What are the functional applications of lighting?
Light performs four functions: Decorative, Task, Accent, and Ambient. Decorative refers to fixtures such as chandeliers and exterior lanterns that add visual sparkle to a space. Task is work-related lighting, such as lighting under the cabinets in the kitchen, or a light for reading next to a chair. Accent is light used to highlight objects in a room to create depth and dimension. Ambient is the gentle fill light for a space that softens shadows on people's faces and creates the feeling of a glowing fire. Unfortunately, ambient lighting is most likely to be overlooked. An effective lighting design layers these four functions together to create a cohesive overall design.

What does lighting do for design?
My job as a lighting designer is to make what the interior designers, architects, and landscape designers do come to life at night. I call it painting with light.

How do you define drama in an interior design?
Dramatic lighting makes a statement, sets a mood and creates visual excitement. This is not the type of lighting that people can function in on a day-to-day basis - it's for entertaining. My lighting designs offer different levels and layers of light so that clients have a great variety of lighting scenes for working, playing, cleaning and socializing.

How does the lighting you use create drama in a room?
Accent lighting punches out art objects to give a visual show that draws a visitor's eyes around the room. Wall sconces can create a secondary ceiling line that helps humanize the scale of a very large room. The sconces can also act like glowing torches to lead guests down passageways. Decorative fixtures definitely play a role in adding drama to a space, for example, when a perforated metal star-shaped fixture in an entry throws a wonderful pattern of light across the ceiling and walls. The warm color of incandescent light provides a dynamic contrast against a twilight blue sky seen through the windows as dusk approaches.

What recent lighting trend have you noticed?
The biggest trend is the increased interest in landscape lighting. People want to create outdoor rooms for entertaining at night. Also, lighting outside visually expands interior spaces beyond the "black mirror" effect at night - when you see your own reflection in the window instead of the view beyond.

How do you typically incorporate technology into your design?
I use a 4-scene pre-set dimming system that allows clients to have four different scenes at the touch of a button. This provides the option of many different light levels, depending on how the room is being used.

What are your main design goals on a project and how do you meet them?
What many clients want is a flexible lighting system that gives them the most bang for their buck. For accent lighting I normally specify recessed adjustable low voltage fixtures that use a highly energy-efficient 50-watt halogen source called an MR 16 (the MR stands for mirror reflector). We often use decorative fixtures as the "jewelry" on a project. If costs are an issue, we can recommend reasonably priced fixtures that resemble much more expensive versions.

What major factor do you feel makes a lighting design successful?
The creation of a collaborative atmosphere among all the design professions and the clients on a project is probably the most important factor in successful and outstanding projects. An active, creative exchange of ideas really makes all the elements work together. This is why it's important to bring a lighting designer in early on a project instead of waiting until the end. The best lighting design is well integrated with the architecture, because the professional coordination has been carefully considered.

How is lighting design different than other interior design elements?
I view it not necessarily as different, but more as another layer to a well-designed space. Lighting makes a room's elements come alive at night. We are drawn to light in a very primitive, ancient way. Light, when used correctly, creates an instant level of comfort. When thinking about lighting any given space there are three things to be illuminated: art, architecture and people. I always start by lighting the people first.

What are some current projects?
I am currently working on two fantastic residences in Palm Springs, California. One is a 1960's style home with an Afro-Japanese interior. The other is a very sculptural home, made from giant slabs of cast concrete with floor-to-ceiling glass in between. It's like a squared-off version of Stonehenge.