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This regal waterside mansion in the Belle Haven area of Greenwich, CT was an extensive renovation project. The architect’s vision was to transform the house into a classic estate home. Many of the existing recessed lighting fixtures were removed, cataloged, cleaned, re-lamped with upgraded LED technology and replaced back into the interior. New decorative lighting and LED strip lights were added in coves in the main stair hall, kitchen and 3rd floor lounge to give lightness to the ceilings and highlight the architectural features. All new outdoor and landscape lighting was added to enhance the front entry to welcome the owners home.
The architecture of this Greenwich Estate home was designed by Cardello Architects around a massive entertaining space constructed using Vermont timbers. We emphasized the height of the great hall and the beauty of the woodwork by hiding LED strips in the beams and crown molding. The spaces create a living art gallery. Our lighting design was curated specifically for an avid art collector and his family. The colors of the paintings are enhanced by LED innovations that elevate the impact of the whites, reds and blues.
The exterior lighting plays on the wood and stone accents on the elegant Gambrel style architectural design to create an approachable and welcoming entry.
Yankee Doodle Garage is owned and operated by the Norwalk Parking Authority. They were awarded a grant of $150,000 to provide an art installation on the façade of the existing 1970’s concrete building.
They determined that the garage also needed increased safety and visibility to draw more customers. The NPA decided to combine the 2 projects and hire Christian Rae Studio to design a custom “light mural” for the garage.
After many meetings between the Arts Council, the Redevelopment Agency and the Parking Authority, we also engaged with neighboring businesses. We held public mock-ups throughout the design process to get feedback from the surrounding community.
The ultimate result uses high-powered dynamic white LED wall grazer fixtures along the top of the vertical concrete elements and RGBW multi-pixel strips mounted to the structural columns. The scenes are endless, but we chose 15 different options programmed to town events, season and holidays that change on an astronomical time clock and wireless controls.
The design of this private residence in Jupiter, FL won an At Home Magazine A-List Award for Traditional Architecture: Less Than 7,000 SF. This new, waterfront home is a blend of British West Indies architecture with Balinese influences throughout. The lighting design emphasized these elements with LED backlighting a Balinese screen panel between the kitchen and living room. The open floor plan allows the Kitchen to be the focal point of the Great Room and the Family Room. All of the rooms capture views of the infinity edge pool and water views beyond. LED recessed lighting blend seamlessly with the architecture and compliment the contemporary decorative fixtures.
The national law firm of Fox Rothschild LLP renovated of the firm’s offices in Philadelphia, PA which comprised a total of 100,000sf covering four floors: the 12th, 19th, 20th and 21st.
Project highlights included a new convenience staircase between the 19th and 21st floors made from Italian travertine marble, and high-end wood finishes in many of the conference rooms.
The square downlights offer a clean, minimalistic look that keeps the focus on the interior space while maintaining energy efficiency and delivered footcandles. The light pockets in the ceiling and behind built-in banquettes add depth to the colorful accent walls throughout the space. The walnut wood pendants over the conference tables perfectly compliment the walnut wood feature walls and furnishings.
The 12,000-square foot main lobby expansion at St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center in Paterson, New Jersey was the first phase of a $250 million overhaul of the hospital. The lobby expansion included a multi-purpose room, intended for hosting events and functions, and a new main lobby, which provide a dynamic and welcoming entrance to the hospital.
St. Joseph’s sought to create several unique experiences for its visitors that would incorporate a range of lighting technologies. In the main lobby. As project lighting designer, Rachel was tasked with creating a media wall specially designed for children that allowed for LED-lit acrylic boxes to interact with natural light from overhead skylights and clerestory windows, choreograph with lobby music, and stream video art.
Achieving these specialized effects at St. Joseph’s was a true lighting design challenge that required a state of-the-art lighting system that could deliver unparalleled controls and programming capability, as well as a low-energy solution to continuously provide the desired design effect while meeting energy requirements.
Additionally, the solution had to offer longevity, as the built-in lighting fixtures could not easily be accessed after installation.
The result of creating these levels of control and functionality was LEDs that deliver mesmerizing color and shape patterns, constantly changing and providing a soothing, comforting atmosphere for the hospital’s patients and visitors.
In the hospital’s multi-purpose room, the LED lighting and control systems to help create a soft, diffused glow of light ideal for video-conferencing events, social functions and learning seminars. The lighting’s functionality is coupled with its seamless integration into an undulating fabric ceiling design, making for an efficient and aesthetically pleasing environment for hospital staff and members of the local community.
Maplewood at Southport is a resort-style community beautifully designed by Stein | Troost Architecture. The design enhances the exceptional living experiences and provides access to quality care and rich cultural opportunities at Southport’s exclusive senior living community.
The lighting was designed with welcoming comfort in mind. The main entry porte-cochere and lobby make guests and residents feel as though they’re arriving at a resort hotel with up-lit architectural elements, beautiful and contemporary decorative lighting and cove-up-lighting. There are high levels of lighting to accommodate the aging eye, balanced with ambient lighting for safe circulation and accents on specialty finishes for warmth and visual interest.
The outdoor courtyard is activated at night by landscape lighting on paths and specimen trees. The architecture is illuminated by lights grazing columns and bringing life to the texture of the stone walls. This activates the outdoor space for residents at night and provides pleasant views from inside mitigating the “black mirror” effect.
All of the lighting in the facility is designed using energy efficient LEDs that require extremely low maintenance and do not add strain to the HVAC system thereby saving additional money in operations costs.
For additional photos, see link above.
Recognized as one of the pre-eminent golf clubs in Westchester County, New York, Fenway is set on the former Scarsdale estate of publishing baron Eugene Reynal.
The richly wood paneled interior was re-invisioned with a contemporary twist. New LED downlights with brushed brass trim set into a grass-cloth covered ceiling brightened the lobby and highlighted the artwork and new furnishings. The up-lighting along the crown molding and in window niches gave new life to the historic wood workings and provide visual interest drawing guests into the lobby.
Although it has been re-invented many times, Christian Rae Studio gave new life to this historic building on Greenwich Avenue. What was originally designed as the Putnam Trust Bank by architect F.A. Wright in 1915, will now be the new home of Duoro Restaurant. The owners were drawn to the distinct vaults and domes made by the Spanish architect and master tile craftsman Rafael Guastavino. No extra ornamentation was needed for their sensuous convex forms created in a herringbone pattern of pastel-colored tiles.
Once we stripped the interior down to reveal these beautiful domes and columns, we added LED up-lighting to highlight and graze them to enhance the color and textures. Custom designed light fixtures hang over the bar to direct the view upwards to a central skylight.
To bring down the scale of these soaring arches, we added wall panels with luxurious metal mesh fabrics that add shimmer when they catch the light. We also designed a second floor balcony to provide a unique view of the space and accommodate overflow seating and private parties.
When Becker Salon relocated to a new 2,700 square foot space above Greenwich Avenue in Greenwich, CT, they collaborated with their design team to create a new vision for the brand to be reflected in the salon’s interior.
Christian Rae Studio designed LED lighting to be integrated into the architecture, display areas and salon stations. The circular light fixtures are the perfect compliment to the illuminated mirrors. The lighting at each of the mirrors provides high visual acuity for staff while presenting the client in their best light. The unique architectural features are highlighted by hidden pockets of light in the ceiling coves and display shelves.
The result is a beautifully fluid design that is clean, contemporary and tranquil.
The SONO sign has become an icon of the Washington Street business district and South Norwalk train station. The Norwalk Redevelopment Agency hired Christian Rae Studio to design lighting that would be welcoming and promote safety along the sidewalk underneath the Metro North bridge underpass.
The project evolved to include a custom designed set of letters spelling ‘SONO’ to designate the neighborhood and give it a special identity. We created a stainless steel woven mesh sign that shimmers when it captures the daylight, car lights passing or the color-changing LED wall washers that we placed in the overhead canopies. The sign is extremely durable and easy to keep clean.
The lights are set to seasonal changes for holidays and special events, but the city often programs them to correspond with town activities as well. The controls are located in a weather-proof box at the Switch Tower Museum just above the underpass.