Guide
What does a lighting designer do, and do you need one?
Short answers to the questions homeowners and business owners ask before they call.
Most people call us with the same handful of questions. What does a lighting designer actually do? Do I need one for my project? What happens at the consultation, and how long will it all take? Here are straight answers, for homes and for commercial work.
For fees, see our guide to what a lighting designer costs in NJ. For timing in a build, see when to bring in a lighting designer.
What does a lighting designer do?
A lighting designer plans the light for a space and puts it on paper so the right products get ordered and end up in the right places. Our work is the plan: the layout, the fixtures, the controls and the specification. We start with how the space gets used and how you want it to look, choose fixtures that fit your budget, and stay with the project through delivery and a final walkthrough of the finished lighting.
Do I need a lighting designer?
Not for every job. Swapping one fixture you already like rarely needs a designer. It pays off when you’re building, renovating, lighting a yard, or fitting out a restaurant, office or hall. The common mistakes are the wrong type of fixture, the wrong size and lights in the wrong place, and each one costs money to undo once the ceiling is finished.
How does the free consultation work?
The first design consultation is free. We talk about your needs, the look you want, your budget and your schedule. Bring plans if you have them, or simply a few photos of the space. Call 516-655-6126 or request a free consultation online, and you decide from there.
What happens after the consultation?
A lighting designer visits the site to take photos and measurements and review the plans. Then we select products with you, confirm each fixture’s placement, finish and the budget, and help with ordering and delivery. The project ends with a final walkthrough. The full sequence is on our about and process page.
What do I get from a lighting design?
A lighting layout on your plans, a fixture schedule with finishes, lamp color and output for each fixture, dimming and control notes, and a budget review. Each line of the specification ties to a symbol on the layout, so your team can price and order from it. If you mainly want a second opinion on plans you already have, our lighting consultation and specification service covers that.
How long does a lighting design project take?
It depends on the size of the job and on your construction schedule. Advice on a single room is a short job. A new home or a commercial build-out follows the construction, from the drawings to the final walkthrough. At the first consultation we review the schedule stages and the estimated completion date, and we plan our site visits and deliveries around them.
What affects the cost of a lighting design project?
The scope, the number of rooms and the square footage, residential or commercial, any landscape or exterior work, how detailed the drawings and specification need to be, and how many site visits it takes. We don’t publish a price list. You get a quote after the free consultation, and our lighting designer cost guide explains each factor.
Is commercial lighting design different from residential?
The process is the same. The priorities change. At home it’s about how your family uses each room, light at a few heights and dimmers for the evening; see residential lighting design. Commercial spaces run long hours, so energy use, upkeep and easy lamp changes matter more, and there’s usually an architect and an interior designer at the table. Restaurants, hotels and catering halls need scenes for different times of day, and parking lots and building fronts need even light without glare. See commercial lighting design, hotel & hospitality lighting design and restaurant & bar lighting design.
Do you work with my architect, interior designer or builder?
Yes. We work with homeowners, architects and interior designers, builders and developers, business and property owners, and hotel and venue owners. On commercial work we often join a team that is already in place and handle the lighting side.
Do you design landscape and outdoor lighting?
Yes. Every exterior project starts with a walk around the property, then a layout showing each fixture and what it’s there to light. We choose fixtures made to live outside all year and aim and shield them to keep light out of the neighbors’ yards. More on our landscape lighting design and facade & exterior lighting pages.
What areas do you serve?
Atlantic, Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex and Union Counties in New Jersey. See the towns we serve. If your project is outside that area, give us a call.
Free Design Consultation
Let’s talk about your project
Call us to discuss your project, or request a free consultation and we’ll be in touch.
Request a Consultation