Tastefully and artistically done landscape lighting. image source
Lighting designers play an important role in interior and exterior building design. Lighting that is properly designed will:
- Enhance the color, beauty and décor of your home
- Convert dark spaces such as the attic or basement into usable space
- Make your kitchen or home office comfortable to work in,
- Create the illusion of space in small rooms
- Add a touch of magic and luxury to your landscape and garden
Lighting designers create a lighting concept that is suited for the specific building, landscape and needs of the individuals inhabiting the space. Additionally, they have to look at the long-term cost implications for the home owner; it’s their job to recommend lighting solutions that are energy efficient, high quality and long lasting.
To ensure you end up with lighting that is not just beautiful but functional, you need to avoid these hiring mistakes:
Hiring people without credentials or lighting design and ‘Reflective Properties’ experience
The biggest mistake you could ever make is to hire someone who is not trained in architectural lighting design. Though electricians might understand some fundamentals of lighting design, they are not experts in the field. Electrical work and lighting design are two separate fields and each requires different skill sets and experience.
A combination of skills, such as a lighting designer who has additional electrical training could however be an advantage. For instance, in house remodeling projects, there’s bound to be wiring limitations and someone with electrical training will know how to circumvent these challenges.
Additionally, ensure the training and experience of the person you are hiring is relevant to your specific project. If your project is outdoors, hire someone who specializes in landscape lighting design. This is because outdoor and indoor lighting both have different elements to deal with and it takes years to learn how to handle these elements. A specialist will also know the specifics of the regulations that govern your type of project. Design Lighting by Marks is experienced in outdoor & indoor lighting, and generator installation to keep your home safe and well-lit.
Hiring a lighting designer without artistic ability
Lighting design is not just about placing lights around the house, nor is it just an electrical job. It is an art. Even if someone is qualified on paper, they might lack the artistic flair required to do your job. You can only tell how artistic a designer is by looking at a portfolio of their completed projects.
A lighting designer with an artistic knack has the ability to recommend different options that will work for your floor plan. An artistic designer is also able to use lighting to enhance mood, tone, create shadows or eliminate them. If your designer lacks artistic qualities, you will end up with lighting that gives you all sort of problems.
Design Lighting by Marks has coined the phrase ‘reflective’ lighting. This is lighting that creates an atmosphere and safe lit pathways by using the art of reflecting the light from natural foliage or home’s alcoves.
Hiring just because the lighting designer’s charges are inexpensive
It’s very important to cut costs but hiring the cheapest people on the market is not the way to do it. If you hire a lighting designer based on price alone, you could end up paying more in the long run. To make the right choice, assess the quoted price objectively to determine the value you’re getting for it in the long run.
A lot of electricians or lighting companies will tell you that they are cutting costs by using ‘low-voltage’ lights. All fixtures on the marketing today are required to pass the ‘Energy Efficient’ requirements. So, don’t get bamboozled into thinking one lighting business has fixtures saving you an exorbitant amount of money. They are not being honest. At Design Lighting by Marks, we guarantee that your system will be energy efficient if installed by us.
Conclusion: Avoid making the above mistakes
As you can see, hiring the right person for a lighting design job is important if you want to enjoy both functionality, safety of a well-lit property and beauty. Check that the company has many great reviews, than have them come in and listen to their reasoning in terms of the investment. You then should be able to make an educated decision that will leave you satisfied.
I hope this blog was helpful. Please call us in for your 20-minute consultation including an estimate of your project. DesignlightingbyMarks.com
914.747.7777 | 203.967.4777
