Back at it!

It’s been a while since I last posted here—life, projects, and plenty of late nights under the trees kept me busy. But I’ve missed sharing what we’ve been up to, so I figured it was time to dust off the blog and get back at it.

Over the past few years, E2 Illumination Designs has been lighting up everything from historic homes to wide-open ranches and some pretty incredible estates. The tools and techniques may keep evolving, but the heart of what we do is the same: use light to bring out the best in a space and make it feel special after dark.

This blog isn’t going to be stiff or formal. I’ll share quick stories from projects, little design tricks we’ve learned along the way, and plenty of photos that show how much difference the right lighting can make. Think of it as pulling up a chair with us after sunset and talking about what works, what doesn’t, and why we still love doing this after 25 years.

So—thanks for sticking around, and welcome back. I’m looking forward to sharing more of the good stuff with you here.

—Chad

First Landscape Lighting Project for a Client on the Forbes 400

Jerry Moore’s Friar Tuck Residence

Little nostalgic feeling! I was hired to illuminate this property maybe fifteen years ago by the owner, Jerry Moore. The home was a French chateau, broken down brick by brick, and rebuilt with a underground 26 car garage for his collection. At the time, Mr. Moore was my first client on the Forbes list from his dealings with shopping centers. Jerry wasn’t the kindest man and there are quite a few stories to back up his “attitudes”. I was confident in my abilities but he intimidated the heck out of me. The day we were to start the installation, we had to cancel and I called Jerry to reschedule. He wasn’t having it and went on a tirade calling me everything from a lying f*** to f***ing little ***hole! I took the abuse for a bit and to my surprise said, "Jerry, are you going to shut the f*** up for a second" He went quiet, asked for my boss, who then proceeded to tell me that Mr. Moore would like to see me Monday morning on site. 
Surprised I wasn’t fired, I went to meet Jerry and was amazed when he welcomed me with a handshake and put his arm around my shoulders…he damn near hugged me! We walked around while he told me stories, took me inside, and even showed me his car collection. 
Jerry passed away about ten years ago and the property has sat stagnant all this time. Drove by last week and noticed someone finally living there…it is one hell of an estate! 
At the time, my boss was almost 80 and had seen it all. He said Jerry enjoyed walking over everyone but I earned his respect when I stood up to him. He said, remember you’re the expert and don’t ever do it again. 

Homeowners are getting sold lights not Landscape Lighting Design

The perceived value in landscape lighting isn't the number of lights you're buying but the quality of the design.

I'll never understand how a homeowner allows this to happen. This is NOT landscape lighting, but someone selling lights. If I have to explain why this lighting example isn't representative of quality work, than you my friend need to find another career. 

In my humble opinion, the concept behind landscape lighting is seeing the effect of the light...not the actual light fixture. This is disturbing on so many levels; 1) One light per trunk 2) Placement of the lights on the front of the trunks 3) This lighting example is at the front entrance for all the neighborhood to see...AND RUN FROM!

If you're considering the investment of landscape lighting for your home, please call a reputable company and request a design for your home. If someone starts the sales process by talking about the number of lights they can sell you, kindly throw them off your property. Landscape lighting can either do two things for your home...enhance and beautify or illustrate the mistake you made nightly. Choose wisely.

Common Mistake Installing Low-Voltage Landscape Lighting

I see this common mistake throughout DFW on projects that deserve better. Personally, I believe either the landscape contractor doesn't know any better or just doesn't care about their quality of installation. Hopefully this post will reach some of them and they can improve their installation quality with a simple solution.

Why is this installation a mistake in my humble opinion you may ask? This particular MR16 has only 1"-2" of the provided stake pushed into hard compact soil as seen above. The landscape contractor will then bring in a mixture of 2"-4" of bed prep (soil and mulch) to complete their installation. Over a short amount of time, the fixture will no longer be vertical but will have the customary look of many I see...falling over a bit to the right or left. Whether the maintenance crew, a squirrel, or soccer ball gently touches this light, IT WILL MOVE! 

The solution? Make your own stake out of a 12" plumbing pipe and a coupling. Drill a hole for the wire to exit and pound it into the ground. Your light fixture will be illuminating the plant specimen it was meant to for years to come.