The Journal — Read Before You Renovate
Materials, budgets, upkeep — the lessons we've learned, written down.
48 articles
The Bathroom Lighting Mistake 90% of Renovations Make
Builders and renovators keep making the same mistake: one ceiling fixture above ...
What a Mexico City Hotel Lobby Taught Me About Indirect Light
In a hotel lobby in Mexico City, lighting engineer Leo Brennan encountered a spa...
Pendant Height: The Formula Nobody Tells You
You've probably heard the rule: hang pendants 30 to 36 inches above the counter....
Dimmer Compatibility: The Hidden Spec That Causes Flicker
You installed new LED bulbs, and now your lights flicker, buzz, or won't dim bel...
Home Office Lighting: Stop Working Under a Single Overhead Fixture
Millions of people now work from home, and most are doing it under the same sing...
Layered Lighting on a Realistic Budget: A Living Room Plan
Good lighting isn't about spending money. It's about spending decisions. Lightin...
The Restaurant Where You Can't See a Single Fixture
Leo Brennan walked into a restaurant in Austin, Texas, and spent the first ten m...
Outdoor Lighting That Doesn't Annoy Your Neighbors
Bad outdoor lighting doesn't just look cheap — it's antisocial. A floodlight aim...
Recessed Trim Showdown: What's Actually Different at Different Price Points
Recessed trims range from eight dollars to over eighty dollars, and on a showroo...
Houston After Dark: Five Rooms That Get Lighting Right
Lighting engineer Leo Brennan has walked through hundreds of Houston homes. In t...
The One Lighting Mistake I See in Every New Build
After walking through hundreds of newly built homes across Houston, Leo Brennan ...
Your First Lighting Plan: A Step-by-Step Walkthrough
This is the one you've been building toward. After nineteen articles on layering...