Since their emergence onto the smart home scene, linear LED light fixtures have been used primarily to accent architectural features and define the perimeters of soffits, staircases, ledges, and pathways. The owners of a recently built smart home in Australia took this concept several steps further by introducing geometric shapes and colors to the lighting design. The roughly 1,100 yards of Control4 Vibrant Linear Lighting from Snap One, now part of ADI, not only accentuated elements of the home’s architecture, it became the dominating feature of the room design.
The Melbourne, Australia homeowner’s request for this unique application of LED lighting was pivotal for the systems integrators at Nisi Group, who only recently added Vibrant Linear Lighting. Eager to also get it into their own catalog, the design-minded Nisi Group promptly installed the innovative light strips in their showroom. Once the system was in place and programmed, they invited the clients to take a look at the captivating end-result.
“The homeowners loved the effects lighting can impart on living spaces, strip lighting in particular,” relates Alicia Nisi, Operations Manager of Nisi Group. “Certainly, soft, diffused, general illumination was on their radar, but they were thrilled to have the chance to incorporate bright, colorful lighting into the design. The new Vibrant Linear Lighting strips paired with their tried-and-trusted Control4 system would give the clients the best of both worlds, plus the ability to dramatically change the look and feel of any room by easily adjusting the intensity, temperature and hue of the strips.”
Lighting Takes Shape
The design team at Nisi Group took full advantage of the highly customizable nature of the Vibrant Linear Lighting and the Control4 platform to create colorful, multi-dimensional lighting effects throughout the home.
“The owners lead a very active lifestyle, so it was only fitting to infuse it with dynamic illumination,” says Nisi. The linear lighting was such an important facet of the overall home design and the family’s passion for color, the strips were embedded flush within the plaster, drywall, and acoustical paneling—and not just in a few rooms. Indeed, the eye-catching, color-changing strips of light would stretch into hallways, around doorways, and other otherwise nondescript areas. “They wanted every area to be bright and as visually interesting as possible,” Nisi says.
In Living Color
Ready to add a whole new dimension of lighting to the home interior, the owners gave Nisi Group creative liberty to flex their design, installation and programming muscles. Every shade of color is at the family’s fingertips.
“They’ve completely adopted color as a reflection of their personalities, a complement to the home aesthetic, and a vital component of their daily routines and special events,” says Nisi. “Whether it’s celebratory pink for a birthday, peaceful blue hues for a restful evening, or a kaleidoscope of patterns to Wow guests as they step into the family room, the homeowners are pushing the boundaries of lighting design through the innovative and integration-friendly Vibrant system.”
Shortcuts to Sensational Lighting
The family enjoys experimenting with color, but like most households, there are certain routines to follow. Nisi Group programmed the lights accordingly and assigned these scenes to shortcut buttons on Control4 interfaces. “Arcade,” for example, washes warm hues of red and orange across the family-favorite lounge area. Thanks to the intuitive, user-friendly nature of the Control4 software and the versatility of the Vibrant Linear Lighting system, the family’s list of preset shortcuts is quickly evolving and growing. “By freely experimenting with colors the owners have discovered and set up preferred lighting scenes for their prayer room and yoga studio all on their own,” says Nisi. “The lighting options are endless, only limited by their creativity!”
Extending the Experience
Adding to the effect of the home’s impressively designed linear lighting system are multiple sets of motorized window shades and a multi-room audio system. Per commands issued via a Control4 interface, they can adjust in concert with the lighting scenes; for example, turning off and lowering as the lights dim for bedtime or during the opening movie credits in the home theater.
Lighting ties into the home’s security system, as well, eliciting a strobe-light effect whenever an alarm trips and softly illuminating safe passageways to the kitchen and bathrooms at night. It all goes to show just how crucial lighting is to the overall experience and aesthetic of a home, especially for these homeowners who looked beyond the basic bulb to enhance their lifestyle and the home architecture with sophisticated linear fixtures.
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