david k warfel
What makes a pretty good house? My first exposure to the Taunton Press was as an avid reader of Sarah Susanka's The Not So Big House books. Taunton is also responsible for Fine Homebuilding (to which I subscribe and for whom I have written) and Fine Woodworking, among others. Now Taunton has published a new... Continue Reading →
Today marks a continuation in my 1THING: Plug In series and a reminder that my quest to simplify lighting can result in oversimplification of the profession. Why? I focus in this post on one plug-in solution for landscape lighting, boiling down to the most essential, most beneficial, or most impactful solution that can be achieved... 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 →
I could make this my shortest blog post yet: the 1THING I recommend for home office lighting that does not require an electrician is to simply add a pair of table lamps to your work surface. The end. Explaining my reasoning might take a few more words and conceptually mirrors my recommendation for hard-wired new... Continue Reading →
I am continually amazed at the lack of color in our lighting, at home and at work. We wear colored clothing, drive colored cars, paint our homes and cabinets in color, and hang colored photos and art on our walls. We choose colored carpets and colored ceramic tile, we buy colored backpacks and purses, some... Continue Reading →
Ouch. This post, more than others, paints me as a rather entitled and spoiled person. I'll work on that, but for now let's just assume the best- that the lessons I learned can help others live better lives. That is what lighting design - and this blog - is all about. A few years ago... Continue Reading →
"We don't want any recessed cans in our home." Architects, interior designers, and homeowners occasionally tell us they do not like recessed can lights in their projects and homes. My habit is to get defensive, to fight back, to draw upon decades of lighting design experience to tell them why they do want recessed cans... Continue Reading →
My THINK LIGHT series is my outlet for being a lighting geek. Perhaps I should rephrase that - this is my outlet for being a lighting pseudo-geek. I do love the science, geometry, biology, psychology, and technology of light, but I am no scientist, biologist, psychologist, or technologist. There is a limit to how geeky... Continue Reading →
I go on a nightly neighborhood lighting patrol. Sort of. When our family divvied up the dog duties, I drew the just-before-bed nightly walk. Albus, our 9-year-old cockapoo, gamely trots around the block while I curse the neighborhood porchlights. Okay, I do not curse the porchlights. But I do wonder how my neighbors would react... Continue Reading →
the language of light 