The Simple Made Dramatic When Lit
Even the simplest architectural detail is made more dramatic when properly lit. Indeed, when it comes to accentuating a structure, its décor and the surrounding landscape, lighting is one of the most important aspects of home design. Yet, according to John Hodges, it’s also one of the most over-looked.
The third-generation electrician and co-owner of Hodges Triad Electric—a family owned and operated concern launched by his father, Wallace Hodges, in 1974—knows from whence he speaks.
“We have a great deal of experience in the custom home building market,” Hodges says, “and one of the most common mistakes we see, even in homes in the $800,000 to $1 million-range, is that not enough thought is given to lighting design, or future-proofing a home with energy-saving devices during the building process.”
According to Hodges, sometimes that’s because the homeowner just isn’t aware of all the options available today, or they don’t understand the impact that good lighting design has on the overall appearance, function and security of their home. “Or, budget may be an issue and the homeowner will say, ‘We can always come back and do that later.’ The problem with that approach is that down the road, when they realize that there aren’t enough switches in the right places, or they have too many switches in the wrong places, or that there is simply not enough light inside or outside of the home, it will cost the homeowner up to four times as much to fix the problem.”
For that reason, at Hodges Triad Electric, educating customers is a top priority. “We don’t ever try to sell anybody anything,” Hodges relates, “but we want to ensure that they get the absolute best they can for their money. We also don’t want anyone to finish a house and say, ‘Well, I wish I had known we could have had that.’ For no additional fee, we provide the lighting design expertise that people would typically have to hire decorators to provide, as well as the information they require to make decisions about all of their electrical, technology or security needs.”
