There’s Gold in them thar Walls!
Nearly everybody is familiar with the expression “Do it for the kids!” It’s an invitation to invest in the future of your descendants. And so we put money in education funds, or buy them a laptop for school (or a tablet, or whatever device will give them some educational advantage).
Maybe we’ll even capitulate and get them a new game console, or the latest $1,000 phone, so they’ll “be cool like the other kids.” But sometimes we need to pause and ask “What about my Inner Child?
Increasing Value
Having received several modules of a home automation system as Christmas gifts this year, it has been a ridiculous amount of fun arranging for lights to go on or off just by speaking to the empty air. It’s been fascinating to read reports about how much power my various devices and appliances are consuming. It’s nice to come home to lights that are already turned on; to find the house temperature already at a reasonable level; and to find that my phone data has already been turned off because I’m within range of my Wi-Fi network.
I’ve even set up what is called a “Geo-Fence” along my street so that my house “knows” when I’m approaching, and opens the garage door for me! Imagine what our grandparents would have thought about accomplishing tasks by speaking to invisible servants!
The landscape lights come on, not at a specific time every day, but according to the daily sunset times, and go off at dawn. This is going to be fun making the whole house “smart”—but it doesn’t all have to be about what we can do with new technology—even traditional improvements are valuable.
Ambiance
Your home reflects your style, and what you want others to know about you. It shows what you think is important. Is it full of rich woody overtones, paintings, and subdued lighting, or is it stark and white and filled with modern chrome furnishings?
Whatever you choose, it will appeal to someone else, and be perceived as valuable. If you ever decide to move, someone will say “OMG! This is it, honey! This is our new house!”
Improvements
Will it be Phantom™ lighting or cabinet lighting, or a large hanging Chiclet fixture in the kitchen that casts shadowless light evenly, everywhere? Perhaps it’s a home theater with tiny dimmable floor lights, just like a real movie theater.
Maybe it is a sophisticated landscape lighting system that can change color or patterns. Does a fountain or sculpture need something to keep it from disappearing in the dark every night?
Even updating the wiring is a valuable change. Many antebellum homes still have knob & tube wiring, and insurance companies don’t like it. Some folks are uncomfortable with aluminum wiring, even though it is perfectly safe if installed correctly. Moving a poorly located light switch can make a tremendous difference. And a home automation system is just the icing on the cake.
Our friend Charles Peckham wrote to us to relate his experience:
I have used Illuminations on several projects in our present and prior home. I do not doubt that the ambiance created at our old house was the reason we were able to command the price we did in its sale. Quite a return on the dollar!
In our new home, we had Illuminations do lights in our trees for aesthetic and security purposes. They also designed the lighting for our kitchen expansion.
We could not be happier. We like the personal attention to detail; the budget process from the outset, so there were no surprises; the ability to be flexible when we wanted changes; and the fantastic final result.
Putting in lighting is technical, but the folks at Illuminations are artists. Thanks to Tom and all the staff at Illuminations. They have our highest recommendation!
Thanks so much, Charles! We loved working on your homes. There were just so many excellent ideas to explore and, of course, we are thrilled that you are so pleased with the results.
The Takeaway
Technophiles want all the bells & whistles; Traditionalists are content with beauty and convenience features. It doesn’t matter which camp you land in—ILD can handle any electrical project, on any scale—and you will be thrilled with the results.
Remember, we’re engineers, electricians, art designers, and lighting specialists. It is what we are famous for. Whatever your electrical project is, we’re the best chance you have of a satisfactory conclusion (or at least that is what our customers tell us!)
We’re based in Houston, Texas, but in truth, ILD is the only “one-stop” destination for lighting design services, engineering, landscape lighting services, and installation in the whole state of Texas. And to top it off we are unrivaled by any lighting firm in the United States for lighting that is art.
Call the electrical experts you can trust at Illuminations Lighting Design. We would love to hear from you, so pick up the phone and give us a call at 713-863-1133 so you can learn more before we begin your journey towards perfect lighting.
PHANTOM™ is a registered trademark of Phantom Lighting Systems, LLC.
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