Lighting is the fundamental element of living spaces. It can be used to enhance the architecture and compliment the interior design of luxury homes. Quality lighting is an important aspect of our daily life and is often taken for granted. Good lighting design is not something that just happens and should be given as much attention as any other aspect of the home.

The provision for lighting, its wiring and controls should be planned as early in any development as the core structure or any key architectural features. Smart wireless lighting systems eliminate the need for rewiring the property and re-decoration.

Smart lighting is a system which offers the ability to regulate the level and quality of light in a given space for a specific task or situation – working, relaxing or entertaining. Controlling light properly not only enhances the experience, but it also helps save energy by using the light when and where it is most needed.

Some basic considerations when first planning the lighting design include where people will sit in the room, what the room will be used for, other sources of light that will be present and what will the purpose of the light be.

Ambient Lighting

 Ambient lighting provides general illumination throughout the home where task lighting (such as kitchen downlights, reading lights, bathroom mirrors, and vanity units) will provide more specific activities that require more light being directed in a targeted direction.

Accent Lighting

 Accent lighting is used to draw attention to architectural or interior features to enhance the environment.

Smart Lighting Control

Lighting control is the future of smart lighting. Controlling light effectively not only enhances the experience, it helps to save energy by using the light when and where it is needed most. While there are many ways to reduce energy use, most involve sacrificing something; few actually enrich the quality of living and working environments like intelligent light controls. Being able to adjust light levels for ambiance, task, or accent are all options afforded by intelligent controls.

Wall mounted controls can be programmed and personalized to recall favorite settings and effortlessly transform the light that surrounds you. All the main manufacturers of lighting control systems along with wall mounted controls have developed their own advanced software which allows your home lighting to be managed by iPhone, iPad and Android devices. You can set your own scenes, whether it be relaxing, reading, or partying.

We all know you can save energy by turning lights off when they are not required. But sometimes we forget or do not notice that we have left them on. Automated systems can incorporate daylight and occupancy sensors, programmed to turn on lights according to changes in light or the time of day, without any input from the user, and automatically turn them off, preventing energy waste.