brilliant
LIGHTING
the good, the bad, the smart
By
Rebecca
Ballotta
E
xhilaration escalates as you meet with your architect, your
builder, and your design team to hash out the specifics of
your dream home. You discuss structural placement and neces-
sities at length, and you probably leave all the finishing touches — like lighting — for later.
However, that can be a mistake according to Design Associates in Bozeman.
"Lighting is an essential part to creating a
home, environment, or space. It is also crucial
for spaces to function properly. However, due
to the fact that many times this design element is not addressed until later in the project,
it tends to be overlooked, under-designed, or
under-budgeted."
"Smart" lighting is something that really
needs to be planned for early on since the
wiring for it must be put in place before the
drywall is up. According to Doug Brekke of
Black Box Design in Big Timber, "smart"
56
lighting is operated by a central control
system where settings are programmed into
a computer that sends the instructions to all
the switches in the house. Although this is a
high-end feature, it is certainly worth considering! Imagine the lights in your home
adjusting themselves automatically based on
your family's routine, even while you're on
vacation. How convenient would it be, after
you've already snuggled yourself into bed for
the night and suddenly remembered all the
basement lights are still on, to be able to just
D I ST I NCT LY M ONTANA • SU M M E R 2013
