LIGHTING WALK THRUS FOR YOUR NEW HOME; Be Prepared for Designing Your Electrical Plan Like a Pro

“What was that?  My chandelier is OUT?  

The ONE thing, in all this planning for everyone else, that was my treat!  My special wow!  Why the heck is that pipe in the way? How did this happen?”

Have you ever felt like you’ve joined a conversation halfway through and you’re trying to catch up on the stuff you missed?  The reeeeeeaaaaaaly important stuff?

The walls go up, framing is complete and all of a sudden,

Wham! Chaos ensues.

Every decision for every room in your house is needed NOW by someone from you.  The plumbers, the electricians, the contractors from all sides,

and you don’t even know what a “can light” is!  What the heck are they saying?  The lingo is like teenagers in an app you don't have, talking in words that don't make sense!

That’s kind of what it’s like when your electrical walk-through is today and you haven’t got a clue what to do or what you want, but you’re so grateful that the electrician has actually shown up.  It’s the third one you’ve tried to hire, so you meet the contractors to keep moving forward and get into your beautiful new space.  But this is where you need to...

Pump the brakes!!!

Gather your floor plans, your mood boards, your decorating ideas for your home and slow down!  Lighting design is everything!  Hello?  Zoom anyone?  

A well designed plan lights your way home, sets a mood and makes everything in your home’s design look better, including us!  Countertops sparkle, art is accented and WOW chandeliers stop the show!  Rooms seem larger, ceilings higher and tasks are easier.  Life is better, illuminated.

Have I sold you yet?  

Lighting is a game changer, when done right!

So how do you make that happen?

It occurred to me when I got a phone call from a client I hadn’t heard from in years. I did the renovation plans for her house, Covid hit and life went on. 
"We’re going to meet the electrician for the walk thru” 

I said, “Can I come along?” 

It's been a loooooong time since I’ve done a full house walk-through and so I was excited I could've squealed!  I know it sounds weird, but the smell of sawdust, I just can’t get enough!  Plus, it would be some great info to share with you.

CHECK OUT THE VIDEO

When we got there and did the initial walk-through, I realized how unprepared I was, my clients were, what little help the electrician was providing and I started to freak out.  Not in front of them, mind you!   She’s pregnant and I don’t wanna have any problems. 

But, I knew we had to get some decisions made.  I had to get their plans tight.

It’s not hard to get it right!

We had to back up and look at the floor plan.  By thinking about all of the decisions that were being made, how they would affect the lighting plan and budget, we could give the electrician the proper information and get what the family wants and needs from the design and layout.

To have the lights in the right place for the gorgeous kitchen Island, to highlight grandma‘s piano, to light the back door first, because that’s the path the family uses most often. 

If you don’t have a clear vision of what you want for your space, just start with what you know.

Make a list of anything that requires power. 

• light fixtures, duh
• appliances 
• gadgets like fogless shower mirrors
• computers and ethernet hardwired locations
• charging stations
• home security
• central vac
• electric heat
• electrical radiant mats for flooring
• toothbrushes in the medicine cabinets
• hairdryers in the drawers
• heated towel racks
• closet lights
• exterior lights and power
• audio 

List the details about what types of lighting fixtures you want and where you want them installed.

• under cabinet lighting …(let's talk RGB  smart strips at a later date!) 
• ceiling fans
• sconces, carriage lights, wall washers
• semi flush, flush mounted
• pendants, mini pendants
• chandeliers, mini chandeliers
• track lighting
• LED strips, cove lighting and don't forget....
• Lighting for the HOME OFFICE!  No more poorly lit zoom meetings.

Recessed lighting is a separate animal.  There is so much to consider based on the percentage of the budget they gobble up! 

High hats, cans, recessed lights are the secret killer of budgets! 

The price for installation runs anywhere from $75 (that's a favor from an Uncle in my area) to upwards of $700 for Smart trim kits.  That's $700 EACH!  I have over 75 high hats in my house!  Careful what you choose, your kids may need to go to college after all.

How many and where?  Different kinds and quality of light.  Trim kits, smart technology and your construction budget!  The hidden costs.  The list goes on and on, but I will simplify!

Look for a video and blog I’m making on high hats, coming soon!  The choices are endless!

You can make your life better by improving your lighting plan. I promise.  Good lighting can make a mediocre sofa, shine!  While poorly placed, expensive fixtures can create shadows that make everyone look like Night of the Living Dead. The more details you can articulate, the better off you’ll be.  

If you have an electric toothbrush and you don’t want to see it like me, what do you do?  Where’s it going to go? Behind closed doors?  You need an outlet there! 

Bam!  That's easy! That’s making a plan for your lighting.

Once you have your floor plans or blueprints, your appliances, gadgets and fixtures list, map out how you move through the space.  Notice the flow of the house, from the front door to where you would go to put down groceries or the back door to where you would put shoes and your coat away.  

Draw lines on the space, arrows showing how you would get from one space to another and that’s what you want to think about when you “light the house”.

Think about lighting your path from the street to the front door, to the kitchen, up the stairs and into bed for the night.  And then back out in the middle of the night to the bathroom.

What is the furniture plan?  Where should the dining room lighting hang? Do you need bedside sconces for reading?

Indicate where you want those lights and what kind they are. All lights are not created equal and they need different kinds of junction boxes or receptacles and that affects the wiring and your budget.  Here's a color coded plan for the locations and types of lights.  Adding dashed lines and connections to switches on the plans will further tell the story of how the lights will be controlled.

You can check out in my latest YouTube video, What to expect in an electrical walk-through for a glimpse at “game day” of a walk thru.

Give copies of what you’ve discussed, marked up with notes on your plans to the electrician, to the plumber, to the HVAC guy and to your contractor.  

Throw in copies of the design plan to anybody else who might be affected by the decisions that are being made by you.  That way, you have a much better chance of getting what you want.

Accent lights on that favorite piece of art or a gallery of pictures.  Highlighting grandma‘s piano with a recessed fixture.   In order to do that, you have to start with the nitty-gritty. 

Your electrical walk-through happens a lot sooner than most people think and usually, it isn’t a single day affair.  A well designed lighting plan for your home takes time.  

Don’t let it sneak up on you and then be rushed to make decisions you may regret.  

Get Ready!

What kind of lights do you want in your kitchen?

Bathroom lighting?

Where are the lights are going to go?  How high?

How many of each type do you want?

How are you going to turn them on and off (how you’re going to switch them)?  Pay close attention to which way doors swing to place switches on the right, that is correct, side so you can easily reach them.

What kinds of electrical switches, dimmers, thermostats do you want?  What do they cost?

If your plans aren’t finalized the first ….or second time, don’t freak out!  Things change, orders get delayed and discontinued. Decisions need to have some flexibility.  Revisit your design plan as changes are made.  

People often think design and construction is so exacting.  Fancy, complicated plans with lots of numbers, codes and materials.  Everything must be set in stone. Well, in reality, there’s a whole lot of wiggle room. Make sure you like the Wiggles.

Here's where to start...

The most important information is the location and type of fixtures and lights to begin wiring your space for a beautiful lighting plan.  The electrician can begin the “electrical rough in” with that info.

This gives you some time to shop and finalize last minute decisions on exactly which pendant light goes over the island in your kitchen.  But, don’t be the one holding up progress.  Make a decision and move on. Time is big money.

On the bright side (no pun intended, but come on….), you don’t have to worry about deciding where outlets are located!  

Codes for your area will dictate locations of outlets, GFI requirements for damp locations and other stuff above my pay grade on the type of wiring, etc.

Locate any special outlets you may want and need for computers, charging stations or that hidden electric toothbrush.  Local code usually requires the electrician install more outlets than you'll ever need!

Let me know what lights you up about your lighting plan! [email protected]

Best,

Liz