Architectural lighting is the discipline that has the largest impact on how a home reads day-to-day. Done well, the room is beautiful whether the decorative selections are turned on or off, the homeowner has one keypad button for “Dinner” instead of fifteen dimmers, and the fixtures disappear into the architecture. Done poorly, the home is permanently over- or under-lit, the controls are confusing, and the homeowner spends years fighting the system.
What architectural lighting design actually covers
A complete architectural lighting scope on a Vancouver Island luxury custom build typically delivers:
- Layered lighting plan — ambient, task, accent, decorative across every room — coordinated with the interior designer’s decorative selections
- Fixture specification — recessed cylinders, cove washes, picture lights, under-cabinet, linear coves, outdoor architectural — with lamp / colour-temperature / beam-angle decisions for every plane
- RCP overlays — reflected ceiling plans at the architectural scale showing every fixture, dimmer circuit, and keypad
- Panel schedules — panelised dimming modules (Lutron HomeWorks XPS, Crestron CLW) sized to the home’s lighting load
- Scene programming — Morning, Day, Evening, Entertain, Late, Goodnight — that the homeowner actually uses
- Engraved keypads — finishes coordinated with the interior designer’s metal palette
- Photometric studies on request — for rooms with critical wall washes or art lighting
Lutron HomeWorks vs Crestron — which platform for which project
Lutron HomeWorks is the deepest residential lighting platform available. Strongest keypad and dimmer ecosystem. Native integration with Lutron Palladiom motorised shading. Limited but capable integration with audio-video and climate via third-party gateways. Best for projects where lighting is the dominant integration discipline.
Crestron is the deep-customisation platform. Native control of lighting alongside audio-video, climate, shading, security, access — all on one user interface, one app. Lighting depth is meaningfully shallower than HomeWorks but adequate for most luxury builds. Best for projects where lighting sits inside a broader integration scope.
Wenner is an authorised Lutron dealer and a Crestron Elite Dealer; we recommend per project.
Ketra tunable architectural lighting — the premium spec
Ketra is Lutron’s tunable-white-and-colour architectural lighting line. Each fixture shifts colour temperature from warm tungsten through bright midday and back on a daily circadian curve, on the same dimmer circuit. The premium over standard fixed-temperature LED is meaningful (roughly 3-5× per fixture).
Where Ketra delivers: primary living spaces, dining rooms, primary bedrooms, art-lit walls, anywhere the homeowner spends serious time. Where it isn’t worth the premium: utility spaces, back-of-house, secondary bedrooms — standard fixed-temperature LED is fine.
Heritage retrofits — RadioRA 3
For heritage homes in Oak Bay, Rockland, Qualicum Beach village, central Victoria — anywhere pulling new wire to every fixture isn’t realistic — Lutron RadioRA 3 is the workhorse. Wireless dimmers, wireless keypads, a hub that ties them together. Less programming depth than HomeWorks but a fraction of the install scope.
What it costs on Vancouver Island
A complete architectural lighting scope on a 5,000–10,000 sq ft Vancouver Island custom build typically lands:
- Design fee — $15,000–$60,000+ for the full design package (layered plan, RCPs, fixture specification, scene programming)
- Controls platform (HomeWorks or Crestron) — $20,000–$80,000+ depending on circuit count and keypad finish schedule
- Fixtures — $25,000–$120,000+ depending on count, brand, and whether Ketra is in spec
Total typically $60,000–$260,000+ on a luxury build. The lighting design itself is usually 8-12% of the home electrical and lighting budget.
When to bring a lighting designer in
At schematic — alongside the architect and interior designer. The fixture types, ceiling penetrations, dimmer circuits, and keypad locations all need to be on the architectural drawings before framing.
Next step
Book a Centre Visit — Lutron and Crestron lighting scenes running live in working rooms. Bring your interior designer and architect.
See also: the Architectural Lighting service page and Human-centric lighting for your home.