of the vibe you are going for, there are two things that can trip up designers when they are selecting LED lighting: ​

COLOR RENDERING INDEX (CRI)

If you only remember one thing from me, please remember that color rendering is EVERYTHING when it comes to lighting. If you love incandescent and halogen lights, but hate fluorescent, then color rendering is the reason.​

We always want to find lights that have a color rendering (CRI) of at least 90, so that we can bring out the true color of our room finishes and decor. Many LED lights have a color rendering of 80, and this score is actually worse than fluorescent (which has a score of 82). As you can see in the image below, the true color of the wood is brought out with the light on the right, which has a score of 90. The red tones of the wood come through and it feels warm. In contrast, the light on the left makes the wood look a bit greenish and yellow, because it has a poor color rendering score of 80.​

Trust me! It’s worth it to spend just a little bit more on lights to make sure that you’re getting LEDs with a score of 90 or higher, so that the people and finishes in your spaces feel vibrant and full of life. Make sure to pay attention to this when you find a light you like and you’re ready to hit that “order” button.

DIMMER COMPATIBILITY

Lastly, make sure that the LEDs you select are dimmable. This is something you need to check in the product cut sheet or through the web store that you are browsing. ​

Also, you’ll need to make sure that the dimmer you select will be compatible with the LED light fixture.  In the past, we could easily dim incandescent and halogen lighting with a simple rotary dimmer. This may or may not work for a new LED light fixture.  

You wouldn’t expect your television remote to be able to turn on your stereo system, would you? The same is true for LED dimmers. You have to make sure that the dimmer switch can actually communicate with the light fixture.  

There’s a variety of dimming protocols: it may be TRIAC, Electronic Low Voltage (ELV), 0-10 Volt, or DALI. So make sure to work with your electrician or a sales representative to make sure that the components of your lighting design are all compatible. 

Why it is Important to do a Lighting Calculation?

If you want to be confident in your lighting design, you have to do a lighting calculation. It’s as simple as that. ​

But how do we actually estimate how bright a room actually needs to be? Well, the footcandle targets for a room are set by the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA), and the International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD). This professional organization has studied and analyzed the functional requirements for each kind of space designed by architects. For residential projects, I like to refer back to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory & Department of Energy’s footcandle targets, since those are made freely available to the public. These are the targets I use for my own projects, and are the basis for the lighting estimator on this webpage. ​

You don’t want to have too little light. It’s expensive for a contractor and electrician to come back after the fact to revise the lighting strategy and patch the walls/ceiling. This happened to an interior designer early in my career, and it wasn’t a fun situation. For me, it was the beginning of a great collaboration with this design professional, because we worked on many projects after that – but of course it would have been better if this interior designer hadn’t made that mistake to begin with. ​

Likewise, you also don’t want to be too bright, and overspend on lighting, just because you’re unsure what is needed and just hoping for the best (yikes!). 

This is fundamentally why I created lighting estimators – to balance making sure there’s enough light, while also making sure a client isn’t paying for too many lights. Hopefully using the calculator was straightforward. Reach out with questions (before buying/building anything), if you’d like help! Good luck on your project!​

​Steve Duncan, AIA​

Architect & Lighting Designer

Works Cited

Duncan, Steve. “Why Is It Important to Do a Lighting Calculation?” Lighting Design Insights. [LightingJUMP.com, https://www.lightingjump.com/how-many-lights-cinematic-vibe]. 

The author emphasizes the necessity of conducting lighting calculations to ensure effective lighting design in various spaces. He cites the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA) and the International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD) for their established footcandle targets that help determine appropriate lighting levels. Duncan also mentions the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the Department of Energy’s publicly available footcandle targets, which he uses for residential projects. He shares a personal anecdote about the complications that arise from inadequate lighting, stressing the importance of precise calculations to avoid costly adjustments and excessive spending. The lighting estimator featured on his webpage is designed to assist clients in achieving optimal lighting without overspending.

REFERENCES

International Association of Lighting Designers. “About the IALD.” https://iald.org/IALD/IALD/About/About-the-IALD.aspx?hkey=104e951f-5da0-4cb8-8ca8-8cce8a7b4caf.

Duncan, Steve. “Why Is It Important to Do a Lighting Calculation?” Lighting Design Insights.

National Renewable Energy Laboratory. “Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) in Residential Lighting.” NREL/TP-53467. 2012. https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy12osti/53467.pdf.

Illuminating Engineering Society. “Standards.” https://store.ies.org/individual-standards/?v=0b3b97fa6688.

Introduction – Create a Liquid Vibe With Your Lighting Design

Create unforgettable designs for your clients. This guide breaks down how to create a liquid lighting design vibe for your project, through practical strategies for architects and interior designers. Let’s get started …

Table of Contents

• Liquid Vibe
• Liquid Lighting Layout
• What to Look For In a Quality Light
• Color Rendering Index
• Dimmer Compatibility
• Why Is It Important to Do A Lighting Calculation?
• Works Cited

 

Create a Liquid Lighting Design: Ripple Inspiration

VIBE: Magical, edgeless, mesmerizing.

LIGHTING STRATEGY: In this scheme, cool teal light is balanced with warm adjustable lights for dramatic effect. Sconces can be used to create a rippled light appearance. 

ROOM FINISHES: Walls and ceilings should be medium tones with a semi-gloss finish. 

Creating a Liquid Lighting Design Layout

Online dating, but for real estate…

You know how some people just string along the person their dating and it never goes anywhere? Well! That also happens in the design world, and there’s a special place in hell for developers who do this.

Alright, storytime. A contractor put me in touch with a developer in Orange County who wanted to maximize the buildable area for a single family home lot. After a couple months of feasibility analysis, design, and marketing renderings, the developer ghosted me and the contractor without payment. Its a lesson every designer has to learn (or better yet, learn from others so that they don’t make the same mistake).

There IS one great thing that came out of that experience… well, two good things. I now get deposits before I start to design ANYTHING, and today’s lighting vibe is brought to you by that developer.

For that project we were organizing the home around a central courtyard with a pool, and one of the concepts we were working with was playing off of this mesmerizing ripple of light that would come off of the pool, and this is an effect you can also create with electric lighting. Check it out! ? 

And yeah, I’m totally over it. I’m fine. Don’t worry about me, really…

What to Look for in a Quality LED Light: Liquid Lighting Design Vibe

Regardless of the vibe you are going for, there are two things that can trip up designers when they are selecting LED lighting: ​

COLOR RENDERING INDEX (CRI)

If you only remember one thing from me, please remember that color rendering is EVERYTHING when it comes to lighting. If you love incandescent and halogen lights, but hate fluorescent, then color rendering is the reason.​

We always want to find lights that have a color rendering (CRI) of at least 90, so that we can bring out the true color of our room finishes and decor. Many LED lights have a color rendering of 80, and this score is actually worse than fluorescent (which has a score of 82). As you can see in the image below, the true color of the wood is brought out with the light on the right, which has a score of 90. The red tones of the wood come through and it feels warm. In contrast, the light on the left makes the wood look a bit greenish and yellow, because it has a poor color rendering score of 80.​

Trust me! It’s worth it to spend just a little bit more on lights to make sure that you’re getting LEDs with a score of 90 or higher, so that the people and finishes in your spaces feel vibrant and full of life. Make sure to pay attention to this when you find a light you like and you’re ready to hit that “order” button.

DIMMER COMPATIBILITY

Lastly, make sure that the LEDs you select are dimmable. This is something you need to check in the product cut sheet or through the web store that you are browsing. ​

Also, you’ll need to make sure that the dimmer you select will be compatible with the LED light fixture.  In the past, we could easily dim incandescent and halogen lighting with a simple rotary dimmer. This may or may not work for a new LED light fixture.  

You wouldn’t expect your television remote to be able to turn on your stereo system, would you? The same is true for LED dimmers. You have to make sure that the dimmer switch can actually communicate with the light fixture.  

There’s a variety of dimming protocols: it may be TRIAC, Electronic Low Voltage (ELV), 0-10 Volt, or DALI. So make sure to work with your electrician or a sales representative to make sure that the components of your lighting design are all compatible. 

Why it is Important to do a Lighting Calculation?

If you want to be confident in your lighting design, you have to do a lighting calculation. It’s as simple as that. ​

But how do we actually estimate how bright a room actually needs to be? Well, the footcandle targets for a room are set by the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA), and the International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD). This professional organization has studied and analyzed the functional requirements for each kind of space designed by architects. For residential projects, I like to refer back to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory & Department of Energy’s footcandle targets, since those are made freely available to the public. These are the targets I use for my own projects, and are the basis for the lighting estimator on this webpage. ​

AVOID MISTAKES

You don’t want to have too little light. It’s expensive for a contractor and electrician to come back after the fact to revise the lighting strategy and patch the walls/ceiling. This happened to an interior designer early in my career, and it wasn’t a fun situation. For me, it was the beginning of a great collaboration with this design professional, because we worked on many projects after that – but of course it would have been better if this interior designer hadn’t made that mistake to begin with. ​

Likewise, you also don’t want to be too bright, and overspend on lighting, just because you’re unsure what is needed and just hoping for the best (yikes!). 

This is fundamentally why I created lighting estimators – to balance making sure there’s enough light, while also making sure a client isn’t paying for too many lights. Hopefully using the calculator was straightforward. Reach out with questions (before buying/building anything), if you’d like help! Good luck on your project!​​

-Steve Duncan, AIA​

Architect & Lighting Designer

Works Cited: Ripple Vibe

Duncan, Steve. “Why Is It Important to Do a Lighting Calculation?” Lighting Design Insights. [LightingJUMP.com, https://www.lightingjump.com/how-many-lights-cinematic-vibe]. 

The author emphasizes the necessity of conducting lighting calculations to ensure effective lighting design in various spaces. He cites the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA) and the International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD) for their established footcandle targets that help determine appropriate lighting levels. Duncan also mentions the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the Department of Energy’s publicly available footcandle targets, which he uses for residential projects. He shares a personal anecdote about the complications that arise from inadequate lighting, stressing the importance of precise calculations to avoid costly adjustments and excessive spending. The lighting estimator featured on his webpage is designed to assist clients in achieving optimal lighting without overspending.

REFERENCES

• Duncan, Steve. “Why Is It Important to Do a Lighting Calculation?” Lighting Design Insights.
• National Renewable Energy Laboratory. “Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) in Residential Lighting.” NREL/TP-53467. 2012. https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy12osti/53467.pdf.
• Illuminating Engineering Society. “Standards.” https://store.ies.org/individual-standards/?v=0b3b97fa6688.
• International Association of Lighting Designers. “About the IALD.” https://iald.org/IALD/IALD/About/About-the-IALD.aspx?hkey=104e951f-5da0-4cb8-8ca8-8cce8a7b4caf.

Introduction – Create a Twilight Lighting Design for Your Project

Create unforgettable designs for your clients. This guide breaks down how to create a twilight lighting design, through practical strategies for architects and interior designers. Let’s get started …

Table of Contents

• Twilight Vibe
• Twilight Lighting Layout
• What to Look For In a Quality Light
• Color Rendering Index
• Dimmer Compatibility
• Why Is It Important to Do A Lighting Calculation?
• Works Cited

Create a Feeling With Light: Twilight Lighting Design

VIBE: Surreal, calm, spiritual.

LIGHTING STRATEGY: In this scheme, the ceiling becomes a canvas for light, with a mixture of colored light mixing on the ceiling to hearken back to a sky. 

ROOM FINISHES: Walls and ceilings can be medium to bright tones, with matte finishes to create a soft/airy appearance. 

Creating a Twilight Lighting Design Layout

A few years back, I scored big-time (no, not like that), and was given the opportunity to be Project Architect for a Nature Preserve in Sonoma County.

There were acres and acres of mountains and hiking trails, and my team was tasked with designing a home for the scientists who would visit from time to time to do research in the tops of the mountains. As we were close to the end of construction, I woke up to a text message from the Site Superintendent. . .

It was dawn at the jobsite and he couldn’t resist sending me a photo of the home – glowing in the landscape through the fog, and in that moment it was all worth it. The countless hours and weekends and sacrifices had become a physical reality (even if I’d have to settle for a digital photo of it for the time being).

A few months later there was ribbon cutting and cheers all around, and as the day turned to night I got to experience the magical moment of twilight for myself. It was one of those days that you don’t forget because the feeling is indelible. Sometimes lighting can help us “snap out of it” and remember moments like this.

Time to snap out of it, and be intentional with your lighting design! What if that fleeting moment of twilight, didn’t have to be…. fleeting?

What to Look for in a Quality LED Light: Twilight Lighting Design

Regardless of the vibe you are going for, there are two things that can trip up designers when they are selecting LED lighting: ​

COLOR RENDERING INDEX (CRI)

If you only remember one thing from me, please remember that color rendering is EVERYTHING when it comes to lighting. If you love incandescent and halogen lights, but hate fluorescent, then color rendering is the reason.​

We always want to find lights that have a color rendering (CRI) of at least 90, so that we can bring out the true color of our room finishes and decor. Many LED lights have a color rendering of 80, and this score is actually worse than fluorescent (which has a score of 82). As you can see in the image below, the true color of the wood is brought out with the light on the right, which has a score of 90. The red tones of the wood come through and it feels warm. In contrast, the light on the left makes the wood look a bit greenish and yellow, because it has a poor color rendering score of 80.​

Trust me! It’s worth it to spend just a little bit more on lights to make sure that you’re getting LEDs with a score of 90 or higher, so that the people and finishes in your spaces feel vibrant and full of life. Make sure to pay attention to this when you find a light you like and you’re ready to hit that “order” button.

DIMMER COMPATIBILITY

Lastly, make sure that the LEDs you select are dimmable. This is something you need to check in the product cut sheet or through the web store that you are browsing. ​

Also, you’ll need to make sure that the dimmer you select will be compatible with the LED light fixture.  In the past, we could easily dim incandescent and halogen lighting with a simple rotary dimmer. This may or may not work for a new LED light fixture.  

You wouldn’t expect your television remote to be able to turn on your stereo system, would you? The same is true for LED dimmers. You have to make sure that the dimmer switch can actually communicate with the light fixture.  

There’s a variety of dimming protocols: it may be TRIAC, Electronic Low Voltage (ELV), 0-10 Volt, or DALI. So make sure to work with your electrician or a sales representative to make sure that the components of your lighting design are all compatible. 

Why it is Important to do a Lighting Calculation for a Twilight Lighting Design?

If you want to be confident in your lighting design, you have to do a lighting calculation. It’s as simple as that. ​

But how do we actually estimate how bright a room actually needs to be? Well, the footcandle targets for a room are set by the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA), and the International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD). This professional organization has studied and analyzed the functional requirements for each kind of space designed by architects. For residential projects, I like to refer back to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory & Department of Energy’s footcandle targets, since those are made freely available to the public. These are the targets I use for my own projects, and are the basis for the lighting estimator on this webpage. 

AVOIDING MISTAKES​

You don’t want to have too little light. It’s expensive for a contractor and electrician to come back after the fact to revise the lighting strategy and patch the walls/ceiling. This happened to an interior designer early in my career, and it wasn’t a fun situation. For me, it was the beginning of a great collaboration with this design professional, because we worked on many projects after that – but of course it would have been better if this interior designer hadn’t made that mistake to begin with. ​

Likewise, you also don’t want to be too bright, and overspend on lighting, just because you’re unsure what is needed and just hoping for the best (yikes!). 

This is fundamentally why I created lighting estimators – to balance making sure there’s enough light, while also making sure a client isn’t paying for too many lights. Hopefully using the calculator was straightforward. Reach out with questions (before buying/building anything), if you’d like help! Good luck on your project!​​

-Steve Duncan, AIA​

Architect & Lighting Designer

Works Cited – Twilight Lighting Design Vibe

Duncan, Steve. “Why Is It Important to Do a Lighting Calculation?” Lighting Design Insights. [LightingJUMP.com, https://www.lightingjump.com/how-many-lights-cinematic-vibe]. 

The author emphasizes the necessity of conducting lighting calculations to ensure effective lighting design in various spaces. He cites the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA) and the International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD) for their established footcandle targets that help determine appropriate lighting levels. Duncan also mentions the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the Department of Energy’s publicly available footcandle targets, which he uses for residential projects. He shares a personal anecdote about the complications that arise from inadequate lighting, stressing the importance of precise calculations to avoid costly adjustments and excessive spending. The lighting estimator featured on his webpage is designed to assist clients in achieving optimal lighting without overspending.

REFERENCES

International Association of Lighting Designers. “About the IALD.” https://iald.org/IALD/IALD/About/About-the-IALD.aspx?hkey=104e951f-5da0-4cb8-8ca8-8cce8a7b4caf.

Duncan, Steve. “Why Is It Important to Do a Lighting Calculation?” Lighting Design Insights.

National Renewable Energy Laboratory. “Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) in Residential Lighting.” NREL/TP-53467. 2012. https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy12osti/53467.pdf.

Illuminating Engineering Society. “Standards.” https://store.ies.org/individual-standards/?v=0b3b97fa6688.

Check out our blog for a variety of similar articles, or get started with our post below:

Grounded Lighting Design: How To Light Your Space

Introduction – Create a Grounded Feeling With Your Lighting Design

Create unforgettable designs for your clients. This guide breaks down how to create a grounded lighting design for our project, through practical strategies for architects and interior designers. Let’s get started …

Table of Contents

• Grounded Vibe
• Grounded Lighting Layout
• What to Look For In a Quality Light
• Color Rendering Index
• Dimmer Compatibility
• Why Is It Important to Do A Lighting Calculation?
• Works Cited

Create a Feeling With Light: Grounded Lighting Design

VIBE: Steady, relaxed, protected.

LIGHTING STRATEGY: Graze one of the walls with a bright light recessed into the ceiling. 

ROOM FINISHES: Walls, ceilings, and floors should medium to dark tones, with finishes that are textured or matte. 

Creating a Grounded Lighting Design Layout

I spent some of my teenage years living in St. George, Utah, a short drive from Zion National Park and Snow Canyon State park.

Needless to say I have a (un?)healthy obsession with slot canyons and the mesmerizing quality of the light in these cathedrals. It’s almost like Nature is a temple and hiking is actually a spiritual experience.

These are the kinds of grounded spaces that architects should aspire to create, where we’re just left in awe and reflection. It’s such a strong concept and I had to decode how to recreate this light quality.

I’ve designed dozens of homes in my career, but I still have this itch to go back to southern Utah and build a home inspired by this landscape of the Southwest.

What to Look for in a Quality LED Light: Grounded Lighting Design

Regardless of the vibe you are going for, there are two things that can trip up designers when they are selecting LED lighting: ​

COLOR RENDERING INDEX (CRI)

If you only remember one thing from me, please remember that color rendering is EVERYTHING when it comes to lighting. If you love incandescent and halogen lights, but hate fluorescent, then color rendering is the reason.​

We always want to find lights that have a color rendering (CRI) of at least 90, so that we can bring out the true color of our room finishes and decor. Many LED lights have a color rendering of 80, and this score is actually worse than fluorescent (which has a score of 82). As you can see in the image below, the true color of the wood is brought out with the light on the right, which has a score of 90. The red tones of the wood come through and it feels warm. In contrast, the light on the left makes the wood look a bit greenish and yellow, because it has a poor color rendering score of 80.​

Trust me! It’s worth it to spend just a little bit more on lights to make sure that you’re getting LEDs with a score of 90 or higher, so that the people and finishes in your spaces feel vibrant and full of life. Make sure to pay attention to this when you find a light you like and you’re ready to hit that “order” button.

DIMMER COMPATIBILITY

Lastly, make sure that the LEDs you select are dimmable. This is something you need to check in the product cut sheet or through the web store that you are browsing. ​

Also, you’ll need to make sure that the dimmer you select will be compatible with the LED light fixture.  In the past, we could easily dim incandescent and halogen lighting with a simple rotary dimmer. This may or may not work for a new LED light fixture.  

You wouldn’t expect your television remote to be able to turn on your stereo system, would you? The same is true for LED dimmers. You have to make sure that the dimmer switch can actually communicate with the light fixture.  

There’s a variety of dimming protocols: it may be TRIAC, Electronic Low Voltage (ELV), 0-10 Volt, or DALI. So make sure to work with your electrician or a sales representative to make sure that the components of your lighting design are all compatible. 

Why it is Important to do a Lighting Calculation for a Grounded Lighting Design?

If you want to be confident in your lighting design, you have to do a lighting calculation. It’s as simple as that. ​

But how do we actually estimate how bright a room actually needs to be? Well, the footcandle targets for a room are set by the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA), and the International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD). This professional organization has studied and analyzed the functional requirements for each kind of space designed by architects. For residential projects, I like to refer back to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory & Department of Energy’s footcandle targets, since those are made freely available to the public. These are the targets I use for my own projects, and are the basis for the lighting estimator on this webpage. ​

AVOIDING MISTAKES

You don’t want to have too little light. It’s expensive for a contractor and electrician to come back after the fact to revise the lighting strategy and patch the walls/ceiling. This happened to an interior designer early in my career, and it wasn’t a fun situation. For me, it was the beginning of a great collaboration with this design professional, because we worked on many projects after that – but of course it would have been better if this interior designer hadn’t made that mistake to begin with. ​

Likewise, you also don’t want to be too bright, and overspend on lighting, just because you’re unsure what is needed and just hoping for the best (yikes!). 

This is fundamentally why I created lighting estimators – to balance making sure there’s enough light, while also making sure a client isn’t paying for too many lights. Hopefully using the calculator was straightforward. Reach out with questions (before buying/building anything), if you’d like help! Good luck on your project!​​

-Steve Duncan, AIA​

Architect & Lighting Designer

Works Cited – Grounded Lighting Design

Duncan, Steve. “Why Is It Important to Do a Lighting Calculation?” Lighting Design Insights. [LightingJUMP.com, https://www.lightingjump.com/how-many-lights-cinematic-vibe]. 

The author emphasizes the necessity of conducting lighting calculations to ensure effective lighting design in various spaces. He cites the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA) and the International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD) for their established footcandle targets that help determine appropriate lighting levels. Duncan also mentions the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the Department of Energy’s publicly available footcandle targets, which he uses for residential projects. He shares a personal anecdote about the complications that arise from inadequate lighting, stressing the importance of precise calculations to avoid costly adjustments and excessive spending. The lighting estimator featured on his webpage is designed to assist clients in achieving optimal lighting without overspending.

REFERENCES

International Association of Lighting Designers. “About the IALD.” https://iald.org/IALD/IALD/About/About-the-IALD.aspx?hkey=104e951f-5da0-4cb8-8ca8-8cce8a7b4caf.

Duncan, Steve. “Why Is It Important to Do a Lighting Calculation?” Lighting Design Insights.

National Renewable Energy Laboratory. “Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) in Residential Lighting.” NREL/TP-53467. 2012. https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy12osti/53467.pdf.

Illuminating Engineering Society. “Standards.” https://store.ies.org/individual-standards/?v=0b3b97fa6688.

Introduction – Create a Golden Hour Feeling With Your Lighting Design

Create unforgettable designs for your clients. This guide breaks down how to create a golden hour lighting design, through practical strategies for architects and interior designers. Let’s get started …

Table of Contents

• Golden Hour Vibe
• Golden Hour Lighting Layout
• Golden Hour Lighting Calculation
• Golden Hour Lighting: Project Example
• What to Look For In a Quality Light
• Color Rendering Index
• Dimmer Compatibility
• Why Is It Important to Do A Lighting Calculation?
• Works Cited

Create a Feeling With Light: Golden Hour Vibe

VIBE: Social, exciting, active.

LIGHTING STRATEGY: Most of the light should be directed up at the ceiling, to create a mix of color like the sky. This can be complimented with adjustable task lighting to create long shadows to mimic golden hour lighting. 

ROOM FINISHES: Walls and ceilings should be bright tones. Ceiling must have a Level 5 matte finish. 

Creating a Golden Hour Lighting Layout

Golden Hour… what if we could recreate that vibe in our designs? Growing up, I always dreamed of visiting California (which is apparently an unpopular opinion now??). I distinctly remember finally arriving at the ocean, and then walking down the boardwalk in Santa Cruz.

In that moment I decided I would one day live in California and that these pristine sunsets would be a regular part of my life. After a stint living in Seattle, my love (obsession?) for sunshine reached it’s peak.

Well I’ve been here in California for ten years now, and I never get tired of golden hour in the golden state. If I could bottle it up and take it with me back to Seattle, I would.

In the meantime, let’s design our buildings to feel more inspired by the (outside) world around us, you know … like a walk along the Santa Cruz Boardwalk. Hope this helps….

How Many Lights for a Golden Hour Lighting Design?

To figure out how much illumination is needed for the whole room, we can do a quick calculation. It only takes a couple minutes. First follow the link to our golden hour lighting estimator here.

Example Golden Hour Lighting Calculation

Golden Hour Lighting Project Example

What to Look for in a Quality Golden Hour LED Light

Regardless of the vibe you are going for, there are two things that can trip up designers when they are selecting LED lighting: ​

COLOR RENDERING INDEX (CRI)

If you only remember one thing from me, please remember that color rendering is EVERYTHING when it comes to lighting. If you love incandescent and halogen lights, but hate fluorescent, then color rendering is the reason.​

We always want to find lights that have a color rendering (CRI) of at least 90, so that we can bring out the true color of our room finishes and decor. Many LED lights have a color rendering of 80, and this score is actually worse than fluorescent (which has a score of 82). As you can see in the image below, the true color of the wood is brought out with the light on the right, which has a score of 90. The red tones of the wood come through and it feels warm. In contrast, the light on the left makes the wood look a bit greenish and yellow, because it has a poor color rendering score of 80.​

Trust me! It’s worth it to spend just a little bit more on lights to make sure that you’re getting LEDs with a score of 90 or higher, so that the people and finishes in your spaces feel vibrant and full of life. Make sure to pay attention to this when you find a light you like and you’re ready to hit that “order” button.

DIMMER COMPATIBILITY

Lastly, make sure that the LEDs you select are dimmable. This is something you need to check in the product cut sheet or through the web store that you are browsing. ​

Also, you’ll need to make sure that the dimmer you select will be compatible with the LED light fixture.  In the past, we could easily dim incandescent and halogen lighting with a simple rotary dimmer. This may or may not work for a new LED light fixture.  

You wouldn’t expect your television remote to be able to turn on your stereo system, would you? The same is true for LED dimmers. You have to make sure that the dimmer switch can actually communicate with the light fixture.  

There’s a variety of dimming protocols: it may be TRIAC, Electronic Low Voltage (ELV), 0-10 Volt, or DALI. So make sure to work with your electrician or a sales representative to make sure that the components of your lighting design are all compatible. 

Why it is Important to do a Lighting Calculation for a Golden Hour Vibe?

If you want to be confident in your lighting design, you have to do a lighting calculation. It’s as simple as that. ​

But how do we actually estimate how bright a room actually needs to be? Well, the footcandle targets for a room are set by the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA), and the International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD). This professional organization has studied and analyzed the functional requirements for each kind of space designed by architects. For residential projects, I like to refer back to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory & Department of Energy’s footcandle targets, since those are made freely available to the public. These are the targets I use for my own projects, and are the basis for the lighting estimator on this webpage. ​

You don’t want to have too little light. It’s expensive for a contractor and electrician to come back after the fact to revise the lighting strategy and patch the walls/ceiling. This happened to an interior designer early in my career, and it wasn’t a fun situation. For me, it was the beginning of a great collaboration with this design professional, because we worked on many projects after that – but of course it would have been better if this interior designer hadn’t made that mistake to begin with. ​

Likewise, you also don’t want to be too bright, and overspend on lighting, just because you’re unsure what is needed and just hoping for the best (yikes!). 

This is fundamentally why I created lighting estimators – to balance making sure there’s enough light, while also making sure a client isn’t paying for too many lights. Hopefully using the calculator was straightforward. Reach out with questions (before buying/building anything), if you’d like help! Good luck on your project!​​

-Steve Duncan, AIA​

Architect & Lighting Designer

Works Cited: Golden Hour

Duncan, Steve. “Why Is It Important to Do a Lighting Calculation?” Lighting Design Insights. [LightingJUMP.com, https://www.lightingjump.com/how-many-lights-cinematic-vibe]. 

The author emphasizes the necessity of conducting lighting calculations to ensure effective lighting design in various spaces. He cites the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA) and the International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD) for their established footcandle targets that help determine appropriate lighting levels. Duncan also mentions the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the Department of Energy’s publicly available footcandle targets, which he uses for residential projects. He shares a personal anecdote about the complications that arise from inadequate lighting, stressing the importance of precise calculations to avoid costly adjustments and excessive spending. The lighting estimator featured on his webpage is designed to assist clients in achieving optimal lighting without overspending.

REFERENCES

International Association of Lighting Designers. “About the IALD.” https://iald.org/IALD/IALD/About/About-the-IALD.aspx?hkey=104e951f-5da0-4cb8-8ca8-8cce8a7b4caf.

Duncan, Steve. “Why Is It Important to Do a Lighting Calculation?” Lighting Design Insights.

National Renewable Energy Laboratory. “Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) in Residential Lighting.” NREL/TP-53467. 2012. https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy12osti/53467.pdf.

Illuminating Engineering Society. “Standards.” https://store.ies.org/individual-standards/?v=0b3b97fa6688.

Introduction – Create a Forest Lighting Vibe With Your Lighting Design

Create unforgettable designs for your clients. This guide breaks down how to create a forest lighting design for your project, through practical strategies for architects and interior designers. Let’s get started …

Table of Contents

• Forest Vibe
• Forest Lighting Layout
• Forest Lighting Calculation
• Forest Lighting Project Example
• What to Look For In a Quality Light
• Color Rendering Index
• Dimmer Compatibility
• Why Is It Important to Do A Lighting Calculation?
• Works Cited

Create a Feeling With Light: Forest Lighting

VIBE: Dappled, natural, connected.

LIGHTING STRATEGY: This scheme requires a balance of accent light and uplight, to create pockets of bright and dark at the ceiling and floor. Pendants with a patterned shade can also be used to create an organic pattern of bright light and dark shadow.. 

ROOM FINISHES: Medium tones are recommended, and wood treated with a semi-opaque stain (avoid glossy finishes). 

Creating a Forest Lighting Layout

It was a once in a lifetime design opportunity… I’d been tasked with designing a new home, nestled into the woods, on an island just outside Seattle.

The property was sublime. I felt like I was on a camping trip, detached from reality, in tune with nature. There were so many sources of inspiration, but it was only after we went on a hike in the woods nearby that it all clicked for me.

Mist was coming up off of the ground, and streaks of dappled light streamed through the canopy of the trees, and in that moment I knew we wanted to recreate that feeling with the architecture. There’s a reason that people want to escape back to nature.

Architecture should be there to keep us safe and protected, while still reminding us that nature isn’t “out there”, it’s IN HERE.

How Many Lights for a Forest Lighting Design?

To figure out how much illumination is needed for the whole room, we can do a quick calculation. It only takes a couple minutes. First follow the link to our forest lighting estimator here.

Example Forest Lighting Calculation

Forest Lighting Vibe – Project Example

PALO ALTO MEDICAL FOUNDATION | SAN CARLOS

Architect: NBBJ | Lighting Designer: Jesse Prince & Steve Duncan

AMAZON SPHERES PLAZA | SEATTLE

Architect: NBBJ | Lighting Designer: Jesse Prince & Steve Duncan

What to Look for in a Quality LED Light: Forest Vibe

Regardless of the vibe you are going for, there are two things that can trip up designers when they are selecting LED lighting: ​

COLOR RENDERING INDEX (CRI)

If you only remember one thing from me, please remember that color rendering is EVERYTHING when it comes to lighting. If you love incandescent and halogen lights, but hate fluorescent, then color rendering is the reason.​

We always want to find lights that have a color rendering (CRI) of at least 90, so that we can bring out the true color of our room finishes and decor. Many LED lights have a color rendering of 80, and this score is actually worse than fluorescent (which has a score of 82). As you can see in the image below, the true color of the wood is brought out with the light on the right, which has a score of 90. The red tones of the wood come through and it feels warm. In contrast, the light on the left makes the wood look a bit greenish and yellow, because it has a poor color rendering score of 80.​

Trust me! It’s worth it to spend just a little bit more on lights to make sure that you’re getting LEDs with a score of 90 or higher, so that the people and finishes in your spaces feel vibrant and full of life. Make sure to pay attention to this when you find a light you like and you’re ready to hit that “order” button.

DIMMER COMPATIBILITY

Lastly, make sure that the LEDs you select are dimmable. This is something you need to check in the product cut sheet or through the web store that you are browsing. ​

Also, you’ll need to make sure that the dimmer you select will be compatible with the LED light fixture.  In the past, we could easily dim incandescent and halogen lighting with a simple rotary dimmer. This may or may not work for a new LED light fixture.  

You wouldn’t expect your television remote to be able to turn on your stereo system, would you? The same is true for LED dimmers. You have to make sure that the dimmer switch can actually communicate with the light fixture.  

There’s a variety of dimming protocols: it may be TRIAC, Electronic Low Voltage (ELV), 0-10 Volt, or DALI. So make sure to work with your electrician or a sales representative to make sure that the components of your lighting design are all compatible. 

Why it is Important to do a Calculation for a Forest Lighting Vibe?

If you want to be confident in your lighting design, you have to do a lighting calculation. It’s as simple as that. ​

But how do we actually estimate how bright a room actually needs to be? Well, the footcandle targets for a room are set by the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA), and the International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD). This professional organization has studied and analyzed the functional requirements for each kind of space designed by architects. For residential projects, I like to refer back to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory & Department of Energy’s footcandle targets, since those are made freely available to the public. These are the targets I use for my own projects, and are the basis for the lighting estimator on this webpage. ​

You don’t want to have too little light. It’s expensive for a contractor and electrician to come back after the fact to revise the lighting strategy and patch the walls/ceiling. This happened to an interior designer early in my career, and it wasn’t a fun situation. For me, it was the beginning of a great collaboration with this design professional, because we worked on many projects after that – but of course it would have been better if this interior designer hadn’t made that mistake to begin with. ​

Likewise, you also don’t want to be too bright, and overspend on lighting, just because you’re unsure what is needed and just hoping for the best (yikes!). 

This is fundamentally why I created lighting estimators – to balance making sure there’s enough light, while also making sure a client isn’t paying for too many lights. Hopefully using the calculator was straightforward. Reach out with questions (before buying/building anything), if you’d like help! Good luck on your project!​​

-Steve Duncan, AIA​

Architect & Lighting Designer

Works Cited: Forest Vibe

Duncan, Steve. “Why Is It Important to Do a Lighting Calculation?” Lighting Design Insights. [LightingJUMP.com, https://www.lightingjump.com/how-many-lights-cinematic-vibe]. 

The author emphasizes the necessity of conducting lighting calculations to ensure effective lighting design in various spaces. He cites the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA) and the International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD) for their established footcandle targets that help determine appropriate lighting levels. Duncan also mentions the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the Department of Energy’s publicly available footcandle targets, which he uses for residential projects. He shares a personal anecdote about the complications that arise from inadequate lighting, stressing the importance of precise calculations to avoid costly adjustments and excessive spending. The lighting estimator featured on his webpage is designed to assist clients in achieving optimal lighting without overspending.

REFERENCES

International Association of Lighting Designers. “About the IALD.” https://iald.org/IALD/IALD/About/About-the-IALD.aspx?hkey=104e951f-5da0-4cb8-8ca8-8cce8a7b4caf.

Duncan, Steve. “Why Is It Important to Do a Lighting Calculation?” Lighting Design Insights.

National Renewable Energy Laboratory. “Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) in Residential Lighting.” NREL/TP-53467. 2012. https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy12osti/53467.pdf.

Illuminating Engineering Society. “Standards.” https://store.ies.org/individual-standards/?v=0b3b97fa6688.

Introduction – Create a Builder Grade Vibe With Your Lighting Design

Create unforgettable designs for your clients. This guide breaks down how to create a builder grade lighting design for your project, through practical strategies for architects and interior designers. Let’s get started …

Table of Contents

• Builder Grade Vibe
• Builder Grade Lighting Layout
• Builder Grade Lighting Calculation
• Builder Grade Lighting Project Examples
• What to Look For In a Quality Light
• Color Rendering Index
• Dimmer Compatibility
• Why Is It Important to Do A Lighting Calculation?
• Works Cited

Create a Feeling With Light: Builder Grade Vibe

VIBE: Pragmatic, economical, quickship.

LIGHTING STRATEGY: Create a uniform grid of downlights to evenly light living areas. 

ROOM FINISHES: Walls and ceilings should be bright tones. Floor should be medium to bright tones. Matte and semi-gloss finishes are recommended. 

Creating a Builder Grade Lighting Layout

Leading with value… Every project I work on has “builder grade” elements to it, and that is what allows us to reallocate more budget to high impact areas like entertaining spaces and the primary bedroom suite, or reallocate money toward high end finishes and furniture instead. Not every space needs to have premium lighting, and that’s OK!

How Many Lights for a Builder Grade Lighting Design?

To figure out how much illumination is needed for the whole room, we can do a quick calculation. It only takes a couple minutes. First follow the link to our builder grade lighting estimator here.

Example Builder Grade Lighting Calculation

Builder Grade Lighting: Project Examples

COLUMBIA CITY ABBEY

Architect: Allied8 | Lighting Designer: Steve Duncan

ALKI ROWHOUSES

Architect: Allied8 | Lighting Designer: Steve Duncan

What to Look for in a Quality LED Light: Builder Grade Vibe

Regardless of the vibe you are going for, there are two things that can trip up designers when they are selecting LED lighting: ​

COLOR RENDERING INDEX (CRI)

If you only remember one thing from me, please remember that color rendering is EVERYTHING when it comes to lighting. If you love incandescent and halogen lights, but hate fluorescent, then color rendering is the reason.​

We always want to find lights that have a color rendering (CRI) of at least 90, so that we can bring out the true color of our room finishes and decor. Many LED lights have a color rendering of 80, and this score is actually worse than fluorescent (which has a score of 82). As you can see in the image below, the true color of the wood is brought out with the light on the right, which has a score of 90. The red tones of the wood come through and it feels warm. In contrast, the light on the left makes the wood look a bit greenish and yellow, because it has a poor color rendering score of 80.​

Trust me! It’s worth it to spend just a little bit more on lights to make sure that you’re getting LEDs with a score of 90 or higher, so that the people and finishes in your spaces feel vibrant and full of life. Make sure to pay attention to this when you find a light you like and you’re ready to hit that “order” button.

DIMMER COMPATIBILITY

Lastly, make sure that the LEDs you select are dimmable. This is something you need to check in the product cut sheet or through the web store that you are browsing. ​

Also, you’ll need to make sure that the dimmer you select will be compatible with the LED light fixture.  In the past, we could easily dim incandescent and halogen lighting with a simple rotary dimmer. This may or may not work for a new LED light fixture.  

You wouldn’t expect your television remote to be able to turn on your stereo system, would you? The same is true for LED dimmers. You have to make sure that the dimmer switch can actually communicate with the light fixture.  

There’s a variety of dimming protocols: it may be TRIAC, Electronic Low Voltage (ELV), 0-10 Volt, or DALI. So make sure to work with your electrician or a sales representative to make sure that the components of your lighting design are all compatible. 

Why it is Important to do a Lighting Calculation for a Builder Grade Vibe?

If you want to be confident in your lighting design, you have to do a lighting calculation. It’s as simple as that. ​

But how do we actually estimate how bright a room actually needs to be? Well, the footcandle targets for a room are set by the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA), and the International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD). This professional organization has studied and analyzed the functional requirements for each kind of space designed by architects. For residential projects, I like to refer back to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory & Department of Energy’s footcandle targets, since those are made freely available to the public. These are the targets I use for my own projects, and are the basis for the lighting estimator on this webpage. ​

You don’t want to have too little light. It’s expensive for a contractor and electrician to come back after the fact to revise the lighting strategy and patch the walls/ceiling. This happened to an interior designer early in my career, and it wasn’t a fun situation. For me, it was the beginning of a great collaboration with this design professional, because we worked on many projects after that – but of course it would have been better if this interior designer hadn’t made that mistake to begin with. ​

Likewise, you also don’t want to be too bright, and overspend on lighting, just because you’re unsure what is needed and just hoping for the best (yikes!). 

This is fundamentally why I created lighting estimators – to balance making sure there’s enough light, while also making sure a client isn’t paying for too many lights. Hopefully using the calculator was straightforward. Reach out with questions (before buying/building anything), if you’d like help! Good luck on your project!​​

-Steve Duncan, AIA​

Architect & Lighting Designer

Works Cited: Builder Grade Vibe

Duncan, Steve. “Why Is It Important to Do a Lighting Calculation?” Lighting Design Insights. [LightingJUMP.com, https://www.lightingjump.com/how-many-lights-cinematic-vibe]. 

The author emphasizes the necessity of conducting lighting calculations to ensure effective lighting design in various spaces. He cites the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA) and the International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD) for their established footcandle targets that help determine appropriate lighting levels. Duncan also mentions the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the Department of Energy’s publicly available footcandle targets, which he uses for residential projects. He shares a personal anecdote about the complications that arise from inadequate lighting, stressing the importance of precise calculations to avoid costly adjustments and excessive spending. The lighting estimator featured on his webpage is designed to assist clients in achieving optimal lighting without overspending.

REFERENCES

International Association of Lighting Designers. “About the IALD.” https://iald.org/IALD/IALD/About/About-the-IALD.aspx?hkey=104e951f-5da0-4cb8-8ca8-8cce8a7b4caf.

Duncan, Steve. “Why Is It Important to Do a Lighting Calculation?” Lighting Design Insights.

National Renewable Energy Laboratory. “Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) in Residential Lighting.” NREL/TP-53467. 2012. https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy12osti/53467.pdf.

Illuminating Engineering Society. “Standards.” https://store.ies.org/individual-standards/?v=0b3b97fa6688.

Introduction – Create a Mysterious Feeling With Your Lighting Designs

Create unforgettable designs for your clients. This guide breaks down how to create a mysterious lighting vibe, through practical strategies for architects and interior designers. Let’s get started …

Table of Contents

• Mysterious Vibe
• Mysterious Lighting Layout
• Mysterious Lighting Calculation
• Mysterious Lighting – Project Example
• What to Look For In a Quality Light
• Color Rendering Index
• Dimmer Compatibility
• Why Is It Important to Do A Lighting Calculation?
• Works Cited

Create a Feeling With Light: Mysterious Lighting

VIBE: Captivating, artistic, subdued.

LIGHTING STRATEGY: Most of the light in this room needs to be directed at one wall of the room. 

ROOM FINISHES: Walls and ceilings should be medium to dark tones. A mixture of matte and glossy finishes is recommend to create texture and visual interest. 

Creating a Mysterious Lighting Layout

You know how your heart kind of skips a beat if you’re checking someone out and then they catch you? Yeah, this lighting vibe has nothing to do with that. Well, maybe a little bit.

There’s something about that moment when you meet someone new. Maybe it’s at a bar or a coffee shop, and you just know that there’s something there and this could be the beginning of the next chapter of your life.

Today’s lighting vibe is a step toward bottling up that excitement and mystery. The key to executing a mysterious vibe, is to all of the lighting downward, with most of the lighting directed at one wall of the room.

This creates soft reflected light across most of a person’s face, as well as the furniture in the room. This also leaves some areas which are slightly darker, with some shadows for depth and visual interest.

How Many Lights for a Mysterious Lighting Design?

To figure out how much illumination is needed for the whole room, we can do a quick calculation. It only takes a couple minutes. First follow the link to our mysterious lighting estimator here.

Example Mysterious Lighting Calculation

Mysterious Lighting Project Example

PEPPERWOOD PRESERVE

Architect: Mithun | Lighting Designer: Steve Duncan

AMAZON SPHERES PLAZA

Architect: NBBJ | Lighting Designer: Jesse Prince & Steve Duncan while at NBBJ

AMAZON SPHERES PLAZA

Architect: NBBJ | Lighting Designer: Jesse Prince & Steve Duncan while at NBBJ

What to Look for in a Quality LED Light: Mysterious Vibe

Regardless of the vibe you are going for, there are two things that can trip up designers when they are selecting LED lighting: ​

COLOR RENDERING INDEX (CRI)

If you only remember one thing from me, please remember that color rendering is EVERYTHING when it comes to lighting. If you love incandescent and halogen lights, but hate fluorescent, then color rendering is the reason.​

We always want to find lights that have a color rendering (CRI) of at least 90, so that we can bring out the true color of our room finishes and decor. Many LED lights have a color rendering of 80, and this score is actually worse than fluorescent (which has a score of 82). As you can see in the image below, the true color of the wood is brought out with the light on the right, which has a score of 90. The red tones of the wood come through and it feels warm. In contrast, the light on the left makes the wood look a bit greenish and yellow, because it has a poor color rendering score of 80.​

Trust me! It’s worth it to spend just a little bit more on lights to make sure that you’re getting LEDs with a score of 90 or higher, so that the people and finishes in your spaces feel vibrant and full of life. Make sure to pay attention to this when you find a light you like and you’re ready to hit that “order” button.

DIMMER COMPATIBILITY

Lastly, make sure that the LEDs you select are dimmable. This is something you need to check in the product cut sheet or through the web store that you are browsing. ​

Also, you’ll need to make sure that the dimmer you select will be compatible with the LED light fixture.  In the past, we could easily dim incandescent and halogen lighting with a simple rotary dimmer. This may or may not work for a new LED light fixture.  

You wouldn’t expect your television remote to be able to turn on your stereo system, would you? The same is true for LED dimmers. You have to make sure that the dimmer switch can actually communicate with the light fixture.  

There’s a variety of dimming protocols: it may be TRIAC, Electronic Low Voltage (ELV), 0-10 Volt, or DALI. So make sure to work with your electrician or a sales representative to make sure that the components of your lighting design are all compatible. 

Why it is Important to do a Lighting Calculation for a Mysterious Vibe?

If you want to be confident in your lighting design, you have to do a lighting calculation. It’s as simple as that. ​

But how do we actually estimate how bright a room actually needs to be? Well, the footcandle targets for a room are set by the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA), and the International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD). This professional organization has studied and analyzed the functional requirements for each kind of space designed by architects. For residential projects, I like to refer back to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory & Department of Energy’s footcandle targets, since those are made freely available to the public. These are the targets I use for my own projects, and are the basis for the lighting estimator on this webpage. ​

You don’t want to have too little light. It’s expensive for a contractor and electrician to come back after the fact to revise the lighting strategy and patch the walls/ceiling. This happened to an interior designer early in my career, and it wasn’t a fun situation. For me, it was the beginning of a great collaboration with this design professional, because we worked on many projects after that – but of course it would have been better if this interior designer hadn’t made that mistake to begin with. ​

Likewise, you also don’t want to be too bright, and overspend on lighting, just because you’re unsure what is needed and just hoping for the best (yikes!). 

This is fundamentally why I created lighting estimators – to balance making sure there’s enough light, while also making sure a client isn’t paying for too many lights. Hopefully using the calculator was straightforward. Reach out with questions (before buying/building anything), if you’d like help! Good luck on your project!​​

-Steve Duncan, AIA​

Architect & Lighting Designer

Works Cited – Mysterious Vibe

Duncan, Steve. “Why Is It Important to Do a Lighting Calculation?” Lighting Design Insights. [LightingJUMP.com, https://www.lightingjump.com/how-many-lights-cinematic-vibe]. 

The author emphasizes the necessity of conducting lighting calculations to ensure effective lighting design in various spaces. He cites the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA) and the International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD) for their established footcandle targets that help determine appropriate lighting levels. Duncan also mentions the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the Department of Energy’s publicly available footcandle targets, which he uses for residential projects. He shares a personal anecdote about the complications that arise from inadequate lighting, stressing the importance of precise calculations to avoid costly adjustments and excessive spending. The lighting estimator featured on his webpage is designed to assist clients in achieving optimal lighting without overspending.

REFERENCES

International Association of Lighting Designers. “About the IALD.” https://iald.org/IALD/IALD/About/About-the-IALD.aspx?hkey=104e951f-5da0-4cb8-8ca8-8cce8a7b4caf.

Duncan, Steve. “Why Is It Important to Do a Lighting Calculation?” Lighting Design Insights.

National Renewable Energy Laboratory. “Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) in Residential Lighting.” NREL/TP-53467. 2012. https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy12osti/53467.pdf.

Illuminating Engineering Society. “Standards.” https://store.ies.org/individual-standards/?v=0b3b97fa6688.