Lamps & Fixtures in the Field  

Artistry in residence

A wide array of lamp and fixture types brings forth architecture and the owners’ art collection and heritage in this Milwaukee condominium

The kids are grown, they have relocated to a new town, so parental instinct naturally dictates that mom and dad move closer to them. Surely, something modest should work for these empty- nesters. That’s not quite how it played out in Milwaukee’s posh Kilbourn Tower, where the clients of local architect Deep River Partners and Klein Lighting have taken up residence in a twostory 7,300-sq ft condominium. They can now entertain dozens of guests in the expansive living room or on the private terrace over looking Lake Michigan and the Calatrava Art Museum, enjoy a casual family meal in the art-filled space, or simply have a few friends over to play a game of cards. Oh, and the kids are welcome, too.
The interior design and lighting emphasize the couple’s art collection and echo their African and Asian cultures. Lighting designer Steven Klein used a layered approach and deployed a range of lamp sources—including fiber optics, fluorescent and targeted use of LEDs—to complement the architectural details in the entry foyer, living room, kitchen, library and master bedroom.

STAIRWAY TO THE STARS
When entering the residence, the eye is drawn up through an open, elliptical foyer space to the ceiling, illuminated by slowly twinkling fiber-optic stars. At the midpoint of the foyer staircase is an art niche containing a statue of Rama which is highlighted by four flangeless trim MR16 recessed adjustable accent lights (RSA Quiet Ceiling series) fitted with both color filters and hex cell louver accessories for maximum impact and minimum brightness. Rather than being located in the second floor ceiling, compact “elbow retractable-style” accent lights (Lucifer Lighting) are recessed vertically in the space between floors in order to both uplight and downlight art in otherwise non-negotiable mounting locations. Two of these luminaires uplight a 6-ft by 5-ft painting at the second floor level without spoiling the star-field effect. Two others backlight an art glass object by reflecting light off an enormous mirror directly beneath the painting. A recessed framing projector reveals a Juan Miro painting at the end of the foyer hall, which is amplified by the repeating pattern of graze light from tiny 12-V MR11 downlights on casework defining the hall perimeter.

BIG BUT COZY
Even with its wide footprint, the living area feels cozy thanks to low-impact 2,700K LED rope light squeezed into seven coves (six rectangular and one circular) sculpted within a dropped ceiling. The cove ceiling configurations allow for a seamless transition between rooms while concealing MEP equipment overhead. Wall-mounted decorative sconces create a beautiful rhythm that follows the line of wrapped structural columns around the living room perimeter and culminates in a traditional custom-height pendant, which acts as the hinge point for the interior floorplan by connecting the living and dining rooms and the kitchen.
The kitchen faces southwest to capitalize on natural light, and the room’s rich walnut cabinetry is carried through to the casework in the dinette and library-media room. The kitchen had many lighting issues and challenges. This is a high-traffic space that needed to incorporate all the visual cues and design standards of the outer rooms, yet exude a bold individual feel.
Continuous and overlapping indirect miniature 3,000K T5 cove lights provide excellent general illumination. In addition, Klein elected to “tap” into several other lighting solutions that would accentuate tasks, accent certain areas and establish a clear path in the kitchen. Plug-together, 3,000K LED undercabinet lighting segments provide an even, shadowless task light, without glare, on the counter itself. Near the floor, under the base cabinets, there are tiny segments of LED rope lighting to visually “lift” the heavy island off the floor and reduce its mass. This feature also provides a handy navigational path allowing one to get around in the dark for a quick snack.

READING AND VIEWING
A control system creates different lighting scenes in the library. The scenes had to accommodate ordinary home-office tasks; high-level meetings; and the transition from library to entertainment space. The Lutron HomeWorks system was installed to control multiple lighting zones. This system allows the designer to set and control the light level of specific fixtures for the task at hand in an easily recalled set of scenes. The client’s input during programming was crucial for ensuring predictably beautiful and entirely functional scenes. Too often, homeowners, frustrated by their control systems, settle for an “all off” or an “all on” scenario, defeating the purpose of controls and wasting money in the process.

May 2010