Luxury Lighting: The Inside Story

Intelligent Lighting Enhances Luxury Home Design

One of the most impactful features of a luxury home is one you barely notice: lighting.

A well-designed lighting system will discreetly “emulate exactly what the sun does, only indoors,” according to Mike Cortigiano, president of Strateres, a company known in the trade for its expertise in automated lighting control (along with motorized shading and integrated audio and video systems). True-to-life lighting systems are on display in the company’s immersive, state-of-the-art studio in Norwood, Massachusetts.

Why would you want to replicate natural lighting?

“Say you build a beautiful, 10,000-square-foot home, sparing no expense,” says Cortigiano. You commission award-winning architects, master builders, and the finest interior designers, “but if you don’t make a conscious effort to learn about lighting and integrate a system into your home, all of that design is going to show poorly,” he says.

“The impact that lighting has on both residential and commercial spaces can’t be overstated,” says Cortigiano. Beyond protecting your investment, there’s another reason to install an intelligent lighting system. He explains: lighting is dynamic and it starts at the window. When interior lighting mimics the sun, you seamlessly transition throughout your day—from energizing mornings and productive afternoons to intimate evenings. When your lighting is in sync with our circadian rhythms (the cues our bodies take from natural light), it reinforces natural sleep-wake cycles and has been shown to enhance virtually every aspect of health and performance.

Circadian Lighting Creates Healthier, More Comfortable Homes

As part of the larger concepts of biophilic, or human-centric, design, Cortigiano calls this phenomenon the “natural show.” The technology has been steadily improving over the last decade, he says, with very meaningful advances in the last five years. He credits Lutron Electronics with changing the way the luxury residential and commercial markets think of lighting.

The leading manufacturer of automated lighting controls and shading systems, Lutron was founded in 1961, when the company was granted a patent for the world’s first electronic dimmer. Today, Lutron systems use a combination of wired and wireless communication between dimmers, switches, keypads, automated shades and fixtures to control lighting intensity, color temperature, and scenes.

How does it work? A program is set up for your location, mapping its orientation and seasonal changes throughout the year. Your system is designed to sync with natural light, emitting the same color temperature and progression of sunlight.

Systems can be installed during construction or retrofitted into an existing home. You can use a keypad or voice controls to alter the program, and you can even override it. Imagine it’s 8 p.m., the time when you’d usually be winding down from your day. But you’re in housecleaning mode—so you simply adjust your system to provide brighter lighting whenever and wherever you need it.

The Best Smart Home Lighting Blends Technology and Design

Lutron systems perfectly reflect the Strateres philosophy, says Cortigiano: “We have three beliefs that influence everything we do. First, technology needs to complement (not compete with) interior design. Second, we believe the best way to do that is by designing systems that ‘disappear.’ Finally, every system must be reliable and simple to use.”

Lutron offers form and function in equal measure. It marries the latest, intuitive technology with high-end design. Say goodbye to ugly wall switches and hello to minimalist keypads and controls that complement any design style. Choose from a variety of colors and stunning finishes like solid brass, glass, and brushed metals.

“Lighting is an integral part of all the things you never knew you needed in a luxury home,” says Cortigiano. Keep in mind that as manufacturers’ representatives, Strateres associates are there to inform and facilitate, not sell. There’s no pressure; just opportunities for learning.

That’s precisely why its 5,000-square-foot studio was designed to demonstrate the latest technologies to both pros and homeowners. It allows them to experiment with new ideas, and specify systems “with both aesthetics and performance in mind.”

Strateres Design Studio
83 Morse St. Unit 8D
Norwood, Mass.,  02062
774-961-1206
strateresdesign.com