In this episode of Estate of Mind, Diane Hartley is joined by Lynne Stambouly, Lighting Designer at Illuminated Design. Lynne discusses all things lighting: its overall importance, the difference it makes in a home, its place in the real estate market, and the future of having great lighting to suit your lifestyle. - [00:43] How Lynne Became a Lighting Designer - [02:55] Technology in Lighting - [03:41] Fluorescent to Incandescent to LED Lighting - [04:54] Why Lighting Matters and Where Lynne Starts - [08:00] “Lit Correctly” and “Dim Correctly” - [12:53] Lighting in the Real Estate Market - [17:42] Lighting in Home Automation - [22:27] How to Light a Landscape Well and the Cost - [24:35] AI as the Future of Lighting - [27:22] Where to Find Lynne and Lighting Designers
Where to Start with Lighting and What “Lit Correctly” and “Dim Correctly” Means:
With lighting design, Lynne always starts with the lifestyle of the client, regardless of whether she’s starting from the ground-up or retrofitting an existing home. From her experience In Florida, Lynne often sees her clients replacing burnt out bulbs with light bulbs that are less than ideal. The rendering typically falls off over time, the dimming sometimes stops working, and Lynne is brought in to correct the situation.
When a home is “lit correctly” it means that the lighting is consistent throughout the space. Color consistency is present throughout the home and dim-ability functions as it’s supposed to. A properly lit home should create ambiance and just “feel right.”
Lighting in the Real Estate Industry:
To Lynne, lighting is typically one of the last things clients look at when it involves real estate. Ideally, proper lighting placement should be decided on during the construction phase of the home, specifically during the architectural stage. This allows designers to recommend the right product for the space, design the lighting scheme based around the lifestyle of the client, and provide the client with an accurate budget of what it will cost to properly light a home in today’s world.
Why is this so important? From Lynne’s perspective, people are typically home more often at night than they are during the day, and real estate professionals often fail to familiarize themselves with the existing lighting setup. She strongly recommends viewing properties at night to get a more accurate feel for the overall aesthetic and consistency — and to determine what needs to be fixed before the house is put on the market.
Topics Covered and Questions You’ll Uncover During this Episode:
Resources Mentioned Within Episode: