Homeowners are humans, and humans, as a rule, fear change and go to extraordinary lengths to preserve the status quo. Sure, many will spring for an upgrade or an incremental improvement, but only a small percentage are ready to rip out the drywall, throw out all the expensive gear they bought last time, and start from scratch. We love fearless clients but deal with the other type every day, and that applies to every technology in the home, including lighting.
Digital lighting is better than analog in many ways. As a lighting designer, I am drawn to the incredible flexibility inherent in many digital systems that allows me to get picky about color temperature, intensity, and fade rates down to the granularity of a single fixture. That downlight is now pointed at a cherry armoire? Let me warm it up a bit and add intensity so it looks great. The next downlight is pointing at the rug on the floor? Okay, I will knock down the intensity a bit and cool it off to pull out the grays in the weave. Oh, now it is 8:00 PM? Let me adjust all of it for a softer evening look. Sadly, most homeowners have never experienced great lighting, which means they have no way to understand how much they are missing.
Though we fear change, change is inevitable. Early public perception of electricity was extremely poor, despite the tendency of gas and oil lamps to fill our lungs with smoke and occasionally burn down the house. Few of us were willing to give up our landlines until long after cell phones were seemingly unavoidable. My parents still have some VHS tapes, but most of the time they stream digital content. I have not seen a cassette tape in ages but listen to digital music while I work daily. Sure, vinyl is great for audiophiles, but when was the last time you saw a turntable in a car?
To convince your clients to step into digital lighting, focus on the benefits. Try getting to know the clients first, as some of these reasons will turn out to be more important than others.
- Digital lighting can dramatically reduce the amount of copper run in the home (up to 60% when paired with low-voltage distribution) — copper that is typically strip-mined, refined, and shipped long distances. Why demand all that environmental destruction when you could have something better?
- We age, we host dinner parties, we remodel…there are many ways we change over time, and digital lighting is the best technology for adaptability. Need to shift the color temperature to balance for aging eyes? No problem. Need those lights controlled individually because there is a new cabinet in the room? Got it.
- Digital lighting fixtures typically cost more than analog fixtures, but the cost difference is lessened when you consider the reduction in copper and labor pulling unnecessary wires. Why spend money on copper that produces no additional benefit or labor that leaves the minute you move in? Instead, encourage clients to consider investing in digital lighting that provides ongoing benefits — that is a smarter financial decision.
- Well-being. Tunable and dynamic color technologies are key tools in the campaign to improve health and wellbeing through naturally inspired circadian lighting. You simply cannot get the desired shift in color temperature and intensity through analog fixtures, so if health and wellness are important to the clients, this is a must-have.
“But….” Be ready to address the fears and objections of each stakeholder:
- Fear of the Unknown. Reassure clients (and architects) that digital systems are everywhere, helping them enjoy their homes, and that lighting is just one of the last to get on board. They probably enjoy Wi-Fi, streaming content, cell phones, a programmable thermostat, and digital timers on their ovens. Why not bring lighting into the 21st century, too?
- Fear of Technology. New technologies carry inherent risks, and digital lighting will be cutting-edge, brand-new technology for most clients (and builders). Let them know that digital lighting is a decades-old, proven technology that began in theaters and offices and has been slowly moving into homes for more than ten years. After all, both DMX and DALI were launched long before the final season of Friends aired on television.
- Fear of Complexity. “I just want it to be simple” is a common saying from clients when discussing lighting control, despite these same clients building multimillion-dollar homes that are anything but simple. Too many control systems are programmed with one load per button, which can make it harder to get good lighting, so be sure to let your client know that lighting should be as simple as the sun rising and setting. (For more on scene setting, check out my article on Scene Setting in the upcoming Residential Lighting Best Practices Guide.)
The world will inevitably switch to digital lighting…someday. It is up to you and me to convince our clients that the time is now.
Related: What to Expect at Lightapalooza 2025
David Warfel is founding designer of Light Can Help You with diverse lighting experience. Design credits include performances at Carnegie Hall and The Saint Louis Black Rep, architectural designs at MGM Grand and Luxor in Las Vegas, Chicago’s Hyde Park Arts Center, and escape rooms for multiple Royal Caribbean cruise ships. His residential-focused company designs hundreds of homes each year across the continent. Warfel’s work and writing have been featured in LD+A, Fine Homebuilding, Lighting (Australia), Designing Lighting, Technology Designer, Houzz.com, and more, and he regularly blogs at languageoflight.blog.
