Lighting & Home Automation

Houston Indoor Lighting Maintenance

2009-07-15T08:34:00.003-05:00

Indoor residential lighting maintenance involves periodic quality checks to ensure against degradation of quality. All lamp bulbs have a lamp life, and many begin to diminish in color rendering capability and lumens output as they approach the end of their life span. For example, low-voltage Mr16 lights used in most residential lighting plans feature dichroic reflectors designed to draw infrared and heat backward. This creates a cool-burning light source that is ideal for fine art lighting. As these fixtures age, though, the dichroic reflectors degrade and shift color to red or green. You might not notice this yourself because this shift occurs gradually and incrementally. Your eyes will adjust to these increments and often fool you into thinking that the lights are operating normally. If lighting professionals check these lights under your residential lighting maintenance agreement, they can quickly spot the discrepancy and replace the fixtures under the cost-effective rate specified in your agreement.

Another optional service you can invoke under a residential lighting maintenance contract is upgrade services. There are probably fixtures in every room that can be upgraded from high-voltage lamps to low-voltage lamps. This will immediately result in lower electrical costs and less frequent replacements. Our professionals will also take the time to inspect previously installed low voltage lighting fixtures to make certain that they are working up to specification. Any adjustments that need to be made will be made during each lighting maintenance service visit, and any problems we discover will be itemized for your review. Our professionals have been trained to not only point out trouble spots, but also to recommend replacements and alternatives that will last longer, produce a higher quality of light, and cost less power to operate.

Home decorative lighting and recessed lighting fixtures are thoroughly inspected every time our team visits your home. Major fixtures such as chandeliers have a plethora of lamps in them that can and will individually burn out. Homeowners who relamp these fixtures often inadvertently purchase the wrong replacement bulbs. Every light fixture has a label that says you cannot exceed the wattage. However, this label often may be overlooked, misinterpreted, or the label on the replacement bulb may appear confusing to the consumer. Self-relamping with the wrong wattage, of course, is probably not going to hurt your fixture, but it will hurt the quality of your lighting. Our team will check all the lamps in each major fixture under your residential lighting maintenance plan, making sure in the process that each one is consistently lamp with no wattage variance. We also check to make sure that everything is working up to safe operating specifications and aesthetic expectations. Consistency is king when it comes to low voltage recessed lighting fixtures, because being the energy consumers they are, no additional problems should be allowed to abide unchecked that could cost the homeowner a great deal of money down the line if things get out of hand.

Read more about our maintenance agreements for residential indoor lighting design, outdoor landscape lighting, and Houston home repairs in our article database. Call 713-863-1133 to speak to a lighting professional about a service agreement customized specifically to your residence and lighting requirements.

Illuminations Lighting Design is a full service design build firm specializing in residential and commercial indoor lighting and outdoor lighting, electrical service and maintenance as well as home automation, home theaters, emergency generators, surge protection systems, phone systems and lighting control systems.

Houston Exterior Lighting Contractors

2009-07-09T16:35:00.004-05:00

Building facades, home exteriors, driveways, exterior buildings, and exceptional landscape features are just a few of the things that our expert team of exterior lighting contractors can bring to life in an entirely new and multi-dimensional manner.

The entrance to any property is the equivalent of a first impression when meeting a new person. It sets the tone for the experiences and events that one can expect on any particular premises. Hotel facades and country clubs are two examples of properties that require exceptional attention from professional exterior lighting contractors. Hotels and restaurants are almost always found in groups, and competition for guests is fierce. Illuminations can assist hotel and restaurant clients by magnifying keynote architectural features and developing an aesthetic presentation that mirrors the unique atmosphere and exceptional service offerings of the establishment.

This same principle applies to outdoor community lighting of streets and driveways for large custom homes and exclusive country clubs. Exceptionally high-end properties of this nature are highly individualized and require the assistance of exterior lighting contractors who know how to isolate and magnify the most distinguishing natural and architectural elements of the edifice and literally put its best face forward to the nighttime world.

As important as exterior lighting is to the entrance and facade of any building, it is really only the beginning of planning outdoor landscape lighting. The goal of the professional design contractor is to create an outdoor living experience that rivals the quality of indoor living. One very powerful way to do this is to enhance commercial and residential properties with outdoor tree lights. Mercury vapor lamps are concealed using proprietary, tree-friendly installation techniques that create a type of illumination that very closely resembles moonlight. This adds a vertical element to landscape lighting by making the tree canopy visible at night, and it adds mystique and ambiance to pathways and seating areas.

Another way to add vertical presence to exterior lighting is to install special building lights on offices, hotels, restaurants, club houses, and private homes. ILD contractors first examine the distinguishing features of the building first in order to determine what makes it unique in comparison to nearby structures. Our cross-training in outside tree lighting, architecture and building techniques enables us to quickly spot these points of differentiation and bring them to the forefront of viewer awareness. Landscapes on commercial lighting projects are similarly studied to see which natural forms are distinctive and deserving of special attention. Water elements such as ponds, fountains, and pools are given priority attention because of the many effects that lighting and water create when they synergistically combine forces.

For over 25 years, exterior landscape lighting contractors from ILD have added value to both commercial and residential properties by magnifying key elements essential to real estate value and the epitome of the luxury outdoor human living experience.

Illuminations Lighting Design is the only “One Stop” destination for lighting design, engineering, landscape lighting services and installation in the state of Texas, and remains unrivaled by any lighting firm in the United States for interior lighting design, commercial lighting and resort lighting. As homes grow larger and needs become more complex, having a single resource provides home owners with peace of mind. This translates into a smoother process, reduced costs and a better product.

We are located in Houston Texas but provide lighting and lighting design in Austin TX, El Paso Texas, San Antonio TX, College Station Texas, Beaumont TX, Dallas Texas, Midland Tx and points beyond.

Standby Residential Generator Installation

2009-06-30T17:31:00.001-05:00

There are two types of residential generators: portable and standby (also known as stationary.) During Hurricane Ike last year, many Houstonians attempted to power their essential home systems using portable units bought in retail stores. Some of these homeowners ran into difficulty with gasoline shortages, the dangers of carbon monoxide, and the inability of smaller generators to handle more than a few home appliances.

Portable units sold in stores are typically only 5600W. This is only enough electricity to power certain appliances. They cannot power the entire home, and it is not a good idea to attempt to overload them. Gasoline also burns out more quickly than other fuel sources and produces carbon monoxide. However, if you already own a portable residential generator, ILD will still be happy to make sure it is set up correctly and that it has not been overloaded with too many appliances tied to an extension cord by installing new home wiring specific for emergency power.

We recommend that you have a home standby electrical generator installed in your home. If you invest in a commercial-grade unit, you can count on having enough power to effectively power your entire home in the event of a power failure. Fuel options are much more diverse with stationary units. Models can be installed that run on natural gas, propane, or diesel. Diesel burns much longer than gasoline and tends to be more readily available during storm season. Natural gas and propane can usually be found in even greater supplies in the event of a major tropical storm or hurricane. However, you should never attempt to install a residential standby generator yourself. Such a task requires a licensed electrical remodeling contractor due to the complexities of wiring and the nature of electricity itself.

We recommend that you contact Illuminations Lighting and Design and let us install a residential standby generator for you. We have a number of commercial grade models available, and we will install a model that is best suited to your individual residence. We determine this match by first examining your electrical circuit panel and making sure that they do not have faulty wiring. We check all the major circuits that run to your major home systems to ensure that they are not overloaded. If we find a defect, we will either implement a provisional wiring scheme to route power to major home systems such as the AC, home automation system, and security system in the event of an emergency. It is important to do this first to avoid overloading your circuit panel in the event that power fails, and your residential standby generator goes into operation.
If necessary, we will also install dedicated circuits to essential home appliances such as your television and your computer. This way, you will be able to operate your communications and media devices for the duration of the crisis. With a commercial grade residential standby generator, we can deliver specific power loads to each system and appliance without the risk of overloading the panel or blowing a fuse.

This way, provided your home is secure enough to weather a storm like Alicia or Ike, you have can be assured of uninterrupted, safe power throughout the time of the emergency. Having the assurance that your home has an advanced electrical system with a whole house surge protection in the time of a national emergency is equivalent in value to a home insurance policy. It is an indemnity of your family’s safety, peace of mind, and personal lifestyle.

We invite you to contact us toll free 800-863-1184 to learn more about our Houston home construction or our lighting blog which is full of helpful Houston Texas lighting information.

We are located in Houston Texas but provide lighting and house lighting plans in Austin TX, El Paso Texas, San Antonio TX, College Station Texas, Beaumont TX, Dallas Texas, Midland Tx and points beyond.

Illuminations Lighting Design Testimonials

2009-05-15T15:28:00.004-05:00

Illuminations Lighting Design is the only “One Stop” destination for lighting design, engineering, landscape lighting services and installation in the state of Texas, and remains unrivaled by any lighting firm in the United States for lighting that is art. As homes grow larger and needs become more complex, having a single resource provides home owners with peace of mind. This translates into a smoother process, reduced costs and a better product.

Here is a sampling of what customers are saying about Illuminations Lighting Design in Houston Texas:

I just wanted to let you know that they I have worked with several other electrical contracting service companies that could not identify my lighting problem and correct it. On the first trip your crew was so polite and wonderful to work with and they came prepared and corrected the problem with my low voltage lighting system. You now have a "New Customer" for life. It is so nice to have my lighting back!
Suzanne Coppala
Houston, Texas

It is unbelievable the difference the new lighting made in our backyard. The lights in the trees create the perfect glow for the patio and the lights on the sculpture/artwork accent them in ways which allow you to see how truly beautiful they are. The lighting design consultant knew exactly what we needed within minutes. And, he was honest in his assessment. He also recommended gas lanterns which they don't even sell, but he knew they would look spectacular. He was right. And, their service for installation was prompt and worry-free.
Steve Weingarten
Houston, Texas

Thank you for all of your hard work and your efforts to accommodate us. We love the new art lighting. It enhances our art work just as we wanted it to. We enjoy sitting in our living room just looking at it! We could not be happier.
Leesa Reece
Houston, Texas

It is really great working with you and the electricians at Illuminations Lighting Design. General contracting is a tough business and things happen, but you guys are really good at keeping things going during the peaks and the valleys. On remodeling projects or wiring new homes you guys are the best!
Temple Pace
Houston, Texas

We have really enjoyed our lighting design and home automation system that you guys installed last year. When we had a problem your technicians arrived and knew exactly how to troubleshoot the problem with our home theater. It is nice to know that Illuminations Lighting Design is there every time when we need them!
Paul Burney
Woodlands, Texas

We are a full service design build firm specializing in residential and commercial lighting, outdoor lighting, electrical service, fine art lighting as well as home automation, home theaters, emergency generators, surge protection systems, phone systems and lighting control systems.

We are located in Houston Texas but provide lighting and design services in Austin TX, El Paso Texas, San Antonio TX, College Station Texas, Beaumont TX, Dallas Texas, Midland Tx and points beyond.

Commercial Outdoor Community Lighting

2009-04-09T15:40:00.004-05:00

How can we upgrade our building lights from older equipment to newer technology without having to remodel our exteriors?

Commercial communities can be upgraded with a number of commercial outdoor lighting fixture types that do not involve renovating buildings. If you have covered walkways between your buildings, a great way to provide lighting for safety and security is fluorescent canopy lighting. These fixtures have considerable lamp life and are very energy efficient. Canopy lighting can make your entire campus look full of light simply by illuminating spaces between buildings that would otherwise remain in the dark. The electrical work requires no reconstruction work on your part and can be done very easily by our electrical services team.

Similar to canopy lights, but mounted in a much different manner, are wall pack units. You probably already have some sort of wall-mounted fixtures affixed to the sides of your buildings. If these units are several years old, chances are they contain incandescent lamps that are costing you more money than you think both in terms of replacement costs and power consumption. Incandescents are also environmentally unfriendly, and they will all inevitably have to be replaced at some point in the future. Fluorescent fixtures are again the most cost effective equipment purchases for commercial lighting projects you can invest in, and they are also very good power savers.

For interior lighting design, there are countless retrofit options for everything from hallways to conference rooms and storage areas that we can cost effectively install within your office space. It is best to schedule a free on site with us to discuss these options so we can recommend the best possible retrofits without having to remodel your interior.

How much light do I need for security?

The intention of security lighting is to light only the buildings and ground without light spilling into neighboring businesses and homes. This alone can differentiate your commercial community with lighting, because more than likely you will be the first on your block to be proactive about dark sky friendly technology. In order to do this, it is necessary that you take the time to have a photometric lighting calculation made of your property. This will help us to determine how much lighting will be needed around areas such as buildings, public areas, walkways, and landscape features. Trying to light your commercial community without a photometric analysis is literally taking a shot at lighting in the dark. Most building owners get talked into over-lighting their premises, thinking brighter is better. The reality of lighting is very different. Typically speaking, a shadow-free environment that provides enough comfortable lighting for walking through the grounds is really all you need for security. The belief that blinding lights are the only lights effective in deterring crime is a myth. If cameras, guards, and law enforcement can simply see what is going on in your commercial community, then potential trespassers will be discouraged simply because they can clearly see they have no place to hide.

I need my property to look decorative as well as safe. Will it not cost a small fortune to invest in decorative fixtures?

It does not have to. Home security lights can be many things. Bollards installed in common areas can be a great way to illuminate large, open green spaces. Decorative bollards can be purchased from us in all shapes and sizes. Most of them are low-voltage fluorescent luminaires that use negligible amounts of power.

If you have fountain or pond, we can install energy efficient, or even LED lights, in and around the water. If installed professionally, lights around water features can appear magnified by the refractive qualities of water itself. This is another excellent way to illuminate commercial apartment community landscapes with very low-voltage, power saving lights.

Do you have energy efficient floodlights that can provide perimeter lighting at low costs?

Yes. Please give us a call to talk about some new technologies that can not only operate flood lights at a lower wattage with higher light output, but also better target the light toward only desired areas so that spill light beyond your property line is eliminated. Also, motion control sensor technology as well as integration with other security systems can automate your floodlights. Again, these are custom configurations which we can better address with an onsite consultation from an outdoor lighting contractor.

Illuminations Lighting Design is the only “One Stop” destination for lighting design, engineering, landscape lighting services and installation in the state of Texas, and remains unrivaled by any lighting firm in the United States for lighting that is art. As homes grow larger and needs become more complex, having a single resource provides home owners with peace of mind. This translates into a smoother process, reduced costs and a better product.

We are located in Houston Texas but provide lighting and lighting design in Austin TX, El Paso Texas, San Antonio TX, College Station Texas, Beaumont TX, Dallas Texas, Midland Tx and points beyond.

You can reach us toll free at 800-863-1184 or locally at 713-863-1133.

Townhome Outdoor Community Lighting

2009-04-09T12:52:00.006-05:00

Townhome communities are in many ways a blend of residential communities and luxury apartment community living. Most townhomes are privately-owned, making them for all intents and purposes small houses that the homeowner can decorate, renovate, or upgrade at will. Deed restrictions apply in much the same way as they do to houses. Certain guidelines mandated by the homeowner’s association what can and cannot be done to an individual unit in terms of how it will affect the surrounding units. Most townhome exterior lighting, as a result, must be coordinated and paid for by the homeowner’s association that governs the townhome community. In order to fully satisfy both the needs of residents and an increasingly regulated industry, it necessary to work with a company like Illuminations Lighting Design that has both the electrical engineering expertise to safely and properly install equipment, and that also has the design background to create and aesthetically pleasing end result.

Parking areas in townhome communities require sophisticated parking lot lighting solutions that must meet with a variety of regulatory standards. One is foot candle minimums. By law, all parking lots must have a minimum of 4 foot candles per foot to be considered safe for vehicle and human traffic. In addition, the homeowner’s association should invest in commercial grade lighting fixtures with advanced optics engineering that will limit glare and spill light. In the future, we anticipate almost every city in the United States, regardless of size or geography, to adopt some form of dark sky legislation. Regardless of the current presence of such legislation in the surrounding city or countryside, it is wise for a townhome community to invest in outdoor street lighting that will illuminate the parking area without blinding the eyes of motorists and pedestrians, and without shining unwanted light into the windows of sleeping residents. In high-end communities where looks matter almost as much as safety and performance, decorative poles and fixtures can be installed that will comply fully with all governing codes and simultaneously create a better sense of home and comfort than the standard commercial lighting poles used to light the typical apartment complex or retail center.

Most townhome communities also invest a good percentage of their homeowner’s association fees in landscaping and gardening. Lighting design service professionals can help accentuate the many features of a landscape so that residents and guests can enjoy them throughout the evening and early morning hours. It is never a good idea to take the cheap route and attempt to have the lighting maintenance crew install retail-grade lighting fixtures in these areas. For one thing, cheaper lights have a shorter lamp life and will ultimately cost the association more in the long run when one factors in the replacement costs. They also tend to lack the necessary engineering required to for more sophisticated angles of light distribution. Certain elements of landscaping require very precise angles of incidence that only a commercial grade fixture can produce. Tree lighting, for example, requires specially-made mercury vapor lights designed to specifically emulate moonlight. It is almost impossible to find a retail equivalent of the type of fixtures we can obtain directly from world-class manufacturers. Other landscaping elements such as walkways and pathways can be effectively lit by outdoor path light fixtures that require only minimum power to produce exceptional safety and aesthetics. For the townhome community that is looking for lighting that can produce a long-term savings in the form of reduced replacement and energy costs, there really is no other option than commercial-grade, professionally installed fixtures.

Virtually every townhome complex has a community center that requires lighting in and around buildings and common areas. This is perhaps the most important aspect of townhome and apartment community lighting, because the community center is the very heart and soul of the complex and a hub for its many activities. A typical community center will have one or more sports areas, a swimming pool, a picnic area, and an office area for professionals and crew on staff. Very large town house complexes may have one or more tennis or volleyball courts for residents, and they may even have a meeting hall for resident meetings and indoor events. All of these areas in the townhome community will require lighting installation from an outdoor lighting contractor on a professional scale. Architectural and building should be carefully planned in such a way as to minimize replacement costs and to avoid excessive power consumption. Any sports lighting indoors or out will no doubt require commercial grade fixtures in order to create the necessary levels of light for safe play and to ensure a reasonable life expectancy for the fixtures themselves.

Because every townhome community is unique, any lighting system installed must be highly customized to meet the specific challenges of the environment and the personal tastes of the residents. It is almost impossible to create such a system without a photometric analysis of the property and an advance plan for design. One of the many advantages that ILD offers over competing contract firms is the ability to produce sophisticated layouts of commercial lighting systems for homeowner’s associations to review in advance prior to the initiation of the project or the installation of any equipment. New communities can trust Illuminations Lighting to not only do the job right, but to let them know up front the specifics of that job, the actual costs of labor and materials (without surprises), and the estimated return on investment in the form of lower maintenance and reduced power costs through superior technology which is longer lasting and much more energy efficient that short-cut, store-bought solutions.

Striking such a difficult balance between décor and safety is something that our commercial lighting projects have been doing in townhome communities, corporate office parks, residential neighborhoods, and private residences for over 27 years now. With a skillful blend of science and art, Illuminations Lighting Design can help any apartment or townhome community light its world with the highest level of quality and the best energy saving equipment available in today’s market.

Illuminations Lighting Design is the only “One Stop” destination for lighting design, engineering, landscape lighting services and installation in the state of Texas, and remains unrivaled by any lighting firm in the United States for lighting that is art. As homes grow larger and needs become more complex, having a single resource provides home owners with peace of mind. This translates into a smoother process, reduced costs and a better product.

We are located in Houston Texas but provide lighting and lighting design in Austin TX, El Paso Texas, San Antonio TX, College Station Texas, Beaumont TX, Dallas Texas, Midland Tx and points beyond.

Houston Texas Electrician Job Openings

2009-04-08T12:05:00.004-05:00

Illuminations Lighting and Design offers employment and job opportunities for Houston, Texas journeyman and apprentice electricians with outstanding skills in communications, superb creative design ability, and demonstrable computer literacy. Unlike staffing-agency or temporary employment in Houston, TX, Illuminations Lighting Design recruits and hires direct.

As a multi-disciplinary electrical, landscape lighting, and home automation consulting firm, Illuminations Lighting Design develops highly individualized, custom lighting, electrical design, and home automation systems for upscale residential and commercial clients throughout Houston, Texas.

About Illuminations Lighting
We are an exceptional organization looking to add impeccable personnel that will both develop within our team and later work to develop our team. Employment opportunities currently exist in each of our five major disciplines as well as other areas within the company.

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Home Automation Technician
Residential Apprentice Electrician
Residential Journeyman Electrician
Residential Service Electrician
Tree Climber
Warehouse & Assembly

Houston Electrical Jobs

We want to educate you and train you (on our dime, with your investment of reasonable time) in an area of specialization that you can then offer service to our community of clientele.

Trabajos Electricia en Houston
Journeyman Landscape Electrician
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Moving from one of these cities to Houston Texas?
Austin Texas
Beaumont Texas
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Illuminations Lighting and Design offers a wide array of outstanding benefits in addition to generous pay and potential to advance employment. The Houston, Texas Medical Center and its world-famous treatment and care lie within the reach of every single staff member. We have medical and dental benefits and provide paid sick leave for every person, regardless of position or rank. All Houston, Texas employment opportunities at ILD include company-paid training in product development and installation, and every position rewards dedication and labor with paid vacations and merit-earned pay.

We invite you to view all the specific job postings in each of our five major disciplines, and contact us today. Call us at 713-863-1133 or toll free at 800-863-1184. Employment in Houston, TX has never been brighter than it is today at Illuminations Lighting and Design.

Lighting Quotes & Lighting Design Proposals

2009-04-08T09:13:00.008-05:00

In many private mansions, upscale commercial properties or luxury resorts, LIGHT is understood in its functional aspects. Rarely is it understood in terms of its artistic qualities. Lighting is more than utilitarian—it is theater! How an object is illuminated is just as important as what is being focused upon. That is what makes Illuminations Lighting Design unique lighting resource. We combine practical experience with aesthetic taste to light the stage of your everyday experience and can turn those dreams into a custom lighting proposal. When it comes to your home or business, why settle for anything less?

Residential Lighting Design
Developing a residential lighting plan with the help of a professional lighting designer can both magnify the general appeal of your home’s physical structure and work to unify your lifestyle with your sense of art, decorating, and peace of mind. People often feel much more comfortable in their homes after they have taken the time to invest in planning a residential home lighting design services that will illuminate the finer elements of lifestyle and décor they have worked hard to give to themselves and their children.

Commercial Lighting Projects
Illuminations Lighting Design develops commercial lighting projects that systematically and completely address every aspect of task and decorative lighting. As a multi-service vendor specializing in 5 major disciplines, we offer businesses the unique and very cost-effective convenience of using our firm as a single-source vendor for their entire electrical and lighting design requirements. Our cross training in architecture, interior design, and landscaping further enable us to develop systems that layer lighting in a fashion that customizes every commercial lighting project to form, function, and utility. Most importantly, we develop some of the most cost-effective commercial lighting projects found anywhere as vendor of the world’s most sophisticated energy-saving outdoor tree lighting as well as parking lot lighting equipment that reduces overhead without sacrificing visibility, safety, or aesthetics.

Resort & Country Club Lighting
Lighting is a reflection of luxury. It combines the Universal, the functional, and the aesthetic in a phenomenon that is both a science and an art. Resort and Country Club lighting represents the highest level of sophistication found in the lighting design services industry, representing a synthesis of multiple disciplines applied in such a fashion as to separate and elevate the experience of a luxury resort to the level of the timeless and the impeccable.

Illuminations Lighting Design is the only “One Stop” destination for lighting design, engineering, landscape lighting services and installation in the state of Texas, and remains unrivaled by any lighting firm in the United States for lighting that is art. As homes grow larger and needs become more complex, having a single resource provides home owners with peace of mind. This translates into a smoother process, reduced costs and a better product.

We are located in Houston Texas but provide expert lighting services in Austin TX, El Paso Texas, San Antonio TX, College Station Texas, Beaumont TX, Dallas Texas, Midland Tx and points beyond.

Residential Apartment Community Lighting

2009-04-01T17:05:00.004-05:00

An apartment complex must have quality community lighting to maintain its business and its reputation. People will not stay around for very long when they cannot see well at night and do not feel safe. Property managers who are constantly wrestling with high turnover might want to pause and consider that it may be for this reason that so few tenants are choosing to renew their leases. These same managers may also want to consider as well the many liabilities that could result if inadequate lighting in the community contributes to an injury or criminal attack. Managers who leave it to maintenance to purchase and install lighting fixtures from retail sources are a great financial risk by placing short-term savings over long-term gains. Both the quality of equipment and design are always better when developed by a firm who specializes in community landscape lighting.

One of the most important places to light correctly in an apartment community is the leasing office. Burglars often target this building to steal money orders to cash on the black market. One burglary can literally result in an entire month’s rent being lost. Burglars can also use the rear entrance to the leasing office to gain access to a gated community if the lighting behind the building is poor or lacking. To prevent this, it is necessary for the entire structure to be surrounded by a perimeter of home security lighting, usually generated by a combination of building lights and motion-controlled sensor flood lights.

Common areas around laundry rooms, swimming pools, pet areas, and walkways leading through the apartment community are particularly vulnerable places because they are usually covered by the shadows of nearby buildings. Attempting to light these areas with cheap fixtures usually creates glare that disturbs residents. Managers often settle for leaving certain areas dark to avoid getting complaints. However, this does not need to be the case. Professional firms like Illuminations Lighting and Design install only specification-grade fixtures that are manufactured with special glare and light pollution control technology. These luminaires will only light specific areas in the community without spill light shining into people’s living rooms and bedrooms.

For high-end properties where aesthetics is an absolute must, community lighting must be superb and professionally done without cutting corners on equipment or installation procedures. This is particularly the case in high-end luxury apartment complexes that have invested heavily in professional landscaping. Water works like ponds, fountains, and waterfalls need special underwater outdoor lights that only trained professionals can install. To properly accent vegetation and outdoor sculpture, selective lighting blended with shadow is needed in order the three-dimensional forms of objects and plants. Otherwise, too much brightness distorts and flattens their appearance. Special up lights must be used in gardens, flowerbeds, and shrubbery areas. Large have to be lit with special tree-friendly outside tree lighting fixtures professionally installed in concealed places in their branches. At the same time, any scenic pathways in the apartment community need lighting for security and safe visibility that blends harmoniously with the decorative elements surrounding it.

Striking such a difficult balance between décor and safety is something that our commercial lighting projects have been doing in apartment communities, corporate office parks, residential neighborhoods, and private residences for over 27 years now. With a skillful blend of science and art, Illuminations Lighting and Design can help any apartment community light its world with the highest level of quality and the best energy saving equipment available in today’s market.

Illuminations Lighting Design is the only “One Stop” destination for lighting design, engineering, landscape lighting services and installation in the state of Texas, and remains unrivaled by any lighting firm in the United States for lighting that is art. As homes grow larger and needs become more complex, having a single resource provides home owners with peace of mind. This translates into a smoother process, reduced costs and a better product.

We are located in Houston Texas but provide lighting and house lighting plans in Austin TX, El Paso Texas, San Antonio TX, College Station Texas, Beaumont TX, Dallas Texas, Midland Tx and points beyond.

Residential Community Lighting & Outdoor Lights

2009-04-01T13:05:00.007-05:00

An increasingly large number of residential communities are more like cities unto themselves. They have their own security patrols, restaurants, country clubs, and shopping malls. Many have their own schools as well. As such, the many amenities included in such a residential community is paid for mostly by the homeowner associations that govern the neighborhood. Since most are technically unincorporated, the municipality in which they reside typically provides rudimentary street lighting. All other areas within a residential community, however, will require architectural outdoor lighting systems that are custom designed and privately funded to ensure that public areas are both safe and aesthetically pleasing.

Perhaps the best example of this is the residential community center that you normally find at the heart of such a neighborhood. The community center is usually more than a single building. It consists of a number of facilities grouped together. Everything from public meetings, administration, special events, and after-school programs are held at residential community centers. Lighting these areas effectively requires an advanced understanding of interior and exterior architecture, along with the most energy efficient fixtures available in the commercial lighting marketplace. Superior optical design is also necessary to guarantee compliance with dark sky regulations that limit light pollution. Planning committees serve themselves best when they invest in the best equipment and lighting designs services up front. It only costs more money down the line to have to replace inferior fixtures which burn out unexpectedly or that fail to remain in compliance with new legislation.

Most residential communities know a lighting or electrical contractor services provider who has all the necessary skills to install this type of equipment. However, many independent contractors working on a limited local scale often lack an extensive vendor network. They may only carry lighting fixtures from two or three major manufacturers, and as such can offer only a limited amount of options to a community.

One the other hand, a residential lighting and design firm like ILD will typically represent dozens of world-class US manufacturers. This allows access to literally thousands of luminaires and gives residential communities a full set of options to consider. Residential landscape lighting systems can be highly customized to any building or landscape as a result, and cost-savings can be built into the proposal by locating the fixtures that offer the best distribution of light with the lowest possible power consumption that today’s technology will allow.

Planning committees can actually participate in designing and planning their outdoor lighting, parking lot lighting and indoor lighting systems when they work with a professional firm that will itemize the features, advantages, benefits, and cost of each piece of equipment proposed in the system.

This goes hand in hand with the evolution of residential communities continue to evolve into self-contained spheres of living space, open space, and public space. As neighborhoods become more autonomous and introspective, the importance of both safety and aesthetics in community lighting systems increases proportionally. Working with a company like Illuminations Lighting and Design offers private subdivisions and custom home developments the opportunity to create a world of light within their neighborhood that meets their community needs on a highly personalized level and speaks directly to the values and the lifestyles of its residents.

Illuminations Lighting Design is the only “One Stop” destination for lighting design, engineering, landscape lighting services and installation in the state of Texas, and remains unrivaled by any lighting firm in the United States for lighting that is art. As homes grow larger and needs become more complex, having a single resource provides home owners with peace of mind. This translates into a smoother process, reduced costs and a better product.

Illuminations Lighting Design is a full service design build firm specializing in residential and commercial indoor lighting and outdoor lighting, electrical service and maintenance as well as home automation, home theaters, emergency generators, surge protection systems, phone systems and lighting control systems.

Feel free to call us at 800-863-1184 or locally at 713-863-1133.

We are located in Houston Texas but provide lighting and house lighting plans in Austin TX, El Paso Texas, San Antonio TX, College Station Texas, Beaumont TX, Dallas Texas, Midland Tx and points beyond.

Outdoor Fountain & Pond Lighting

2009-01-25T21:03:00.007-06:00

Does ILD use special types of fixtures for fountain lighting?
We use a variety of surface-mounted lights and LED underwater light fixtures to light ponds and residential fountains. Most clients who call us have noticed that their fountain looks great in the moonlight, but not so great in their standard outdoor landscape lights. We specialize in creating the most innovative and eclectic fountain lighting upgrades that will improve the centrality and attractiveness of these water features on the landscape.

Can we buy a fountain lighting kit and do it ourselves?
First, it is never safe to install tree lighting or electrical yourself around water. Because a fountain can look like anything from a cherub pouring water from a vase to a fairy queen holding a magic bird bath, there is no one-light-fits-all fountains kit on the market. Even fountains that do not have ornamental statures are nonetheless three-dimensional keynotes on any landscape. They need the expertise of a outdoor lighting contractor with experience in outdoor lighting, architectural lighting, and sculpture lighting who can conceal the fixtures from view and let only the water, pond, and any ornaments be see under what appears to be sourceless light.

Why is sourceless light so important?
Because light itself is a sourceless origin of vision. We do not actually see light; we see color. This has puzzled everyone from Plato to quantum physicists, and is truly one of those mysteries of reality that people love to explore, but do not really want to solve. We actually use this mysterious element of artistic lighting in much of our design work—especially when it comes to lighting fountains, ponds, and statuary.

Consider this: the more the water looks like light itself, the more magical the effect will be on the senses.

How does ILD conceal lighting fixtures in fountains and ponds?
There are two ways to conceal the lights themselves. One is to place them over the fountain and aim them down to create pinpoint spotlighting effects. This works very well with fountains that have figurines or birdbaths in the center, because it causes light and shadow to combine and emphasize the three-dimensional nature of the structure and lowers maintenance contracts. The other approach is to install underwater fountain lights. These can be halogen lights that are very bright and focused, or they can be LED lights that can diffuse throughout the water and produce up to 16 million colors under a waterspout or waterfall.

What type of fixtures would you use in my fountain?
That depends on two things: location and preference of effect. If your fountain is near a large vertical surface or is surrounded by trees, we can place halogen fixtures in the water to send bright light through its moving surface. This refracts the light just enough to make it dance on the surface next to the fountain.

If you want a more diffused or multi-colored look of water uniting with light, then LED is the way to go in custom home lighting. It can turn every drop of water in a fountain into a sub-dimension of the rainbow, and it can fill the surrounding pool with all the variations of primary and secondary color.

Be sure to read our lengthy articles on LED and Fountain Lighting as well. They contain more information on aesthetics and safety that you need to keep in mind when contracting any lighting designer to illuminate your pond, swimming pool, or ornamental fountain.

Illuminations Lighting Design is a full service design build firm specializing in residential and commercial indoor lighting and outdoor lighting, electrical service and maintenance as well as home automation, home theaters, emergency generators, surge protection systems, phone systems and lighting control systems.

We are located in Houston Texas but provide lighting and house lighting plans in Austin TX, El Paso Texas, San Antonio TX, College Station Texas, Beaumont TX, Dallas Texas, Midland Tx and points beyond. Our toll free number is 800-863-1184 and our local number is 713-863-1133 to request a consultation or service.

Not really ready to schedule the work yet?
Would you like to first have someone come out and meet with you to discuss your project? No problem, try using our online Contact Us Form or Request Assistance Directory. These handy online tools allow you to tell us more about your project, attach files or identify an individual responsible for processing your specific request!

Lighting Antique Cabinets & Furniture

2009-01-25T16:13:00.003-06:00

The lighting store we bought fixtures from said they cannot help us with lighting our antique cabinet. Why?
Most lighting stores do not install fixtures; they simply sell equipment and refer you to a display lighting contractor who can install them. When it comes to antique cabinet lighting, few electrical contractors will touch this type of work. Antique cabinets are fine and valuable forms of furniture that represent a very big liability if damaged. Any significant amount of cutting into an antique cabinet and destroy its value. Also, most standard linear strips will not look good in an antique cabinet. Antique cabinets are mostly custom-built, and standard light fixture dimensions will not fit them.

Many of our clients and lighting consultants contact us because they have experienced the same frustration you are facing now. They feel they must either leave the cabinet unlit, or risk damaging it to illuminate its contents. There is, of course, a third alternative.

What is that alternative?
The only way to successfully light an antique cabinet is with customized cabinet lights and special wiring techniques. Only a few fine art companies in the world of design are willing to show this type of flexibility when working on a project. It is analogous to playing cards, and being willing to make the most of the hand you are dealt. Because every cabinet is different, you have to treat it as a unique and special project on a case by case basis. You have to work wires through existing space without making visible cuts in the wood, and you have to use cabinet lights that will not be seen once installed. The same holds true in new home wiring or electrical remodel work.

Can Illuminations Lighting Design do all of this?
Yes. We have worked for over 25 years in the world of fine art and display lighting, and have literally installed lights in thousands of antique cabinets over the years. As a Houston electrical contractor our specialists combine strong, practical wiring and electrical skills with a keen eye for design and aesthetics. Most antique cabinets are built using saw brackets and cleats to support the horizontal shelves. The small spaces between the shelves and the vertical sides provide opportunities for hidden wiring—providing the electrician has the patience and skill to do so. Our home lighting design team does, and also has access to highly specialized cabinet lighting strips that can be concealed underneath the shelves and powered with these hidden wires. Only a few screw holes are what are needed to install the strips and contact pads, and the value of the cabinet is preserved along with its presentation power being enhanced with interior illumination. The lighting fixtures themselves cannot be seen by people looking at the antiques in the cabinet, which appear to be softly bathed in a warm luminance that appears sourceless and multi-dimensional.

What services other than display lighting does ILD offer?
Illuminations Lighting Design is a full service design build firm specializing in residential and commercial indoor lighting and outdoor lighting, electrical service and maintenance as well as home automation, home theaters, emergency generators, surge protection systems, and phone systems.

How can I reach you to schedule an appointment?
Contact us at 800-863-1184 today to talk about your next lighting project or visit our lighting and home automation blog to learn more about our products and services.

Pond Lights & Underwater Fountain Lighting

2009-01-24T18:25:00.005-06:00

Our underwater pond lights have gone out. Should we try to replace them ourselves?
This is not advisable. Even if the fixture is dead, the wire can still be very much alive and shock you. It is also a bad idea to simply leave the dead fixture in the water. If the power is one, it can electrify the pond and still pose a shock hazard to humans, pets, and wildlife. We recommend scheduling an appointment with a outdoor landscape lighting contractor to replace your pond lights as soon as possible.

What types of replacements do you sell?
Since we do not recommend do-it-yourself work anytime there is electricity installed around water, we actually perform the outdoor landscape lighting services for you and give you equipment options to choose from. You have more than likely been using halogen low-voltage underwater lights to create reflective ambiance that emanates from beneath the water and dances on surrounding trees and walls. Halogen lights are very powerful, but they suffer from a limited lifespan—only 5,000 hours at best.

Do you have a longer lasting light than halogen?
If your goal is to make the water itself glow with life, and if reflectivity can be created off of extremely nearly-by structures, then LED pond lights are the way to go. While LED does not have the intense focus of halogen lights, it provides an excellent, diffused underwater light source that can literally create a rainbow of colors that burst out from under the surface into shorelines, fountains, and waterfalls.

Are LED pond lights affordable?
LED lights are also the most economical fixtures to operate. Once the initial investment is made in the installation of the equipment by a landscape lighting design team, the fixtures will last 40,000 lamp hours on the average—which means that they are approximately reliable for a good 20 years. The investment one makes in the cost of an LED pond lighting retrofit is easily recovered in a relatively short period of time. Because these fixtures use only 20% the power of incandescent-based lights, they literally will pay for themselves.

Does ILD specialize in LED pond lighting?
While Illuminations Lighting and Design specializes in all forms of landscape and water feature lighting, we do not insist on a single technology over another. The reason for this is every water feature is different and best served by a specific type of luminaire over another. It all depends on the size of the pond, its proximity to walls and trees, and the presence of a fountain or waterfall. LED lights will offer a great deal of luminance to any number of these elements when professionally installed in concealed locations where they will remain undisturbed and unseen.

In addition to landscape lighting we routinely create home lighting plans and lighting floor plans for both residential and commercial projects. You can contact us locally at 713-863-1133 or toll free at 800-863-1184. No other lighting design firm is able to provide such a well-rounded service line or a more informative Lighting & Home Automation Blog. But do not just take our word for it. Just ask Lance Armstrong, Tracy Mc Grady, Mayor Bill White, President George W. Bush, or dozens of other commercial clients or residential clients, large and small clientele, across the great State of Texas who have enjoyed our lighting services.

We are located in Houston Texas but provide lighting and house lighting plans in Austin TX, El Paso Texas, San Antonio TX, College Station Texas, Beaumont TX, Dallas Texas, Midland Tx and points beyond.

Home Theaters & Austin Texas Media Rooms

2009-01-07T09:52:00.004-06:00

Austin home owners look for home theater systems that will make staying home to watch a movie more enjoyable than going out. Many turn to high-end stores in the hopes that state of the art equipment alone will produce this experience. Getting this equipment to work, however, calls for more than superior design and electronics know-how. It requires an understanding of home architecture and room acoustics, and how these environmental factors play a pivotal role in shaping the sound qualities of the system.

ILD offers the eclectic Austinite more than simple equipment sales. Our audio video services process, partnerships with major US manufacturers, and customized installation services are the things that differentiate us as a one-source sales and service vendor in home theater, home lighting and system control, and home automation technologies.

We begin our process with an on site meeting in the client’s home. There, we examine home’s interior architecture to determine which room in the house offers the best possible location for a home theater system. Most custom homes in Austin range from 10,000 square feet to 25,000 square feet. Each room in such a large house is highly unique and has its own specific acoustical qualities that must be thoroughly understood first. A simple knowledge of home wiring and electronics is not sufficient to pinpoint these dynamics. This is why so many third party installers of home theaters, though highly skilled as electricians, often fail to tune a home theater to its maximum yield potential.

It is not a matter of skill or intelligence; it is simply a matter of separate disciplines. Acoustics is a function of architecture, not electronics, and only a design like ours that has partnered with major custom home builders throughout Texas normally possesses these skills. If Illuminations Lighting Design cannot assess the acoustics through analysis of interior home structure, we will even go so far as to meet with the architect or builder to gather this data. There is no cost for this additional consultation, either.

Once we have located the room and analyzed its acoustics, we then choose the appropriate of projector, screen, audio processor, video processor, amplifier, and speakers for the new home theater system integration. While these components are standard to almost all home entertainment systems and available at a number of retail stores throughout Austin, our components come directly from the manufacturers and are rated at the highest level of specification grade quality. Our expertise in home wiring then allows us to install the equipment ourselves without having to subcontract third party entities. We can even integrate a home theater system into the home’s lighting control system, or go one step further and install it as one of many subsystems on a home automation network.

This level of integration and ultra-modern convenience results in a much better sound quality than retail equipment or even public cinemas normally provide. If you are going to a substantial investment in a home theater, why not do it with a team of specialists who can customize every aspect of the system to your residence and personal lifestyle, and who can also personalize it with controls and automation options that make it intuitive and user friendly for everything from family gatherings to formal parties and special occasions?

Illuminations Lighting Design is a full service design build firm specializing in residential and commercial indoor lighting and outdoor lighting, electrical service and maintenance as well as home automation, home theaters, emergency generators, surge protection systems, phone systems and lighting control systems.

We are located in Houston Texas but provide lighting and design services in Austin TX, El Paso Texas, San Antonio TX, College Station Texas, Beaumont TX, Dallas Texas, Midland Tx and points beyond.

Here is our contact information and we welcome your call:

Illuminations Lighting Design
607 Durham Drive
Houston, Texas 77007-5316
(713) 863-1133 Main Line
(800) 863-1184 Toll Free
(713) 863-0044 Fax

Houston Home Theaters & Media Rooms

2008-12-22T11:11:00.002-06:00

What size house absolutely needs a home theater?
No home absolutely has to have a home theater, but most very large custom homes with 10,000 square feet or more need more than just a basic entertainment system. Acoustics are different in more spacious houses, and larger systems are necessary for sound and video to have maximum impact.

What components are found in home theater systems?
Most Houston home theater systems have separate video processors and audio processors that allow them to render both sound and image in high definition quality. Amplifiers and high end speakers are a must, because home theater sound normally separates sound effects, voice, and background sounds to mimic real world action. Smaller home theater automation systems may use a flat-screen plasma television for video, but home theaters use a projector and projection screen to create a fully cinematic experience.

Why can’t people just go to a home theater store and buy what they need?
Because stores only provide equipment; they install the equipment. They will often refer a customer to an electrical contractor for installation, but these contractors often run into difficulties themselves. Tuning a system’s acoustics is not as easy as one would think. Without a sound working knowledge of architecture, and without details on the particular room the home theater is installed in, it is difficult for even an expert electrician to get the sound just right.

How are Houston home theaters by ILD installed differently?
We carefully examine the entire home before we even begin to recommend home theater design equipment. A very large house will often have several rooms that could make a good home theater room. However, there is always that one that is the best room in the home for entertainment. Our job is to locate that room, and then get with the architect or interior designer who designed it and gather specifics about the acoustical qualities of the materials used to build the interior.

This will tell us a great deal about which speakers, amplifiers, and controls to use, and how best to synchronize specification-grade home theater and automation equipment (not sold in retail stores) to the exact harmonics and structure of the room itself.

One thing that is something of an absolute rule to us is that we will not install wall or ceiling-mounted speakers. These mountings may appear highly sophisticated, but they do not amplify nor reflect sound waves correctly in relation to the seating of the audience.

What Other components of Houston home theater does ILD frequently install?
We use a number of projectors and screens for premium high-definition video, including DVD Servers that can hold up to 500 DVD’s and CD Servers than can record 12,000 CD’s. We also install home theater seats that electronically recline, and we specializing in integrating home automation and lighting controls with home theater that can rival the best of Houston’s public entertainment venues.

What services other than home theaters does ILD offer?
Illuminations Lighting Design is a full service design build firm specializing in residential and commercial indoor lighting and outdoor lighting, electrical service and maintenance as well as home automation, home theaters, emergency generators, surge protection systems, and phone systems.

How can I reach you to schedule an appointment?
Call us at 800-863-1184 today to talk about your next home theater project or lighting control system.

Den Lighting Control Systems

2008-12-08T14:07:00.004-06:00

Why is den lighting so important?
Den lighting design sets the mood and adds comfort and quality to all activities conducted there. Large, dark rooms appear less attractive, and even intimidating in some cases, to guests. How you plan good lighting in the den opens up the room to conversation and activities. It can also function as a part of more advanced home entertainment such as home theater.

What does den lighting control add to personal use of my den?
Den lighting control allows you to create the desired mood or necessary level of light that the occasion requires. Dens are multi-functional rooms, and adding lighting controls allows you to call up different lighting themes and make fine-tuned adjustments to separate elements of room lighting. You can raise or lower general lighting at will based on the nature of the gathering and the number of people in attendance. You can also adjust accent lights for home entertainment such as music or movie watching for designing lighting in high end homes.

Can den lighting be sequenced with other home features?
Yes, your whole house audio system would be an example as your lighting themes can mimic the rhythm of your musical selections. If you are watching movies, you do not want to do it in total darkness. You need some lighting to allow people to get up and move around if necessary. Den lighting controls can be automated to bring the general room lighting down and turn on accent lights in the room that function like the theater lights in cinema. The same controls can also be programmed to close window blinds and other items.

When are wall box dimmer switches advisable?
Wall box dimmers are either rotary or sliding switches that replace flip switches. Dimmer switches are advisable when more light is needed for overall comfort of a large group and less light for a smaller group to feel more intimate. A wide variety of decorative wall box dimmers is available to match the interior lighting themes of your den and to make it convenient to adjust the lighting instantly when you enter the room.

Doesn't getting up to adjust the wall box dimmer distract and disrupt the mood of the occasion especially if done several times?
Wall box dimmers are only one option in home lighting control. Wireless remotes can be connected to a lighting control or home automation network that allow you to control your den lighting just like you control your television and whole house audio.

Can I install the lighting control system in my den?
It’s not a good idea. The installation of automation and lighting control systems should be done by a licensed home automation contractor with experience in lighting control technology. It also helps to use a company like ILD that has knowledge of interior home design lighting and interior home architecture. This will ensure the system installed works safely and can systematically integrate as much of your home’s functionality as possible.

Illuminations Lighting Design is the only “One Stop” destination for lighting design, engineering, landscape lighting services and installation in the state of Texas, and remains unrivaled by any lighting firm in the United States for lighting that is art. As homes grow larger and needs become more complex, having a single resource provides home owners with peace of mind. This translates into a smoother process, reduced costs and a better product.

We are located in Houston Texas but provide lighting and house lighting plans in Austin TX, El Paso Texas, San Antonio TX, College Station Texas, Beaumont TX, Dallas Texas, Midland Tx and points beyond.

Outside Moonlighting & Outdoor Tree Lights

2008-11-26T12:01:00.006-06:00

Will installing outside tree lights harm my trees?
Not if you have it done by a professional who is trained in special techniques and who uses the right specification grade fixtures. Outside tree lights must be sized in scale to the tree in both fixture size and wattage.

What benefits do these lights add to landscaping?
Trees add a third dimension to your landscape that creates a sense of comfort, mystique, and spaciousness when illuminated with outdoor tree lights. Guests will enjoy being outside in such as space much more than they would if only the ground itself were lit with a single layer of light. By creating multiple layers of light, you bring the landscape up toward the stars and elevate both visibility and emotion in the process.

What types of outside tree lights do we need to create this layered lighting effect?
There are only two main categories of outside tree lights: up lights and down lights. Within these categories are a wide range of sizes and wattages intended to match the fixture to the tree and the area around the tree that needs to be lit.

Uplights are box flood lights installed at the base of the trunk. They shine their light up the side of the tree into the leaves above, illuminating it with a light that sweeps the eye upward.

Down lights have a practical application in that the shine light down on the ground that makes it easier for people to see. However, down lights are also used for decorative effect. Mercury vapor outside tree emit a bluish-green light that is remarkably similar to moonlight. When concealed in branches, mercury vapor outside tree lights emit an ambient aura from within the canopy that cascades down to the ground just like moonlight does when the sky is clear and the moon is full. This works exceptionally well if you have very large oak trees in your yard that are not only tall but also have a wide canopy formed by branches that fan outward.

We recommend that you do not attempt to select these fixtures yourself or attempt installation of outside tree lights on your own. A landscaping designer can do all the outdoor light planning for you and provide you with superior, specification grade fixtures as one of many components in an overall landscape lighting plan.

Can outside tree lights be used with very small trees?
Yes. One of the best ways to do this is to plant a flower bed around a small or moderately-sized tree and hide 100 watt box floods within the vegetation. This conceals the fixture and shines the light up the trunk onto the bottom of the trees branches and leaves. Many times, this can actually make a tree look taller than it really is, helping add a sense of depth and history to a home in a relatively new neighborhood. Many such affects can be created throughout a landscape and house plans if you are working with an expert such as the ones on staff at ILD.

Illuminations Lighting Design is the only “One Stop” destination for lighting design, engineering, landscape lighting services and installation in the state of Texas, and remains unrivaled by any lighting firm in the United States for lighting that is art. As homes grow larger and needs become more complex, having a single resource provides home owners with peace of mind. This translates into a smoother process, reduced costs and a better product. Contact us at 713-863-1133 or toll free outside Houston at 800-863-1184.

We are located in Houston Texas but provide lighting and house lighting plans in Austin TX, El Paso Texas, San Antonio TX, College Station Texas, Beaumont TX, Dallas Texas, Midland Tx and points beyond.

Illuminations Lighting Design Testimonials

2008-11-24T10:42:00.008-06:00

A typical Illuminations lighting design is one where every painting, armoire, wall sconce, chandelier, recessed light and landscape light works in harmony to create a pleasant, functional and stimulating environment. Flexible enough to adapt to your daily needs, yet sensitive enough to set the most delicate mood.

The passion for perfection has become a mainstay of the Illuminations name. Light by light, wire by wire, houses throughout the country are being hand-fitted with quality lighting fixtures, lighting control systems, home automation systems and landscape lighting equipment by skilled craftsmen from Illuminations Lighting Design. Just as the dimmer switch taught us that there is more to light than simply ON or OFF, Illuminations has shown the world the endless variation, the enchanting spectrums, the infinite gradations of light that can be painted across the wide canvas that stretches between night and day.

Read what satisfied customers of Illuminations Lighting Design are saying:

I just wanted to thank you for helping us with our Vantage lighting control system that was damaged during a lightning storm. We had no power, no lighting and extensive damage as a result of the hit. Your AV technician was very helpful, and solved the problem lighting by installing and programming a new Vantage processor. The outdoor lighting crew was equally as responsive in repairing the landscape lighting system! Neal Meyers

Just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate your help on our outdoor garden lighting at our home. We just had a party last weekend and folks were going on and on about the landscape lighting - You guys do a great job!
Christopher Sims

I wanted to take a moment to thank your staff for the hard work and extra effort repairing our home electrical generator during our lengthy power outage caused by Hurricane Ike. The commitment and diligence of Rick Luberger is exceptional and the support which we received from your lead electricians Cesar and Gonzalo were extraordinary. You have truly put a great team together at Illuminations Lighting.
Marvin Perez

Your lighting team came by this morning and fixed the outdoor tree light in the Pecan that went out last week. Thanks for the fast remedy and for honoring the warranty period. They were professional and courteous. I will continue to recommend your company for landscape lighting as well as interior lighting.
Robert O'Neal

Illuminations Lighting Design is a full service design build firm specializing in residential and commercial indoor lighting and outdoor lighting, electrical service and maintenance as well as home automation, home theaters, emergency generators, surge protection systems, phone systems and lighting control systems.

We are located in Houston Texas but provide lighting and house lighting plans in Austin TX, El Paso Texas, San Antonio TX, College Station Texas, Beaumont TX, Dallas Texas, Midland Tx and points beyond. Our toll free number is 800-863-1184 and our local number is 713-863-1133 to request a consultation or service.

Not really ready to schedule the work yet? Would you like to first have someone come out and meet with you to discuss your project? No problem, try using our online CONTACT US FORM or REQUEST ASSISTANCE DIRECTORY. These handy online tools allow you to tell us more about your project, attach files or identify an individual responsible for processing your specific request!

Planning Residential Lighting Plans

2008-11-22T13:39:00.004-06:00

Is it really necessary to plan residential lighting? Why can’t we just buy new lights?
We cannot emphasize enough the importance of working with a professional who can help you develop your residential lighting plan. It will be much better to get the help of a professional lighting designer and prove well worth the investment in the long run. Working with someone trained in architecture, interior design, and landscaping basics can help you plan a lighting layout that compliments the physical aspects of your home and the personal elements of your living experience. You will feel so much more compliment and truly “yourself” in your home after they have taken the time to work with one of our home lighting design consultants.

Do you recommend decorative fixtures as a key element to the design?
In many cases we do. This, of course, depends on the type of interior decorations you have in your house. Many people like to emphasize certain historical periods in their interior design. Others prefer a specific motif, such as the Arts and Crafts décor, while still others like an ultra modern look. Picking out home decorative lighting to match your decorations can be difficult without a professional’s guidance. We can help you with this, and we can supply you with better lighting equipment than you would find on retail shelves. Pendants, chandeliers, and wall sconces are a few examples of lights that residential lighting planners that are used during electrical remodeling or new home custom homes.

How much specialty lighting do we need in a residential design plan?
That depends again on the nature and contents of your home’s décor. Residential interior lighting must have a blend of accent and general lighting to be effective. This requires “layering” light throughout the home in such a way as to compliment interior architecture and room content. Artwork requires it own type of lighting fixtures to be illuminated. At other times, however, decorative fixtures actually function as important elements of interior design.

Do you recommend lighting control?
Yes, wallbox lighting controls or lighting control systems are how you set light levels. The larger the home, and the more sophisticated individual specialty rooms like kitchens become, the more they require user-friendly means of regulating both the level of light and the type of light they create. This makes your actual light fixtures more flexible, because they can be used to create any number of lighting layers and effects when connected to dimmers, hand-held remotes, wall box control, and automated home lighting control programs. An added benefit to this is improved energy efficiency, because regulated lighting means power-saving lighting in today’s world.

Call Illuminations Lighting Design now at 800-863-1184 toll free or locally at 713-863-1133 for an appointment. Let’s talk about how the very best quality interior lighting maintenance can bring a whole new level of personal experience both within and around your home today. You may also visit our extensive lighting blog for helpful and informative information.

We are located in Houston Texas but provide lighting and design services in Austin TX, El Paso Texas, San Antonio TX, College Station Texas, Beaumont TX, Dallas Texas, Midland Tx and points beyond.

Lighting Designer Floor Plans

2008-11-01T09:44:00.005-05:00

A lighting floor plan can take any shape or size.
It may be formal and organized, free form, or pose unique lighting challenges. When you look at the variations in your ceiling height, daylight, and construction materials, you see a three-dimensional framework around your floor plan. You must be careful not to choose fixtures that are excessively large for their surroundings. Lighting fixtures that are too big can often overpower the room’s aesthetic. The best way to design a superior lighting floor plan is to install low-profile functional lights and decorative accent lights at unique angles of incidence. This creates that enhance decorative appeal and provide satisfactory lighting levels.

The size of your floor plan determines the number of lighting fixtures that a particular room will need.
Everything from the height of your ceiling, the amount of natural light that comes in through windows, and the square footage of your room influence the wattage and fixtures you will need for general lighting. To overcome shadows in large rooms and hallways, you may be tempted to overdo the lighting and try to have the brightest lights as possible installed. This type of house lighting plan can work against your homes aesthetic, however, because excessive light creates both direct and indirect glare that shines into the eyes. It also tends to “flattened” three dimensional objects. For a better effect, try a more and selective blending of general and accent lighting. Floor plans illuminated in this fashion with multiple layers of lighting will magnify design elements that reflect your personal taste and lifestyle without overwhelming the senses.

Accent lighting is determined by the number of targets to illuminate such as art, sculpture or furnishings.
In floor plans that center around combination rooms such as kitchen-breakfast-family areas, lighting can help visually divide the individual spaces. This is accomplished with decorative fixtures, general down lights, accent art lights and table lamps. Accent lighting is also very effective in places like floating stairways where it can be used to fill in dark areas with an ambiance that is both practical and charming.

Decorative lighting and use of chandeliers depends on the interior designer's look and feel of the home.
Chandelier lifts are becoming more prevalent in today's floor plan lighting during new home wiring and electrical remodeling projects. They add great value to any project, and magnify the elements of traditional-style interior decor superbly. They are useful during the installation of the fixture, for lamp changing and for cleaning purposes. If you are planning to install a chandelier as a component in your lighting floor plan, it really needs to be done by a professional who can also install a lift. This will allow you to do simple indoor lighting maintenance on your own and avoid the expense of service calls. Such a professional can also help you with the many other elements of floor plan lighting for maximum energy efficiency, functional light, and decorative effect.

Where should I begin my search for a lighting designer?
For over 30 years now, ILD has worked with home construction companies and home remodeling firms to help the custom homeowner enjoy the most technologically sound and aesthetically pleasing home lighting control systems possible. Our staff has been cross trained in landscaping, art theory, interior design, and basic principles of architecture and is intended to function hand in glove with the general contract invoice any Houston home construction firm.

Call us at 800-863-1184 today to talk about your next project. Illuminations Lighting Design is a full service design build firm specializing in residential and commercial indoor lighting and outdoor lighting, electrical service and maintenance as well as home automation, home theaters, emergency generators, surge protection systems, phone systems and lighting control systems.

We are located in Houston Texas but provide lighting and design services in Austin TX, El Paso Texas, San Antonio TX, College Station Texas, Beaumont TX, Dallas Texas, Midland Tx and points beyond.

Residential Kitchen Lighting Plans

2008-11-01T08:46:00.006-05:00

Kitchen lighting plans are typically designed for functionality and use of space.
Food preparation requires better than average visibility and color rendering. The condition of food itself is indicated by its firmness and its color, so it is always best to have your kitchen lighting plan designed with specification grade fixtures capable of differentiating both colors and shades of colors. The popular retail fluorescent lights that save energy so will probably not light your tomatoes quiet as effectively as other lamping options available through professional lighting design services like ILD. Getting assistance from a lighting consulting firm with experience in architectural theory can help you develop a better general lighting plan for your kitchen that involves alternatives to the panel overhead lights found in many homes. Energy saving recessed lights can be installed in configurations that pool the light around areas like the sink where people spend a great deal of time.

Special kitchen features like islands often present challenging spaces for the homeowner to light.
This may sound odd at face value. You think of an island as a simple surface that simply needs a bright to illuminate its surface. In actuality, this creates two problems in planning home lighting. If the surface of the island contains any shiny material, reflective glare will result. Light that is not directed at just the right angle will also cast unattractive shadows on the floor. To more effectively light such a structure, you may need special lower level pendant lights suspended at just the right height above the island surface. Custom home lighting planners with companies like ILD can help you choose from literally thousands of fixture styles ranging from traditional to highly contemporary. This way, a fixture that stands out prominently still blends into the general plan and decorum of your kitchen.

We also recommend that you have Lutron dimmer controls installed with your kitchen lighting as well. This will allow you to manipulate these various fixtures to create different layers of light and vary kitchen lighting levels for different plans and events. Dimmers are also a great energy saving tool and should always be considered as a better, more effective alternative to generic fluorescent lights in Houston home construction.

Undercabinet lights are routinely used to illuminate countertops for both accent and task lighting.
Undercabinet lighting is much more than a decorative element for a kitchen lighting floor plan. A large number of homes today tend to feature very ornate counter tops made from marble and granite. Fluorescent kitchen lights and pucks do not always work so well with these surfaces. Some fluorescents cannot be dimmed, so they do not work well with kitchen lighting plans configured with lighting control systems. Puck lights have their drawbacks too, chief of which tends to be the tendency to cast “white spots” on the surface below them. Houston Texas lighting planners will often advise you to replace these kitchen lights with dimmable linear strip lights made with built-in glare shields. This eliminates unattractive elements from your cabinet area, and it improves cost efficiency with a more controllable, low-key light source.

Contact us locally at 713-863-1133 or toll free at 800-863-1184 today to talk about your next project. Illuminations Lighting Design is a full service design build firm specializing in residential and commercial indoor lighting and outdoor lighting, electrical service and maintenance as well as home automation, home theaters, emergency generators, surge protection systems, phone systems and lighting control systems.

We are located in Houston Texas but provide photometric lighting design services in Austin TX, El Paso Texas, San Antonio TX, College Station Texas, Beaumont TX, Dallas Texas, Midland Tx and points beyond.

Outdoor Landscape Lighting Plans

2008-10-31T08:46:00.005-05:00

Should I consult with a professional firm to plan my outdoor lighting system?
We recommend that you do. Consulting with a landscape lighting contractor who will help you plan your outdoor lighting system is the best way to ensure safety, security, and aesthetics, and attractively illuminate your house in a way that reflects value and sensibility without overpowering its surroundings. Decorative luminaires added to the house itself and around the property will create warm layers of light that create a sense of welcome. Facade lights can illuminate the entire face of your home with glare free light that will not disturb your neighbors. Lanterns hung by the door will greet your guests, and mercury vapor tree lights installed innocuously in the upper branches shine a cascade of ambient light downward around the trunk, roots, and surrounding earth.

What types of safety lighting do we need?
Flood lights are generally used to secure the perimeter of the property and illuminate particularly vulnerable areas. Dark areas in corners and around the garage create opportunities for trespassing. Not only do these places offer a great deal of darkness to conceal an intruder, but they can easily pose a hazard to children and guests not familiar with the property. Flood lights can be incorporated into your outdoor lighting plan to provide a secure perimeter that discourages prowlers and washes out the dark spots in hidden places.

Why not just buy our own flood lights?
Flood lights work best when you install them with lighting controls. This can be tricky, and should really be done by someone trained and licensed as an electrician who has access to specification grade equipment. Some retail grade flood lights will not even work with lighting controls, and if you leave them on at full strength, you may annoy your neighbors. An ILD lighting expert can offer you a better outdoor garden lighting solution by installing top-grade fixtures controlled by wall dimmers. These allow you to raise or lower lighting levels at will and minimize the risk of light shining into surrounding homes.

How many layers of decorative lighting should we have in our outdoor lighting plan?
We recommend four overlapping layers that illuminate keynote architectural features and indigenous vegetation on your property—effectively uniting your home with Nature itself. If you work with an expert lighting planner from our team, you will find that your choices in decorative lighting are more than you can imagine. Tree lighting and decorative fixtures are only two options you have. Other options include path and step lighting, specialized garden lighting, and path lights. If you have a gazebo or deck, these structures can be cost effectively lit with low-voltage deck lights to point the way to central gathering points for outdoor special events—making your property an exemplary example of homes in your neighborhood.

Where is your landscape lighting design studio located?
We are located in the heart of Houston just west of Downtown at the corner of Durham Drive and Blossom Street, which is located between Memorial Drive and Washington Avenue in the Rice Military Subdivision. Although we are located in Houston Texas we provide lighting and design services in Austin TX, El Paso Texas, San Antonio TX, College Station Texas, Beaumont TX, Dallas Texas, Midland Tx and points beyond.

No other lighting design firm is able to provide such a well-rounded service line or a more informative Lighting & Home Automation Blog. But do not just take our word for it. Just ask Lance Armstrong, Tracy McGrady, Mayor Bill White, President George W. Bush, or dozens of other commercial clients or residential clients, large and small clientele, across the great State of Texas who have enjoyed our lighting services.

Planning Landscape Lighting

2008-10-24T09:12:00.005-05:00

Your yard and landscape are just as much a part of your home as your house, so planning your landscape lighting should be done with as much care as you have taken to light your home’s interior. Covered patios and porches, and outdoor entertaining areas may need indoor lighting techniques such as recessed down lights and wall box dimmer controls that allow you to adjust light levels, show off the structure, and make your home a lighting gallery. Setting the tone between the threshold of your home lighting plan and your outdoor lights in such a manner will establish the conceptual and emotional foundation of your design plan that will then extend into the green, open landscape of your yard.

You should develop a landscape lighting plan that uses a combination of light and shadows.
Homeowners often mistakenly think that shadows are a bad thing when planning a lighting design. They believe the purpose of lighting is to get rid of all the dark spots in an area. The opposite is really true. Landscape lights best used to create a healthy balance between light and shadow. Depending on the degree to which you vary the contrast of these two elements, you can create all sorts of luminary effects and differing states of mind. Bathing dark places in your yard in soft ambient lighting mimics the effects of moonlight and is highly romantic. Outdoor path lighting provides a visual aid to trip hazards and other obstacles in the garden. Up lighting ornamental statuary and structures will help create an elevated sense of emotion apropos to outdoor parties. Hidden lighting inside shrubbery and flower beds will create a mystical effect where objects seem to glow with a light of their own. How you plan your outdoor garden lighting will really depend in the end on how you plan to feel when you look out of your window at night, or entertain family and guests outdoors. Begin by evaluating plant materials, flower beds, trees, and gardens. These are elements that create shadow, and they make for excellent guidelines to follow when laying down the basics of an outdoor custom home lighting system.

Think of layering the light when you are developing a plan for illuminating your landscape.
ILD landscaping lighting professionals recommend four distinctive layers of luminance, some of which will distinctly overlap one another; and others of which will blend and synthesize together. Every landscape lighting design is different and has to be planned around the unique dimensions of a yard and its contents. Fountains, sculptures, rock formations, bridges, and ornamental structures provide ideal accent and feature lighting opportunities. Tree lighting with mercury vapor tree lights creates pools of artificial moonlight, and is a favorite design theme among ILD clientele. Depending on the overall mood you wish to create, any number of light fixtures types can be used to light these objects. You may want to install fixtures that are completely hidden and only illuminate objects of interest, or you may go the other route and use highly visible, decorative lights that add an additional aesthetic to your yard. If you are unsure of what type of fixtures to use, call an outdoor lighting contractor like Illuminations Lighting Design and request a consultation with one of our professionals who can explain the benefits of specialty commercial grade fixtures made especially for what you have in mind.

Illuminations Lighting Design is the only "One Stop" destination for lighting design, engineering, landscape lighting services and installation in the state of Texas, and remains unrivaled by any lighting firm in the United States for lighting that is art. As homes grow larger and needs become more complex, having a single resource provides home owners with peace of mind. This translates into a smoother process, reduced costs and a better product.

Where is your landscape lighting design studio located?
We are located in the heart of Houston just west of Downtown at the corner of Durham Drive and Blossom Street, which is located between Memorial Drive and Washington Avenue in the Rice Military Subdivision.Although we are located in Houston Texas we provide lighting and design services in Austin TX, El Paso Texas, San Antonio TX, College Station Texas, Beaumont TX, Dallas Texas, Midland Tx and points beyond.

Call us today at 713-863-1133 or 800-863-1184, visit our lighting blog or request a consultation online using our contact us form.

Recessed Lighting Plans

2008-10-23T08:22:00.003-05:00

What is the best way to approach a recessed lighting plan?
You should plan your recessed lighting system from a three-dimensional perspective of your home’s interior architecture. Key elements such ceiling height, the overall size of the room, the number of windows determine the amount and the direction of lighting in the room. Other fixtures you hang from the ceiling, such as chandeliers and pendants, also play a major role in how recessed lighting complements preexisting layers of general light. Elements like room color, decorative accent lighting color, fine art, and interior design plans also help you determine what types of lamps and lens designs to use as recessed lights.

What is the most important element of recessed lighting to keep in mind?
The technique that lighting designers refer to as the "pooling of light." Because recessed fixtures direct light downward from circular or semi-circular housings, they create circles of on whatever surface they illuminate. When a number of these lights are installed together, they form overlapping pools of light which create uniform layers of general lighting. When recessed lights are selectively or individually installed, the reverse is true. The pools of light act have a “spotlighting” effect that works very well with a number of art lighting scenarios and decorative plans. Regardless, it is paramount to develop a point-by-point photometric lighting plan prior to purchasing and installing recessed lights. Because you are dealing with multiple layers of lighting combined together, it is crucial to mathematically calculate first how many fixtures you will need, the distance between your recessed lights, and the angle of incidence for the direction of each light.

Is recessed lighting the best way to illuminate a new interior design plan?
It is also best to coordinate a recessed lighting installation in conjunction with your interior design plans. If you are working on a new home build out, think ahead to how you plan to decorate each room of the home. Visualize your new home’s interior ahead of time and try to imagine which areas will most benefit from general ceiling lighting and which decorative elements will need special accenting and spotlighting. Planning ahead is even more important if you are remodeling your home. Some recessed light fixtures are made specifically for home remodel, and you need to have a profession firm install these to make certain they work harmoniously with your existing home wiring system.

What type of recessed lights should I have installed for general lighting?
You should pay close attention to the types of lamps you plan to install in your recessed fixture housings. Clear lamp halogen lights provide the best accent lighting, and they render color the colors of paintings, decorative arrangements, and vases with at a level nearly equivalent to daylight. Clear lamp halogens are not so good for general lighting, however. They highlight the outlines of objects too sharply, produce distinctive shadows, and will sometimes highlight skin problems and wrinkles. When used in general lighting plans that require a gentler dispersal of light, recessed halogen lights fitted with frosted lenses are a much better choice.

If you are trying to figure out how to plan your lighting, contact us toll free at 800-863-1184 or locally at 713-863-1133. Illuminations Lighting Design’s signature design is a space where every lantern, sconce, chandelier, up-light and down light balances a room for its precise intent. Using sophisticated computer technology, we create that balanced design weeks, or even months before the fixtures arrive. When the lights go up, you will be truly amazed at how the beautiful interplay of light and shadow will make you feel at once inspired, and at ease. That is what good home lighting plan is all about.

We are located in Houston Texas but provide lighting and design services in Austin TX, El Paso Texas, San Antonio TX, College Station Texas, Beaumont TX, Dallas Texas, Midland Tx and points beyond.

How To Plan Home Lighting

2008-10-21T08:51:00.006-05:00

Should I devote time to reading DIY manuals to learn how to plan lighting in my home or should I consult with an interior lighting designer?
We do not recommend you spend money on how to manuals. Most of the basics you would need along these lines can be found on our website and many public domain “How To” resources all over the Internet. Using a lighting design service is just as important as hiring a builder or interior designer.

The best source of interior lighting design planning is actually in your own mind. By taking a specialized and focused approach to your own daily lifestyle, you will quickly recognize that light plays an important role in any design style. You will also quickly see the connection between light and the many activities and material things within your home. These simple wish lists you have made can then be shared with an interior lighting professional from ILD who can then partner with you as an extension of your personal desires. This helps materialize in form what you conceptualized originally as an idea.

How do I work with my designer to plan the lighting in my kitchen?
If you are going to have custom cabinets and marble countertops installed, share these details with your lighting specialist. Also, write down all the major activities you will be performing in the kitchen. Some people use the kitchen as the hub of a party, while others use it primarily for cooking. How you use the kitchen is just as important as what goes into the kitchen when it comes time to plan and install the ceiling lighting system.

How do I plan the lighting in the living room? Should it be more functional or decorative?
In most cases it turns out to be a near-equal balance of both. People spend more free time in the living room than any other room of the home. You will soon realize how much you use this room yourself just by listing all the daily life activities you find yourself performing here. The list suddenly grows much longer as soon as you add entertainment, favorite furnishings, decorative displays, and special occasions such as family reunions.

The more details you itemize, the more your specialist can help determine what needs general light and what needs special accent lighting.

Does the den require a separate, special lighting plan uniquely its own?
In most cases, yes. Dens are almost always places of quiet and focus. The home decorative lighting here must support both key elements to be effective. Knowing in advance how you will use your den will help you better determine how to plan lighting in your den. Ask yourself questions. Will you place a desk here to bring home work from the office? Will you be running a home-based business that requires “office style” lighting to set a “work mode” mindset? Is this your personal adult playroom where you come to practice guitar, work on personal artwork, or start that book you always wanted to right?

Each of these scenarios requires a completely different type of illumination. How you plan and install your lighting in your den will play a major role in defining how your mind works and how your emotions respond to this specialized environment whose very nature tends to be set apart from the rest of the home.

How do I plan art lighting and bedroom lighting?
These are highly emotional forms of lighting that require a lot of attention to decorative appeal and multiple layers of accent. Think about how you want your children and guests to feel when they go to sleep at night, and how you would like your favorite artwork to be perceived by distinguished visitors. ILD specialists can take it from there and develop custom solutions tailor made to your family’s personal values and values and your home’s interior architecture.

Where are your main offices and how can I engage your services?
We are located in Houston Texas but provide lighting, consulting and design services in Austin TX, El Paso Texas, San Antonio TX, College Station Texas, Beaumont TX, Dallas Texas, Midland Tx and points beyond. Visit our lighting blog or call us today at 713-863-1133 to request a consultation online using our contact us form.