david k warfel
Check out this short video of our two-day process to re-light a fifteen-year old project with updated technology and science. What has changed in the last fifteen years? Everything. Just remember, I'm a lighting designer, not a movie star (this will be obvious).
There are more lighting products than ever on the shelves, but that can make it tough for a homeowner to make smart choices. Why is lighting getting harder? How can we wade through the hype and get better lighting in our homes? The last fifteen years have seen the biggest disruption in lighting since Thomas... Continue Reading →
If you want to geek out on lighting technology, check out my video review from CEDIA 2019.
24 months ago I did not know the meaning of "listicle," but now I write them. A list + article becomes a listicle, or short story with distinct bullet points. I added the requisite beautiful photos and reshaped this post to become the latest Houzz story. Enjoy!
Fifteen years ago I did a budget-friendly lighting design for my mother's total kitchen remodel as shown in the photograph above. I delivered 50 foot-candles to the horizontal task plane, as I'd been taught to do. I had multiple downlights over the sink and placed the downlights directly over the counter. I didn't like the... Continue Reading →
Here's the scenario: you finally decide to trade in your car for new one, and make the decision to go electric. You're thinking you'll get a Tesla: high tech, fast, beautiful and long range. But without knowing it, you bought a golf cart. It's electric, like a Tesla. What's the difference? "We're getting LEDs." When... Continue Reading →
The locally quarried stone and stained concrete shapes that make up Frank Lloyd Wright's iconic Fallingwater are key ingredients of its success, but the maintenance is expensive. Natural stone needs care and mortar; concrete cracks and spalls. So last year the Foundation that oversees Fallingwater made the sensible choice to reduce maintenance costs. They covered the house in... Continue Reading →
COMMON MISTAKES THAT STEAL YOUR COMFORT AND JOY They are all around us, lurking in our homes and threatening to harm us every day and every night! Be very afraid! Stay tuned for updates! Oh no! I like to think of myself as the Evangelist of Light, spreading the good news that light- the first... 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 →
the language of light 