If you have ever walked into a beautiful kitchen only to see a four-gang of dimmers cluttering a wall, you know the feeling – wall acne. You work hard to create a beautiful design and intentional sightlines, then a tangle of switches detracts from the carefully crafted design. It is not just an eyesore, it is inconvenient. To achieve the right lighting, someone must remember which dimmer controls which circuit, then fiddle with sliders every time the task changes or the sun moves.
Above photo: GE Proseo lighting and motorized shade control keypads offer custom engraving. Photo credit: Savant
A professional lighting control system solves both smart home design problems with elegance. Instead of a row of dimmers, an architectural keypad recalls preset scenes that make the space look great at any time of day. Your home technology integrator will collaborate with you and your lighting designer or provide lighting design services to specify keypads that fit the project’s aesthetic – from retro pushbutton styles to sleek, modern designs. Finishes span metals and glass, and there are even lighting keypad options in wood, stone and leather.
Lighting Scenes that Simplify Life
In the kitchen, lighting scenes can include Prep, Cook, Cleanup, Dining, Entertain and Nightlight. Press Prep, and task lighting brightens over counters, while pendants and toe kick lights set a supportive glow. Choose Family Dinner, and undercabinet lights dim, pendants warm up, and accent lighting makes the room feel inviting without glare. Tap Entertain, and the kitchen syncs with adjacent spaces, perfect for an open-plan party.
Bathrooms benefit just as much. A Spa scene lowers the ambient lights, warms the color temperature, highlights architectural details and drops the motorized shades for privacy. A Makeup or Grooming scene provides bright, color-accurate light. A Nightlight scene lifts toe kick and cove lighting just enough to guide the way after midnight.
Daylight & Shades Working Together
Because natural light changes all day, a quality system adapts automatically. Your technology integrator can program profiles that harmonize electric light with natural daylight, which not only maintains the desired lighting level but also matches the color temperature of natural daylight. No longer do you need to select a single lighting color temperature, such as “warm white” or “cool white,” you can have nearly infinite color temperature and have it change based on outdoor conditions.
Motorized shade control can also be added to the same keypads to tame direct sun, protect finishes and support energy-savings goals. The keypad labeling is custom-engraved, so clients do not need to memorize dimmer or shade settings. Buttons are plainly marked, and a single press delivers the desired look every time.
Design-Forward Controls
Thoughtful programming goes beyond a single room. A Pathway scene can gently light the route from the kitchen to the bedroom. An Entertain scene can adjust lighting in the foyer, great room, kitchen and patio in one touch, so hosts are not sprinting around the house before guests arrive to set the perfect mood. For even more convenience, the same scenes can appear on a touch panel, a phone or activated by voice commands, yet day to day the tactile keypad is faster and feels more natural.
If you are concerned about how controls will look, you will be pleasantly surprised. Today’s keypads are design pieces. They can be flush-mounted, aligned with millwork and finished to match metals or natural materials already in the palette.
The takeaway for designers is simple. Partner with a qualified home technology integrator early and treat lighting control as a design tool. You will beautify the walls, delight your clients and deliver spaces that feel as good as they look, morning to night. To find HTA-certified, design-friendly integrators, click HERE.
