david k warfel
My mother has carefully and meticulously curated a style for the family farmhouse over the past 45 years of residency (we've had the farm since about 1882, but none of us remember that). In the 1970's and 80's when I was growing up it was, well, very 1970's. Then, when we finally all went off... Continue Reading →
Light is a tricky substance. You cannot hear it, taste it, feel it, or smell it. You can only see light when it comes directly into your eyes or bounces off of something. It is predictable, so long as you can memorize the trillions of possibilities and recall the correct answer. I can't. Lighting design... Continue Reading →
One of the reasons that light in our homes and workplaces is not good for us is that our primary considerations are 1) how cheaply can we get lighting and 2) how few watts can we use. I am often asked "will good lighting cost more than regular lighting?" Yep. Let's say you hire a... Continue Reading →
Today I delivered a presentation on layered lighting to the Toronto section of the Illuminating Engineering Society. At my request, one of my hosts scribbled "Great Presentation" on a napkin, so now I can officially add "internationally acclaimed" speaker to my self-congratulating biography. Sounds pretty cool, eh? Just another reason not to believe everything you... Continue Reading →
The most common lighting malady I diagnose is CFLS, or Ceiling Fan Light Syndrome. Statistically speaking (and I am completely making this up), CFLS affects three of every four Americans at some point in their lives. If you or someone you know is suffering from CFLS, please contact your designer immediately. One common side effect... Continue Reading →
My latest story from Houzz.com shares the same information from my light bulb buying guide but in National Geographic Style (lots of pretty pictures). I think that helps the medicine go down a bit better! Read my version of the story here.
This is my first midlife crisis, and I'm full of excitement and energy (and yes, more than a little anxiety). This phase of life has not been easy, but I'm looking ahead in hope. Why? When I look behind me I see so many seemingly disconnected experiences: spending two years volunteering with Habitat for Humanity,... Continue Reading →
The Gift of Light must be fully unwrapped to be understood. Inside the gift box of white light are all the colors of the rainbow, only visible when we split the wavelengths apart with a prism or raindrops. The power of light is also multi-layered, affecting our lives in many ways. My approach to better... Continue Reading →
I like to believe that I am a forward thinker and not a person who looks behind longingly at The Good Old Days. Most of the time. When it comes to architecture, I love where the world is headed. We're seeing modern homes with large expanses of glass, schools with huge amounts of daylight, factories... Continue Reading →
Yes, it is another post on lightbulbs. If you want someone else to make the decision for you, go out any buy Philips Soft White Dimmable LED with warm glow effect. If you want to brave the lightbulb aisle on your own, read on. I am going to conveniently avoid the obvious question a post like this... Continue Reading →
the language of light 