Good Lighting - A Curse

Lighting is one of those things most people don’t think about - until it’s wrong.

West Village, Manhattan: A private office project which I completed as Partner at Orsman Design.

You can have a space that’s beautifully designed, full of amazing finishes and furnishings, but if the lighting is off - the whole thing just feels… flat. Cold. Uninviting.

On the flip side, even a pretty average space can suddenly feel warm, layered, and high-end with well-designed lighting. It’s wild how much of a difference it makes.

Once you see it, though, you can’t unsee it. That’s the curse.

I can’t go anywhere without analyzing the lighting. Restaurants. Hotel lobbies. Even someone’s house while they’re just trying to have me over for dinner. I’m out here quietly thinking, “Why is there a single downlight right above the dining table making everyone look like they’re in a police lineup?” or even worse, "why are those two light sources different colors?"

Haus of Lawrence completed Lafayette Steakhouse (above) in Brickell, Miami in 2024.

I’ve passed the curse on to Andy and a few friends, and now it’s become this running bit. We’ll walk into a place and one of us will whisper, “don’t look up.” And of course... we look up and more often than not, we see inconsistencies and poorly executed lighting details.

It’s not really

about the

light itself

People often assume good lighting means expensive lighting. It doesn’t. The product matters - you want something with good color rendering (CRI 90+), solid build quality, and reliable longevity - but that’s not the secret.

The secret is how the light is applied.

For most architectural and even decorative lighting, you want to conceal the source. When you see the actual bulb or LED element, you’re pulled out of the moment. It’s harsh, distracting. When the light is hidden and all you experience is the glow, that’s when the magic happens.

Upper East Side, NYC: A private residence with Orsman Design. Note hose the source of the lighting is mostly concealed but its impact is grand.

Lighting is also this strange, almost poetic element in design - it’s the only medium that visibly transforms a space yet can’t be physically touched. You can’t pick it up or hold it, but it completely defines how you experience everything else. It’s the invisible hand that shapes the mood, the color, the texture, even the perceived size of a space.

Palm Beach, FL. A project under Orsman Design. In the landscape consider the darkness equal with the lighting. The space is vast, so highlight only special moments.

Think about lighting a houseplant. You could throw a little uplight right at the front of the planter but then every time you walk by, you’re blinded by it. Instead, try tucking that light behind the planter, aimed upward. The plant glows, the shadows play across the wall, and the source disappears.

Same goes for under-cabinet lighting, toe-kicks, or picture lights. Conceal, diffuse, reflect. The less you see the fixture, the more you feel the effect.

A few easy ways to elevate your lighting:

• Use layers. Overhead lighting alone is rarely flattering. Combine it with sconces, lamps, or indirect lighting to soften the space.

• Design with Darkness. Lighting is only special where darkness exists. Do NOT flood any space with light: interior or exterior. On the exterior allow for areas of deeper contrast - giving permission to some spaces to fall into total darkness. There's something sexy about the mystery.

• Ditch the cool bulbs. 2700K to 3000K color temperature is your sweet spot for warmth and coziness. Anything bluer will make your home feel like a hospital. If you're working with a commercial space, like the office space in the first image - 3000K is great.

• Dim everything. A dimmer switch instantly makes any light more flexible and more flattering.

• Hide the light source. Under shelves, behind furniture, inside coves - anywhere you can get that glow without the glare.

• Use light to highlight texture. Grazing a wall with light brings out its depth and materials.

Marion Clubstaurant in Brickell, Miami. Have fun with it. Haus of Lawrence used lighting to play with this whimsical design by emphasizing color and engaging the different material uses in the space.

Good lighting isn’t about showing off the fixture; it’s about revealing the space.

So yes, it’s a curse. Once you start paying attention, you’ll never walk into a poorly lit room the same way again. But it’s also one of the simplest ways to completely transform how a place feels.

If you start noticing it everywhere, don’t say I didn’t warn you.