What Multi-Million Dollar Homes Still Get Wrong About Lighting

Even in multimillion-dollar homes, lighting can make or break the way a space feels. At Lightovation in Dallas last month, a panel of lighting designers, moderated by Blair Loftspring of the National Kitchen & Bath Association, repeatedly warned that omitting a comprehensive lighting plan can result in flattened finishes, obscured millwork, diminished client satisfaction, and can otherwise make a home feel lifeless.

"Light layers often get deleted because of budget, but they're the most powerful," says Kelly Inglis, a lighting consultant with the British Columbia-based Mac's II Agencies. "People too often rely on electricians, and they just don't know the nuance."

A proper layered approach combines ambient, task, and accent lighting purposefully to help structure routines, highlight work zones, and create visual depth, Inglis says.

Light Where You Work, Not Where You Walk

A common mistake is lighting where you walk versus where you use your hands, says Mitchel Oborny of Focus Design, a lighting design company in Dallas. Prioritizing task areas—kitchen counters, islands, and grooming spaces—over walkways prevents shadows in critical workspaces.

"Better placement eliminates those shadows and glare," he says. "Location and amount of light is key."

Oborny also warns against the default approach of installing downlights in a uniform, grid pattern throughout a space. "It may be easy," he says, "but it doesn't reflect how people in that space are living. You should never notice downlights."

To optimize placement, Inglis says she has clients color code a floor plan, with different colors noting task areas, relaxation areas, and other zones. Another panelist, Dallas-based interior designer Thu Trinh, recommends thorough conversations with clients about lifestyle and, when possible, making an effort to observe their habits to identify pain points or frustrations. Even subtle touches, like soft toe-kick lighting at night, enhance safety without disturbing sleep, she says.

Make Smart Controls Simple

Smart lighting is increasingly practical and affordable, the panel noted. Motion-sensitive fixtures add convenience without complicating use, Trinh says.

Inglis called out the benefits of tunable white lights, which adjust color temperature and intensity to mimic natural daylight. Pre-set controls allow clients to adjust all the lighting layers with a single touch for different tasks and times of day: brighter light for cooking, softer for winding down. Inglis prefers a wall panel over an app for such controls, so that lighting adjustments are accessible to everyone living in the home and "not stuck on someone's phone."

She also suggests demonstrating lights for clients, because once they experience the difference, they're easier to engage in decisions. "Find a local resource," she says, "because the technology is changing every six months at this point."

Beyond Floodlights

Outdoor lighting has also evolved, with subtle, layered sources now replacing harsh floodlights. And while some clients do request floodlights for safety, Inglis says you can meet their concerns by illuminating the steps and other elevations while preserving the "soft glow" effect that's become the most favored way to illuminate the outdoors. 

The impact can be far reaching. Inglis says that, without exterior lighting, windows can feel like "black mirrors" at night. Well-placed outdoor fixtures let homeowners enjoy a lit landscape, whether a snow-covered tree or architectural feature, that becomes part of the interior space as well. Rechargeable, cordless lights can offer flexible solutions where electrical access is limited.

Plan Early or Pay Later

Overall, panelists cautioned that projects can miss their mark when lighting is an afterthought. Budget cuts, delegating decisions entirely to electricians, and late planning can leave even luxury homes poorly lit ("I've seen $15 million homes with basic lighting from the big box store," says Oborny).

Early planning, collaboration with design teams, and client demos all go a long way to transforming a home and giving clients the experience that they may not have even realized they wanted.

"Once you experience really good lighting," says Inglis, "you can't live without it."