FAQs
Q. Will the notes from my consultation be enough for my electrician to know what’s needed and finish the job?
A. It depends on the complexity of the project. If your electrician has experience with architectural lighting design, a simple design should not be a problem, although you will need to choose the light fittings yourself (and we give you lots of help and advice on how to do that during the consultation). However, you may run into some difficulties with a more complex design, putting extra pressure and time requirements on your trades.
Most electricians and builders are happiest to receive clear, concise documentation and detailed plans which means they can focus on their trade, doing what they do best.
Q. I don’t need anything special designed in my garage, why are you including it in the size calculation for my home?
A. We always include the garage and alfresco area in the size calculation for a project. This is because we quote a fixed fee for the entire project and don’t cost out room by room. Yes, the garage is not generally a tricky design zone, but a small bathroom can be. In order to give our clients a comprehensive design solution, it’s important we have the right amount of time allocated to discuss the project and prepare the follow-up documentation.
Q. I’m building with ‘X’ project builder, can you help me and integrate into their build process?
A. We’ve been working with project builders for many years. The key point is that we, as designers, understand their build process and the way they run their projects. Every builder is different, and we align our recommendations to the specific requirements of your builder to bring you amazing light – without negatively impacting your builder, their trades and ultimately, your budget!
Q. Why do some lights make everything look terrible?
A. It gets down to ‘colour quality’. There are two types of colour in light — the colour appearance (warm to cold) and colour rendering. Colour rendering determines how objects look under a light source. For most homes we recommend a CRI (Colour Rendering Index) or ‘Ra’ of 80 or above. However, if colour is important in your home — especially for artworks or interior design features that utilise colour — a CRI (Ra) of 90 or higher is essential.
Q. Someone has told me they can get those $100 lights for $20 bucks.
A. It's a question of quality — quality of the light and quality of the fitting. You certainly can get LED light fittings for $20 — but you get what you pay for. Save 10% on an estimated price in the budget we have prepared for you and you’ve likely found good value but saving 80% could turn out to be a bad investment in the long run.
Q. How fast can you help me – the plaster is going up next week!
A. We can usually find a timeslot for an urgent consultation – but then it gets down to how detailed and complex the design is as to how quickly we can resolve the project details for your trades. However, what we can do is give your builder and electrician a time frame for the changes that are coming, so they can adjust their schedules.
Q. My lights take forever to warm up — what should I use?
A. Like halogen and incandescent light, LED lighting is an instant on. Older fluorescent light globes can take a long time to warm up and should not be used in rooms where you need instant light, especially if only for a short time. Upgrading your lighting to good quality LED will solve this problem — and save you money!
Q. I’ve received a lighting plan for my home, but it’s quite basic with just downlights, pendants and some track – can you do anything better?
A. There are so many exciting options with LED lighting these days. Depending on our client’s preferences and tastes we have produced many designs with no downlights and no pendants. As for track, that is something that we only use in specific circumstances where the benefits add value to your home. We have over a decade of experience in light and lighting design and our knowledge of light fittings, light performance and current technology is second to none. Standard lighting plans just do not compare with architectural lighting designs.
Q. When should I hire you? When I have completed plans? Completed interior design? Council approval?
A. We find it’s best to bring us in when you have an idea of the layout of your interior joinery and some sense of the colour scheme you favour for the project — which can be as basic as a preference for light or dark. Ultimately, it depends on the complexity of design as to the timing of bringing us in. Early means we can work with your design team to integrate your lighting design into the architecture and interiors – late means there will be some things that can’t be done in your home. Essentially, the earlier you start, the more options we will be able to explore with you, and the more time we have to craft your design.
Q. Can you give me guidance on what lights go where and what style they should be in my home?
A. We can give you guidance to help you understand why you might choose one light over another, However when it comes to decorative lighting — pendants, floors lamps, table lamps and wall lights — which are critical elements of your interior design, we believe they should be selected by you. Choose the lights you love, or if you are using an interior designer, be guided by them. What we will do is ensure the light in your room works with the choices you’ve made.
Q. Can you supply me with lights?
A. Our strength as a company is that we don’t sell lighting products — this guarantees our independence as our recommendations are not swayed by commercial considerations. Our purpose is to give you the right advice for your lighting needs. This also means we can recommend commercial quality light fittings from a wide range of suppliers, with our decisions guided by what you want in your home, not what we have in our catalogue.
Q. I need a qualified lighting engineer, can you recommend one?
A. Yes – Adele Locke. With years of practical experience and successful completion of an accredited course, Adele is an MIES grade member of Illuminating Engineering Society of Australia and New Zealand (IESANZ). Her area of expertise is interior lighting – retail, hospitality, offices, warehouses and homes. If you need specialist exterior lighting (road, sports, etc,) she can refer you to an appropriate lighting engineer.
Q. I’m renovating in stages; can you help with just one room now?
A. Yes, we can. You can engage us on an hourly rate to provide you with the design solutions and light advice you need to complete that room. Alternatively, we can create a lighting plan for the entire project at the start, allowing you to implement the plan at each stage without further need for consultation.
Q. There are so many choices in lighting, how can I know if I’m making the right choice?
A. We understand how difficult this can be. During our lighting design consultation we spend time with you helping you to understand how various lights can create different lighting effects and guide you in evaluating what suits your needs best. In helping you to understand light, you are more able to make an informed decision.
Q. Can you work off a house plan / technical drawings or do you need to see the space?
A. The majority of our projects are from plans, even renovations, so we do not need to ‘see the space’ first. We also produce plans and technical drawings in our design process.
Q. I’ve had a plan drawn for me by a lighting shop, what’s different about what you produce from what I have from them?
A. Choice and creativity. We are constantly researching to stay across all the latest innovative products and daring ideas available from over eighty different and diverse suppliers. We are able to craft truly creative lighting designs that draw on our years of experience with designing different spaces. We integrate cutting edge lighting design concepts into your home using light fittings that are carefully selected based on performance and a realistic budget for a home.
Q. We’re building passive/off-grid/rammed earth/sustainable/thermally controlled – do you know how to design the right type of lighting for that?
A. We do. There are lots of tricks with light that we can utilise to bring you a beautiful design, without compromising the integrity of your building. A common solution for such builds is to utilise IC-4 rated downlights, as they can be covered by insulation – but let’s be more creative than that. During your consultation with us, we will help you discover the way light works and demonstrate the different ways you can use it, opening your mind to the myriad of ways a room can be lit.
Q. I don't like that cold blue light — what should I use?
A. The colour of light produced is defined by the measurement of temperature in kelvins (K). ‘Neutral’ cool is 4000K while 5000K and above is classified as cold white light, which looks blue to our eyes. The higher the number, the ‘bluer’ the light appears. We recommend that every home use light fittings rated at 3000K, which gives a warm white light — or even 2700K, which is warmer still. This colour of light closely mimics incandescent lights and creates a cosy feel.
Q. Can you get me wholesale or trade discount pricing?
A. Unfortunately, no – unless you are planning on buying a commercial quantity of lights from the one supplier, they just won’t do it. Without volume, wholesale pricing just doesn’t work for them.
With decorative lighting we have occasionally seen a supplier offer a discount when a significant quantity of lights is being sourced, but that’s out of our hands. It is up to the individual supplier.
Q. I have a modest-sized home and need only simple advice – can you help?
A. Absolutely. We have found over the years that a modest home requiring only a little advice is perfectly served with our consultation process – we have enough time to explain everything to you, give you the documents you need and then you’re able to run your project with your builder/electrician. And, if you need a little more help, you can always hire us on an hourly rate for further advice.
Q. Can I do anything if my home is already full of downlights?
A. Yes, you can! Some of the most dramatic transformations we have created have been in homes with downlights everywhere. You are not locked into replacing downlights with downlights. We can make innovative use of those holes in the ceiling with lights that will transform the living spaces of your home.
Q. Can you come to my house to help us just renovate our lights without having to renovate, replaster, or do anything structural?
A. Yes. Our knowledge of what light fittings can do, and the vast array of lighting options available, means we can give you the right advice to make dramatic changes to your home, without having to replaster or renovate.
Q. Can you help me find the decorative light I’m looking for?
A. If it’s a single fitting you’re hunting for, we may be able to quickly send you an answer or direct you to someone who can. Of course, if you ask us for something more challenging or unique, we will have a chat about a small fee for the research involved.
Q. My project is modest, just one or two rooms, what can be achieved?
A. We’re just as happy to transform a single room as we are to design an entire home. Send us the details of your room, along with some photos, and we’ll let you know how we can best help you.
Q. Is it possible to have LED lights without the ‘dots’?
A. Yes — it gets down to the quality of the light fitting. Low-quality lights will show bright dots of light (especially with linear lighting that is used in cabinetry and over benches), good quality lights will be a uniform brightness with no ‘dots’.