Form Meets Function, Part 2 - Lighting Control

9/20/2011

Form and Function Part 2, Lighting Control

In this month's article I'll be continuing my discussion from July, where I talked about how custom audio and video products have been designed to blend seamlessly into any space . This month we will look at how the addition of an automated lighting and shade control system can add dramatic effects to one's home environment, save energy and provide an increased level of safety and security.

Lighting and Shade control comes in many different forms and fashions from the most basic standard contractor grade switch and manually controlled drapes and blinds to local single room infrared controlled drapes and dimmers to fully automated systems where sensors can monitor and adjust lighting levels based on occupancy, the amount of natural light coming in through your windows, the time of day or even the angle of the sun relative to your residence any time of year; raising and lowering lights and blinds to create the perfect amount light while reducing heating, cooling, and electrical lighting costs year round.

From a design perspective our goal is to create simple to use interfaces that reduce what we call "Wall Acne" – (an over abundance of switches and dimmers and other technology interfaces on ones wall). To do so we use hybrid dimmer switches which allow you to control local lights while also allowing you to initiate a "Scene", where multiple lights in a room, or your whole house can turn on to predetermined levels (or off). An example of one of the most common scene's we program for client's is a "Bedtime" or "All Off" scene, but scene's can be created for anything you may desire, from "Landscape Lighting" to "Food Prep" to "Entertain" to "Midnight Snack". In addition to reducing the clutter on your walls, we can take things a step further by integrating your lighting control into a custom touch screen automation system and/or use faceplates that can be flush mounted into your wall and color or texture matched to any surface.

To learn more about these custom faceplate options please check out products from Trufig and Lutron.

From a safety and security standpoint an advanced lighting control system can do many things to protect you and your family. The number one feature client's rave to us about is the creation of night time lighting path scene's where at the touch of a button AND based on the time of day/night the control system creates low level paths of light allowing homeowners to go about checking on kids, grabbing a midnight snack or to come home late from a business trip without disturbing others. Another key feature of advanced lighting control are that they can save a program that mimics your household's lighting (and shading) habits for 2 weeks and can then be played back while you're away; deterring potential thieves. To take security a step further, many home security systems can be integrated into our lighting control systems so that when your alarm is tripped, your exterior (and/or interior) lights will flash full on, full off while simultaneously turning your main floor lights on to full brightness and keeping other area's dark to protect you and your.

Call me today at 425 922 8145 to set an appointment to check out our showroom and see some of these technologies in action or schedule a complementary in home consult with me so I can give you a tailored recommendation for your space based on your wants and needs.