The same room can look magnificent or ordinary depending entirely on its light. I would rather a client spent less on marble and more on lighting, because light is what everyone actually sees.
Lighting is the most underestimated discipline in residential design. It is often left until the electrician's drawings, when ceilings are already set and walls already framed. By then the opportunity for truly beautiful light has largely passed. In my practice, lighting is designed alongside the architecture and the furniture plan from the beginning.
Light in layers
A well-lit room uses several layers at once. Ambient light gives a soft general glow. Task light serves reading, cooking and dressing. Accent light reveals art, texture and architecture. Decorative light, the chandeliers, lanterns and lamps, gives the room its character. When each layer can be controlled separately, a room can change from bright morning to intimate evening.
Conceal the source
The finest rooms show you the light, not the fittings. Light concealed in cornices, coves, joinery and stair treads washes walls and ceilings gently. A grid of downlights, by contrast, flattens a room and casts unflattering shadows on faces. I use downlights sparingly and precisely, where they serve a purpose.
Decorative pieces as sculpture
A chandelier is both a light and a work of art. It should be scaled to the room and the ceiling height, hung at the right height for the table or the space below, and dimmable so that it sparkles without glaring. Many of my chandeliers and wall lights are bespoke, made for a particular room.
Lighting art and materials
Art deserves careful lighting with excellent colour rendering and protection from heat and ultraviolet light. Stone, plaster, timber and fabric each respond differently to light; grazing light across a textured wall can be breathtaking, while the same light on a flawed surface will expose every imperfection.
Light that follows the day
Good lighting also supports health. Brighter, cooler light in the morning and warmer, dimmer light in the evening helps the body clock. Through ÖND, I design circadian lighting that adjusts automatically, so that the house helps the family sleep well without anyone touching a switch.
Controls the household can use
- A small number of beautiful keypads with clearly named scenes.
- Scenes for morning, day, evening, entertaining and night.
- Low-level night lighting for safe movement after dark.
- Dimming on every decorative and ambient circuit.
- A system the household can adjust without calling a technician.
To discuss a commission in confidence, contact kenneth@bhli.us or call +1 (310) 467-5635.
Frequently Asked
How should a luxury home be lit?
With layers of ambient, task, accent and decorative light that can be controlled separately, concealed sources wherever possible, carefully scaled decorative fittings, high-quality art lighting, and controls that follow the day.
Are recessed downlights good in luxury interiors?
Used sparingly and precisely, yes. A grid of downlights tends to flatten a room and cast unflattering shadows; concealed cove, cornice and joinery lighting usually gives a more beautiful result.
How high should a chandelier hang over a dining table?
Typically low enough to relate to the table rather than the ceiling, leaving clear sight lines across the table; the exact height depends on the fitting's size, the table and the ceiling height.
When should lighting be designed in a new home?
From the beginning, alongside the architecture and furniture plan, so that ceiling voids, coves, joinery lighting and controls can be built in rather than added later.