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Detail · February 2026 · 3 min

Lighting as architecture, not decoration.

Why we draw the lighting plan before the floor plan is finalised.

Lighting as architecture, not decoration.

Most homes are over-lit and under-considered. A grid of recessed downlights on the ceiling is not a lighting plan — it is a default.

We start every project by drawing the lighting plan in parallel with the layout. Where do you want shadow? Where do you want focus? Where should a single bulb do the work of ten?

A good room, lit well, is darker than you expect.

Northwall Design Studio · February 2026

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The discipline of restraint

Philosophy · 4 min