david k warfel
Giving the Simple Gift of Light #8 Lighting design is at once quite simple and quite challenging, and the concept of viewing angle is a perfect example of this paradox. Simply put, light travels in a straight line and so does our vision, which makes predicting glare and comfort easy. Easy, that is, so long... Continue Reading →
Giving the Simple Gift of Light #3 As I get older, my running routine has become a jogging routine or, sometimes, what I call my slogging routine. A few times a week I get up, pull on running clothes, and stumble out the door. As I start slogging towards the lake, my body sometimes says:... Continue Reading →
Introducing a second new series for 2025 focused on practical advice for designers. Today I start a second new series for the year that I hope will make a strong compliment to the first. Last week I started the Simple Gift of Light series as a place to explore several key benefits of light in... Continue Reading →
We recently lost a potential client to a manufacturer who offered “free” lighting design services (so long as you purchased fixtures from them, of course, which have the cost of service buried into the sale price). My first reaction was indignation but, as is often the case, a closer look revealed a much more nuanced... Continue Reading →
In most of our kitchens, we prioritize our dogs or the dust bunnies that inevitably collect on top of cabinets, range hoods, and refrigerators. At least when planning light. We might put more money into our countertops, cabinets, backsplashes, sinks, and appliances than our floor, but we are systematically using the best light in the... Continue Reading →
Not all that is new in lighting is much better. One of the newest trends in architectural and residential lighting is tubes of light about 1” in diameter. When I started my career a rather good number of years ago, we called these T8 Fluorescent Tubes, and they were universally loathed for their institutional feel.... Continue Reading →
Fine Homebuilding Magazine is a well-crafted publication focused on the craft of building better and I was honored to be included for my fourth article with them. This time, I focused on products more than applications, a bit of a departure for me and a fun exercise. The result is an 8-page guide to recessed... Continue Reading →
Better lighting can be easy as 1-2-3. It is no big secret that I love light and enjoy finding new ways to deliver it to our lives. As a professional lighting designer, I spend a good deal of energy dreaming up solutions to everyday challenges and spend time regularly learning about new products and new... Continue Reading →
Yesterday I saw a LinkedIn post from another lighting designer featuring a photograph of a hallway under construction, with three parallel ceiling joists running down the hall. Each was filled with a round duct for heat and air conditioning. There was no explanation; there need not be. One look and I understand the pain: there... Continue Reading →
Lighting designers could help builders…if we can change our ways. [Image 01 A Builder’s Story] Residential builders are often the most reluctant of the major stakeholders to support custom lighting design, and with very good reason. In a previous post, I meandered through the overlapping territories of lighting and building and thought about how lighting design... Continue Reading →
the language of light 