david k warfel
The Simple Gift of Light #9 Comfort. Work. Safety. Three of our lighting zones have names that invoke ideas that most of us want: few would say “no comfort, please.” The Glare Zone, however, has a much different ring to it. Perhaps every human eye should come with a READ ME FIRST! warning, every home... Continue Reading →
Giving the Simple Gift of Light #10 As I sit down to write about dining room lighting fixture placement, it occurs to me that most people would consider an entire post on this subject a bit excessive. What is there to write about? Just hang a chandelier of some kind over the table, right? This... Continue Reading →
Giving the Simple Gift of Light #8 “THE CLAW CHOOSES WHO WILL GO AND WHO WILL STAY” – Alien #17, Toy Story Sometimes choosing light fixtures can seem like an arcade game, and that is not a good thing. You take a good look at the products but cannot quiet the nagging suspicion that there... Continue Reading →
The Simple Gift of Light #7 The key benefits of light- gentle mornings, energetic days, relaxing evenings, and restful nights- come only when we consume the right light at the right time. But what makes some lighting good and other lighting bad? There are seemingly endless technical considerations that quickly get overwhelming and, honestly, few... Continue Reading →
Giving the Simple Gift of Light #5 “Yes, but…” Back when I was a teenager, my dad regularly teased me by saying, before I could, “yes, but....” Apparently, I had developed quite the habit of contradicting him, so he went on the offensive. Of course, as a fifteen-year-old, I did have all the answers to... Continue Reading →
Giving the Simple Gift of Light #4 When I was much younger, I looked at box full of chocolates with a mix of excitement and trepidation. I knew, somewhere in the box, would be a delicious chocolate with a creamy caramel center, but I was deathly afraid that I would bite through a cherry, or... 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 →
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 →
Finding the perfect downlight feels as easy as finding the end of the rainbow. History and literature are full of great tales of adventurers seeking the unattainable. There is the quest for the Holy Grail (“We’ve already got one.”), the search for the fountain of life (find it or die trying), and the hunt for... Continue Reading →
This post is a continuation of my Don't/Do This: Primary Bedroom exploration. My Don't/Do This series are a lot of fun to sketch and imagine. Too much fun, perhaps, as the post on primary bedrooms has now ballooned into three. Without much forethought, I find myself creating an increasingly comprehensive series aimed at comparing and... Continue Reading →
the language of light 