The Art of Lighting Design: Form Meets Function
The Art of Light: Form Meets Function
Five ways architectural lighting enhances great interior design plus, nine spaces that prove decorative lighting is the jewel of the room
by Circa Lighting
photography by Paul Moore
Situated in luxe Paradise Valley outside Scottdale, Arizona, the winter 2020 Iconic Haus showcases the work of some of the nation’s best design talents. Designed by award-winning architect Mark Candelaria and Vivian Ayala and built by Temac Development, the luxury showhouse brings together a team of industry-leading experts and tastemakers to achieve 10,000 square feet of stunning design. This powerhouse team looked to our expert staff to craft a lighting plan worthy of the luxury property. Lighting Designer, Charles Camacho, and the local Scottsdale team Greg Gillespie and Cecilia Carson did just that. Not only did they outfit the “Mod-iterranean” estate with stunning architectural and decorative fixtures, but applied them to enhance design and improve the quality of life for the home’s future inhabitants. Here’s how.
1. The Kitchen: Pretty, Practical
When planning a kitchen’s lighting design, Senior Lighting Designer Charles Camacho says one of the first things he looks at is how the workspaces are arranged. In this case, an island-style dining table mirrors the center work island, and is framed by a back wall of cabinets and the show-stopping custom range hood by Horn Metalcraft. “In such a space you may go for three pendants, with one in the center,” Camacho explains. “But, they have a very decorative range hood, so we went with two and flanked the range hood to showcase it.” Overhead, the 3" ELEMENT New Construction Adjustable Round Flangeless Housing paired with the 3" ELEMENT Round Flangeless Trim by Tech Lighting are used throughout the home, which provide ambient lighting, while under-cabinet lighting provides spot-on task lighting for the busy chef.
2. The Great Room: Light for Great Heights
Living up to its name, the ceilings in the great room range from 16 to 18 feet. To illuminate such a tall space, our staff worked with the Temac team to install downlights that boast the capacity to span such great heights. Strategic placement results in cones of light that start as tight, bright beams up high, but offer just the right amount of illumination by the time it reaches the human level. A few recessed lights play a more specific role. “With lighting, we can draw your eye to something in the room,” Camacho explains. “We ask ‘Is there a significant feature wall or art piece or object in that room?’ Sometimes we’ll light that first and everything else will fall around that. We’ll make that priority.” In this case, two adjustable lights over the fireplace punch it up as the center of attention.
3. The Gallery: Acheiving Layers of Light
The “gallery,” designed by Isabel Dellinger-Candelaria and Nikka Bochniak, elegantly extends off the entry and exemplifies the power of “layers of light.” To achieve this warm and welcoming atmosphere, the lighting design calls for a winning combination of tape lighting, sconces and eye-catching chandeliers at the intersections. “We have linear tape light in crown molding, which lights the top,” explains Camacho. “Then we have the sconces at the human scale, which brings light down to personal space. And then we have the jewelry–the pretty pieces–the chandeliers. They’ll provide some light, but really what they’re doing is providing visual interest and character,” he says. The architecture of the barrel vault ensures indirect lighting bounces all around, making the whole space glow.
4. The Morning Room: The Power of a "Quiet Ceiling"
“Circa Lighting is taking recessed lighting to a new level,” says Charles. Nowhere is that more evident than the serene morning room, designed by Janet Brooks Design. We worked with Temac to install downlights in the paneled ceiling so architectural and design elements could take center stage, not bright lights glaring down from the ceiling. “It’s a ceiling that you don’t notice the light is coming out of; it’s a non-participant in the scheme,” says Camacho. “If you look at it, you don’t see big glaring circles. That’s the whole concept of the quiet ceiling.”
5. The Exterior: Bright Ideas for Dark Skies
In order to comply with local ordinances and preserve the area’s beloved starry night skies, the home’s exterior lighting scheme needed to meet a few parameters: no upward-shining lights and no direct line of sight to the light source. The Zur Outdoor Sconce by Sean Lavin was just the fix. “We’re using a dark sky fixture, but that doesn’t mean it has to be boring, you can have some drama and excitement,” Camacho explains. “I think in the end that’s what it’s about–drama and excitement. Anyone can do a lighting plan and throw up some fixtures, but we have the knowledge to elevate architecture and design. We’re making something masterful.”