Downtown Hideaway

Creating the perfect balance of city energy and natural vibes

Location

Austin, Texas

Custom Integration

Service Tech

Background

The owners of this gorgeous Central Texas condo were looking to indulge in city living. Nestled between downtown Austin high-rises and with a beautiful view of Lady Bird Lake, this sophisticated space makes the most of its urban surroundings while embracing the naturally stunning beauty of the wide-open Texas sky.

Design Goals

Reinforce the connection to both the vibrant downtown and the outdoors
Create a flexible space, using light to create a range of moods
Showcase the home’s abstract art collection
Help occupants feel relaxed and at ease when home

Challenges

The biggest trick to city living is creating a space that is neither disconnected from the bustling surroundings nor overwhelmed by them. With a condo-sized space, it was also important to not lose ceiling height or obscure the stunning views when shading the windows. Finally, being a second residence, this project needed to achieve its goals while operating on a set budget.

“With the Ketra solution we are able to take the light outside and match the color temperature inside. It creates a seamless transition from exterior daylight to our interior scenes. We match the sunrise in the morning, transition to a blue sky all day, and warm down to a sunset glow at night time.”

-Chris Pearson, Founder/President, Service Tech AV

The Solution

The condo’s designer chose to invest in lighting as one of the “protagonists of the space”. Ketra’s High Def Palette and tunability made lighting a transformative agent in executing the space’s design goals and enabled a variety of moods. Recessed downlights that almost disappear and illumination concealed behind the millwork created a quiet ceiling and maintained window views. Because the owner wanted unobscured views to the outdoors even at night, Ketra’s warm dimming was key to helping avoid glare on the windows. Programmable Lutron Palladiom shades with brackets also protected the condo’s stunning views from obstructions.

For an enhanced feeling of comfort and well-being, indoor and outdoor lighting were seamlessly matched throughout the day and into the evening using Ketra’s Natural Show, which aligns interior lighting with the sun’s path across the sky. The ability to sit inside the space and tune both the lighting and shading with the single Lutron app during the finish-out phase was key to making last minute tweaks and ensure the space was perfect throughout the day. In addition, cherished artwork was illuminated by Ketra, using Vibrancy to make colors pop and preset scenes to wow guests during art demonstrations. The experience is completed with a handheld Lutron Pico remote to shift between the variety of lighting combinations. Finally, to honor the lake and greenway views, biophilic elements such as plants were carried throughout the home.

Project photography by Jake Holt.

Results

With different scenes like “Relax”, “Entertain”, and “Media” programmed into the system, Ketra lighting is used to totally change the look and feel within this elegant space. A dazzling floor-to-ceiling Noguchi pendant, lit from within by individually addressable Ketra bulbs, reinforces the verticalness of the skyscrapers outside. Retreating to their private space, homeowners can easily select lighting scenes in the vanity/dressing area to check that their look is perfect for any activity -- from a day at the office to a candlelight dinner. A special “Bubbles” setting, engraved on a custom glass Palladiom keypad in the bathroom lowers the downlights and focuses on 2000K indirect lighting designed to make you feel like you’re soaking in a sunset of your own. The button also triggers a curated playlist to complete the mood. And with the app on their phone, the residents can stay connected with their home no matter where they are in the world—closing the shades while dining in Paris or adjusting the lighting from Shanghai.

“Achieving elegance to this level requires interior design, technology, and construction to all come together. The Lutron Palladiom + Ketra solution is one of a kind and requires a higher level of professional services. We were fortunate to work with an experienced team so the coordination felt natural.”

-Chris Pearson, Founder/President, Service Tech AV