Natural light sunlight is both a resource and a tool in good architectural design, and an element that Marc and his team are eminently sensitive to. But when the last golden rays sink into the Pacific – what then? The lighting design is crucial to the look and feel of any interior, particularly for high task performance spaces, such as kitchens and bath/dressing areas. At the start of this year, energy efficiency regulations came into force that spell the demise of the much beloved, yet hopelessly inefficient Edison bulb.

Over the past few years there has been a great deal of frustration about the choices going forward. Professional designers and homeowners have complained about the chilly blue color, swirly distracting look, and occasional buzz of the CFLs (Compact Fluorescent), and the harsh quality of LEDs (Light Emitting Diode). While both have improved, the LEDs have come to the fore, as they are dimmable, contain no mercury, and provide more color choices. Also, they now speak Wi-Fi.

These smart LED bulbs range in price from $30 for the Insteon LED which offers 52,000 hours of use and is programmable from your smart phone, to $115 for the Connected by TCP Wireless, with 3 bulbs and a remote, plus a 10-year warranty. And a Philips Hue Connected bulb can be programmed via your iPad to flash when the National Weather Service puts out a warning in your area. If color is your thing, the LIfX LED (which debuted on Kickstarter in 2012) can be adjusted using a wide palette of hues, again from your phone or device.

Invention and innovation are continuing, Vu1 Corporation wants to set a new global standard for safe, sustainable, energy-efficient lighting with the creation of a light bulb that is mercury-free like an LED, energy efficient and affordable like a CFL, with technology they call Electron Stimulated Luminescence.

Another startup in the field is in Cambridge. The Finally Light Bulb Company is now taking preorders for its “acandescent” bulb, which uses induction technology to mimic the warm glow of our old incandescent. “We replace that tungsten filament that you find in a typical incandescent light bulb with a piece of copper wire. And when you energize that piece of copper, it allows the bulbs to glow this warm, kind of welcoming light,” says Finally Light Bulb founder and CEO John Goscha.

See the colorful LED effects created in our Harold Way bachelor high-rise (bottom photo). Also, our project on Laurel Way has incorporated not only smart lighting by Crestron, but a home automation system, which is fully integrated into the entire property; heating and air, water and fire features, outdoor landscape lighting, and electronic window shades are activated with the touch of an iPad or iPhone, from anywhere in the house – or from anywhere in the world.