In Plain English: Light is the most underused finish in a luxury home. Done well, lighting design changes the way a room feels at every hour of the day. Done poorly, it shows up as switches in the wrong place, glare on the kitchen counter, and a dimmer that buzzes. We design and install the version that disappears.
What Lighting Design Actually Means
Lighting design is the discipline of choosing the fixtures, placing them, choosing the right color temperature and beam angle, controlling them on the right circuits, and giving the homeowner a scene-based way to use them. It is not the same thing as picking pretty fixtures. The fixtures matter, but the engineering. how the room is lit at 7am versus 7pm versus 11pm. is where the work is.
Restrepo Innovations is an Elite Pro Crestron Dealer. On lighting work we lead with Crestron lighting and the Crestron Horizon Keypad family, and we design, deploy, install, configure, and support the platforms that round out the category: Lutron HomeWorks, Lutron RadioRA 3, Ketra, and Colorbeam. We work with their hardware on real projects every month and we stand behind the systems we install.
Layers of Light
A real lighting design layers multiple sources so that one room can be lit several different ways depending on what is happening in it. We typically work with five layers:
- Ambient. Recessed downlights and ceiling fixtures providing the general room wash.
- Task. Pendants over islands, undercabinet strips, picture lights, reading lights. lighting tied to specific work surfaces.
- Accent. Wall washers, art lights, niche lighting. bringing finishes and artwork forward.
- Architectural. Cove lighting, integrated millwork lighting, step and stair lighting, perimeter glow.
- Decorative. Chandeliers, sconces, table lamps. the visible jewelry of the room.
Why Tunable White and Full-Spectrum Color Matter
The biggest single shift in luxury lighting in the last decade is tunable white. lighting that can shift from a warm 2200K candlelight in the evening to a crisp 4000K daylight in the morning, on the same fixture, automatically. Done correctly it follows the natural arc of the day, supports circadian rhythm, and changes how the house feels every hour without anyone touching a switch.
Ketra and Colorbeam are the platforms we use when the project calls for full-spectrum color and tunable white at a level that matches sunlight. They are not cheap and they are not for every project. When they are right, they are unmatched. We will say so when they fit and we will say so when they do not.
Scene-Based Control, Not Switch Banks
A well-designed lighting system replaces a wall full of dimmer sliders with two or three engraved scene keypads. The keypads say what the scene does. “Dinner,” “Cooking,” “Movie,” “Goodnight”. not which fixture they control. Behind each scene is a programmed combination of levels, color temperatures, and ramps that we set during commissioning and tune over time.
Scenes also fire from the rest of the system. The Crestron “Movie” scene in a media room dims the room lights, brings up the path lights at 5 percent, and warms the kitchen down the hall to evening color. “Goodnight” turns everything off, locks the front door, arms the alarm, and sets the climate. Lighting is the most visible piece of automation, but it is rarely operating alone.
How a Lighting Project Runs
Schematic and reflected ceiling plan. We work from architectural drawings, mark up fixture locations, and review with the design team before electrical rough-in.
Fixture spec. Brand, color temperature, beam angle, lumen output, dimming protocol. We pick fixtures that play well with the control platform. not generic LED that flickers on a Lutron dimmer.
Control hardware. Crestron processors with Horizon Keypads on Crestron-led projects, Lutron HomeWorks processors, Athena nodes, RadioRA 3 main repeater, Ketra X2 hub, Colorbeam controllers. Chosen to match the project. Wired backbones for permanent loads, wireless for retrofits.
Programming and scenes. Done by us, on site, with the homeowner in the room. Scenes are written, tested, and refined. not delivered as defaults.
Walkthrough and tuning. Final calibration of color temperature ramps, schedules, and integration with the rest of the automation. Followed by a service relationship for the long term.
Service Area
We deliver lighting design across NJ, NY, and CT. full coverage in luxury residential markets including Bergen County, Fairfield County, Westchester, Manhattan, and the Hamptons.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need an architect or interior designer to engage you on lighting?
No. We work directly with homeowners, with design teams, and on existing homes. The earlier we are involved in a new build, the more architectural lighting we can do at the millwork stage. but retrofits in finished homes are a meaningful part of what we do.
What credentials does Restrepo hold for lighting work?
Restrepo is an Elite Pro Crestron Dealer, HTA Luxury Certified, OSHA Certified, and a Ubiquiti UISP Pro Partner. On the lighting side specifically, we design, deploy, install, configure, and support Lutron HomeWorks, Lutron RadioRA 3, Ketra, and Colorbeam systems. that is the work, and we stand behind it.
Can you retrofit lighting control into a finished house?
Yes. Lutron RadioRA 3 and HomeWorks wireless products were designed for exactly this. Retrofits cannot match the architectural integration of a new build, but they can deliver the scene-based control, tunable white, and integration that make a real difference.
What is the difference between Lutron and Ketra?
Lutron is the control platform. dimmers, keypads, processors, software. Ketra is a fixture and color platform that produces the most accurate full-spectrum tunable white in the industry. They work together: Lutron controls Ketra fixtures inside the same system. Most projects use both.
How much does a lighting design system cost?
Wireless retrofit systems for a single floor can start in the low five figures. Full-house Lutron HomeWorks with Ketra fixtures throughout an estate runs into the mid to high six figures. The walkthrough is the right place to scope it honestly.
Will the lighting integrate with the rest of the automation?
Yes. We connect Lutron to Crestron at the system level so scenes fire across both platforms. Lights respond to media events, climate scenes, security events, and time-of-day. not just to the keypad on the wall.
“Press the button. Look at the work. Decide for yourself. We will walk it with you, on the house, anywhere in our service area.” __EMDASH_PROTECT_0__
Schedule a Walkthrough
Call 201.405.2022 or use the contact form. Tell us the property, what is installed, and what you want from this scope. We will confirm a time and come look. No charge. No report. No obligation.