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Help Yourself

We always recommend hiring professionals but confess that we often pull out our own tools and have a go ourselves.  Sometimes that ends in expensive mistakes, but it can also bring great results (and new ideas to share with our clients).  We can trace our DIY roots back to the closing of founder David Warfel’s first home: he brought a sledgehammer along so he could start knocking out walls before the ink was dry.

ADVICE FROM US

We want to help everyone, but there are not enough hours in the day and often not enough dollars to bring us in as outside experts on every project.  That is why we share our ideas online, in print, and in live presentations.  Check out these resources for our advice on everything from lighting kitchen counters to brightening homes after the holidays.

ADVICE FROM OTHERS

Thankfully, we are not the only resource for the intrepid home remodeler.  Books, magazines, professional organizations, and designers are just a few of the many ways you can learn about light.

  • Our favorite books on residential architecture are the Not So Big House series by Sarah Susanka. Sarah’s groundbreaking approach to design is insightful and accessible, and her holistic approach to homes includes light in all of its beautiful forms.
  • The first non-textbook volume on lighting we ever bought was Sally Storey’s Lighting by Design, but a search of lighting books online will generate several options.  We think there are not enough good books on lighting, but we are working on that….
  • Most lighting magazines, such as Architectural Lighting, LD+A, and Lighting (Australia) are focused on commercial and hospitality projects but regularly feature residential projects and are packed with technology and industry updates.
  • Architecture and home magazines like Fine Homebuilding, Dwell, and This Old House occasionally feature lighting articles and sections with helpful advice.
  • Online resources include millions of home projects and hundreds of articles on Houzz.com, fabulous examples and unique light fixtures on Pinterest, and online companion sites for print publications like This Old House and Fine Homebuilding.
  • Lighting designers often belong to professional organizations such as the International Association of Lighting Designers and the Illuminating Engineering Society.  Both organizations offer resources to connect you to professionals and education opportunities.  The American Institute of Architects also offers continuing education courses online in lighting.

 

Photo by Mike Heiniger