david k warfel
In the beginning… I occasionally begin conference presentations or lectures with a brief look at the historic importance of light to our ancestors. I might mention ancient Egyptian worship of the sun-god Ra, tell stories of Helios riding his chariot into the sky to start the day as a Greek Titan, or quoting “God is... Continue Reading →
Introducing three new blog series has gone on so long that I feel the year will be over before I get to write much helpful content. We'll see if I have the patience to stick this out, or if I end up reverting to more practical discussions.... As I push within shouting distance of fifty... Continue Reading →
I am very, very excited about my writing plans for this blog in the year ahead. The excitement for this coming year began more than twelve months ago when I set a plan for my 2022 posts. I thoroughly enjoyed blogging in 2022. For the first time, my writing was guided by a year-long plan... Continue Reading →
Is our binary view of the industry letting us off the hook? In an era of polarization, fundamentalism, and absolutist ideologies, it is easy for me to fall into statements like "builders install the cheapest lighting possible so they can maximize profits" or "interior designers think lighting means a trendy chandelier." But is the world... Continue Reading →
A few years ago I spent a rather silly amount of time buying and testing light bulbs from local retailers in the hopes of finding something I liked. I failed. I tried again in 2020 and found a few I liked and our team built a buying guide around them. Now that buying guide is... Continue Reading →
The first article in my series on residential lighting for Designing Lighting is out, and I am honored to be a part of this magazine! Getting the series together was not easy, however, and I have a long way to go before all six articles are complete. What makes this hard? Writing for a peer... Continue Reading →
What happens when you get a couple of opinionated lighting geeks into an unscripted conversation about light? I never know where the Get a Grip on Lighting podcast will go, but each time it is good rollicking fun. Wow. I just used rollicking in a sentence. It's all downhill from here, friends! Check out my... Continue Reading →
"What is the lighting budget for our new home?" "We have 68 recessed cans at $150 each." The Lord of the Rings books and films are staples in our household. The kids share LOTR memes, we have the extended-way-too-long movies, and there are copies of all the books strewn about the house. The beloved stories... Continue Reading →
Lighting designers are trained from birth...okay, that's an exaggeration and a cliche, so this blog post is not off to the best start. Where was I? Ah yes, lighting designers are trained to know the difference between good lighting design and bad lighting design. This morning I pondered the possibility that this embedded understanding of... Continue Reading →
Today we are going boldly into the great unknown, the vast universe beyond the dining room. Ahem. Sometimes I get a little carried away. Okay, often I get a little carried away. Especially when it comes to coming up with creative ways to talk about light and lighting. So please forgive me when I wax... Continue Reading →
the language of light 