Custom Home Builders are usually in the dark when it comes to outdoor lighting
You could say that I have a love/hate relationship with some of our local home builders.
I love the homes that are built in our area. Some are made with great looking stone, wood and stucco. They have tile roofs and beautiful architecture, and they blend well in our Texas Hill Country environment. Many of these homes are real works of art. The Texas culture is quite eclectic, running from simple and modest, to over-the-top awesome with home theaters, pools, outdoor kitchens and living areas, and landscapes that are just explode with color and greenery. But what bothers me about these fabulous homes is the fact that most are so poorly illuminated.
I wish I had a dollar every time a home builder told me that their clients only need “a few lights here and there” and that’s it. Meanwhile, I’m looking at a 5000 square foot home with a circle drive and a three-car garage, a grand entryway, ornate architecture, wonderful landscape, and is probably worth over $1 million dollars. And the builder thinks that 10 lights is enough to make this this spectacular house a shining example of his work at night?
If I had put blood, sweat and tears into creating a magnificent building, and given it three months or more of my life to make sure every brick, stone, tree and fence post was in exactly the right place, you can bet I would want to show it off 24/7. But maybe that’s just me.
Unfortunately, although most custom home builders are excellent craftsman in their industry, they know little about the art of outdoor lighting. Most will get the landscaper or irrigator – also great in their own fields — to add a few lights to the project. Maybe this landscaper/irrigator even took a half day seminar on how to sell and install lighting, but it is unlikely he knows anything about lighting design. (I must say here, though, that I do know some landscapers and irrigators who do take lighting seriously and do a great job – but they are the exception, not the rule.) The upside for the builder is that they got some lighting and it didn’t cost much. The truth is that they just made their project that looks amazing during the day, look cheap and dull at night.
What happens next is a sorry tale for the builder. The home owner contacts us saying that they have a beautiful new home that needs lighting. We arrive to find that they actually already have lighting, just bad lighting. Not enough lighting. Poorly installed lighting. They explain to us how they spent all of this money on a custom home and great landscaping, but they can only see it for a short while before it gets dark. The builder-approved lighting simply doesn’t complement the home or the lifestyle of the residents.
We believe in educating our clients. As a design company, we want to explain why they need certain fixtures here or there to create a certain effect, and their eyes light up (no pun intended). When the client starts to understand what they’ve been missing, they wonder why the builder didn’t know that. The answer to that query is that the builder was just trying to cut costs, and didn’t THINK his buyer would be willing to CONSIDER a professional lighting design. But we are happy to design and install a lighting system specifically for them and their beautiful new home so they can enjoy it a lot more.
Let’s be honest, a professional outdoor lighting system is not cheap. But then again, neither is a $1 million dollar home! Why spend $20,000 on a front walkway and not spend the money to light it effectively (and beautifully) so guests don’t trip? Why spend $100,000 on a landscape that can only be seen during the day? Why invest tons of money on a home and then make it look trashy at night when it’s not properly illuminated? It’s kind of like putting in a beautiful Cantera door and using a cut-rate door knob. Who does that? Absolutely NOBODY does that. I also like to compare it to fashion. Let’s say you are wearing a fine designer dress (ladies) or suit (men). The attire is custom made to fit you perfectly and you look like a million bucks in it. Can you see yourself? Will your shoes and accessories be sharp and compliment the outfit? I’m betting the guys are not wearing white tube socks and canvas slip-ons with that suit; and the ladies are not putting on plastic flip flops with that gown.
But this is exactly what happens when a builder does not properly accessorize a beautiful home with the custom lighting that it deserves. You might say that they are in the dark.
We are here for builders and home owners and we look forward to showing you how a professional outdoor lighting designer can add the jewelry and accessories to complete your home’s wardrobe. Please contact us here.
