Lighting Designers and Suppliers

What is a lighting plan designer?

Lighting designers often have a knowledge of physics, optics, ergonomics and environmental issues along with an eye for construction and design, allowing them to devise lighting plans that not only improve visibility but create hierarchies, dynamics and a mood within a space. Often working in conjunction with an architect or interior designer, lighting designers will work to incorporate reflective surfaces and integrate daylight. Here are some related professionals and vendors to complement the work of lighting showrooms & sales: Interior Designers & Decorators, Design-Build Firms, Electricians.

Think about how you plan to use each area of your home. It's important to communicate to your lighting designer which space will be used as an office and which will be a media room, for example, as these will require very different lighting methods. In addition, consider how you'd prefer to control the lights. Lighting technology today includes dimmers, sensors, photocells (that let lights react to the amount of daylight in a space), programmable scene controls (that let you program different settings for varied lighting) and whole-house lighting controls (that let you control all or a portion of your home's lights from one source), allowing you to tailor your lighting controls however you wish.

Be wary of electricians or sales reps posing as lighting designers. Identify professional lighting designers by finding out whether they're involved in lighting programs or associations such as the International Association of Lighting Designers, and confirming that they have LC (Lighting Certification) or CLC (Certified Lighting Consultant) credentials.

Questions to ask a prospective lighting designer:

• How long have you been in the business?
  
• How many projects like mine have you completed?
  
• Can you provide me with references?
  
• Are you licensed and insured?
  
• Are you a participant of any professional programs or associations?
  
• How do you charge, and what does that include?
  
• Can you give me a written estimate?
  
• What do your services include?
  
• When can the job get done?
  
• What happens when the cost exceeds the budget? What about when there are changes to materials or labor pricing?
  
• What will I need to provide?
  
• Are there any important considerations or concerns you foresee with this project?
  

Find a lighting designer on Houzz. Narrow your search in the Professionals section of the website to lighting designer. You can also look through photos by style to find a lighting design you like, then contact the designer.