Guides · Tools · Frameworks
The Design Lab
The Design Lab is where the studio publishes guides, tools, and frameworks for homeowners doing renovations on their own. Each one solves a specific problem the studio sees clients hit again and again. Digital downloads, no subscriptions.
The Residential Lighting Reference Guide.
The reference homeowners need before they buy a single fixture.
Lighting is the layer that gets decided last and lived with longest. Nobody explains it, so this guide does. Fixture types. Color temperature. Lumen targets. Recessed spacing. Three-layer composition for every room in the house. This guide covers the full system. Written from dual Master's degrees in Architecture and Interior Architecture, with specification experience across high-end hotels, restaurants, and residential interiors.
$37
The Complete Bundle is $55 for both. Bought separately they are $74.
The problem
Most fixtures get bought before anyone does the math.
Lighting is frequently the last decision in a renovation, sorted at the fixture aisle in an afternoon. A can gets picked because it looks right on the box. The kitchen lands at 4000K and feels like a dentist's office. The living room runs on one ceiling fixture and a dimmer that does almost nothing. Every other finish in the house got studied for weeks.
How the guide fixes it
The reference you read before you spend anything.
The Residential Lighting Reference is the whole system in one document. 42 pages on fixture types, color temperature, lumen targets, recessed spacing, and three-layer composition for every room in the house. You read it once and the fixture aisle stops being a guess.
- Fixture types explained, so you know what each one is for.
- Lumen targets room by room, with recessed counts and spacing.
- Ambient, task, and accent, planned together instead of one at a time.
Forty-two pages. Four chapters.
A complete reference for residential lighting design, organized the way an architect would specify a project. Foundation knowledge first, application second, resources at the back.
Part I · Foundation Knowledge
Why Lighting Is Your Home's Secret Weapon
- The Psychology of Light
- Light and Sensory Sensitivity
- The Benefits of Getting It Right
Understanding Light Sources
- Light Source Comparison
- Reading the Numbers
- Color Temperature Reference
The Professional Three-Layer System
- Layer One: Ambient Lighting
- Layer Two: Task Lighting
- Layer Three: Accent Lighting
- The Three Layers: Quick Reference
- Layer Application by Room
Part II · Resources
- Mistake Diagnosis Table
- Quick Reference Guide
- Glossary & Technical Terms
- Architectural Lighting Scope
A look inside.
A selection of pages from the guide. The full text is available after download.
The Home Lighting Planner.
The whole house, planned room by room, in one document.
Guide 01 teaches the system. The planner runs it for you. Enter every room and get lumen targets, fixture counts, whole-home totals, an estimated electrical load, and a contractor-ready spec sheet your electrician builds from. The first room is free.
$37
Or get the Complete Bundle with Guide 01 for $55.
- 30+ room types, room by room.
- Ambient, task, and accent targets for each room.
- Whole-home fixture and lumen totals.
- Estimated electrical load.
- Contractor-ready PDF export.
The Lighting Calculator.
Built from the same framework as Guide 01. Enter room dimensions, ceiling height, and natural light level. The calculator returns lumen targets, fixture counts, and color temperature, layer by layer.
- Eight room types, including kitchens, bathrooms, and closets
- Lumen targets for ambient, task, and accent layers
- Recessed fixture counts and Kelvin recommendations
Also free: the Fixture Sizing Calculator, which sizes a chandelier or pendant to the room.
Sample Output · Kitchen
Ambient
2,400lm
6 recessed · 2700K
Task
800lm
Under-cabinet · 2700K
Accent
400lm
Pendant · 2700K
Free · No email required
What publishes next.
Two project trackers are built and in review, one for whole-house renovations and one for kitchens and baths. A renovation brief generator is in open beta. After those, a long-form guide to planning and hiring a renovation. Subscribers hear first.