Why install exterior lighting?

This question is one that is always asked by homeowners and builders alike, usually followed by how much does it cost and what is its relative value to my home or project. Good questions to ask and great answers are available! Besides providing the obvious benefit of adding security(lets face it, what thief or vandal is going to be drawn to the most lit house on a street?), you can enjoy your home well into the night. Architectural features are no longer only able to be viewed during daylight hours. In the first picture posted I am highlighting an amazing home built by Living Stone Construction in the Village of Cheshire in Black Mountain, NC. This home was constructed of quality materials to high design standards. Notice in the photo the porches, patio and stonework. this next picture is the view from the street, with just the front porch light on, which is typical of most homes. Now look at the next picture with wall and pier lights added. The next set of photos are a view from the front of the house looking down the street, again, only porch lights are on. The next picture is with the the low voltage exterior lighting, including path lights and up lights. The next set of pictures is the back of the home by the garage doors. As one can see, exterior lighting can make a home or any structure come alive at night. I will go over the control options in another post.

Green Residence, The Settings of Black Mountain, NC

This is a wonderful home built by Living Stone Construction for William & Elizabeth Green. The home is a true mountain retreat, surrounded by awesome natural beauty. I wanted to highlight that beauty as well as the amazing landscaping done by Greenmeadow. I used the Leviton Vizia RF system to control the lighting, which was all Kichler, and a Touch Panel by Superna to automate the home. I tried to make all lights and lighting concepts fit in the environment of the mountain.

7 West Hanna LN. Bratenahl, Ohio

This is the lakefront estate of Mark Hanna, a Cleveland industrialist from the Rockefeller era. This particular structure is the old carriage house, it was restored and turned into a beautiful home and is currently occupied by the wonderful Jack & Jan Borkey. I used a Leviton Toscana to control the lights, and I used Kichler & Vista lights. The horse path light was selected to capture the heritage of the home. I installed moon lighting in the trees to accent the path.

Article in ConstrucTech features iLuxe Innovation

This is a great article that explores the relationship between builders and automaters. Automated Home Technology (AHT) is really growing and it is an exciting time for new home builders and those that are remodeling. The opportunity to go green is available to any size project. You can read the article here:http://www.specialtypub.com/article.asp?article_id=6688

iLuxe Innovation Wins Best Lighting Control Project

I was very honored to receive this prestigious national award. I am very grateful to the Home Lighting Control Alliance (HLCA) for their support and encouragement, and most thankful to Joe Borkey for letting me light up his home! I also wish to thank the Tech Home/Mark of Excellence team for an amazing event.

The Inferno, Gates Mills, OH

This was another fun project where I was given cart blanche to be creative. We spent another summer here as well. There were some very challenging areas to get lighting in and on (like the rock walls and waterfalls), but we worked closely with Landmark Construction, who installed all the walls and falls & pools. I used the Leviton Toscana to control the lights.

Small Meadow, Kirtland Hills, OH

This is part of the historic Hanna Summer Estate. There are (2) primary residences on the property as well as a pool house. The estate has a very old world feel to it as you stroll through the court yards and look at the fountains & architecture. We spent an entire summer on the project and it was one of the first where I was given creative license. It was very exciting and satisfying! I used the Leviton Toscana to control scenes & areas. I also had the opportunity to work on the original Carriage House at Hanna's Bratenahl Estate, but more on that in a different post.

JB Residence, Interior Lighting

I installed the transformers in the attic and then ran low voltage wire to all the locations. I love low voltage recessed lighting because of the adjustable aperature. It gives you the abilty to lay out a pattern but then aim the light where you want it and install the best MR-16 bulb for the specific purpose,(narrow spot, flood, etc.)

Sullivan Residence-The Settings of Black Mountain, NC

I love lighting Craftsman architecture, they are very special homes on the American landscape. I used Vista lights on this project and installed a Leviton Toscana to control & create scenes.

Borkey Residence, Kirtland Hills, OH

We removed all of the old broken post lamps and installed moon lighting in the trees to light the drive. There were also some line voltage path lights that were also removed and we then accented the house & trees, especially the arches and piers. The goal was to bring the home to life at night but yet do it in a way that could be controlled ,so that you could experience the whole property or just a specific tree or accent.



We spent close to a month in the trees installing moon lighting to bring the backyard to life. I used the Leviton Toscana to control the lights and create scenes & areas. All the lights we used were Kichler. I also installed a ton of low voltage lights on the inside, that will be in a new post.