This private country house in Watlington, Oxfordshire was refurbished, remodelled and extended around an in depth architectural lighting design that celebrates traditional character while delivering modern comfort. From the earliest stage we developed the lighting from the architectural plans, refining room by room layouts, beam angles, circuit strategy and control logic to suit the client’s lifestyle and the calm elegance of country living. The brief called for a soft, timeless aesthetic with exceptional visual comfort, so we specified best in class architectural luminaires, high colour rendering LEDs and a Lutron Home Works control platform to create effortless scenes throughout.
In the vaulted kitchen and open plan living areas, layered lighting brings the new volume to life. Discreet low glare downlights provide task illumination without hot spots, linear details are concealed within cornices and beams for gentle ceiling glow, and wall washing softens masonry and panelled surfaces. Statement pendants above the island and dining table were balanced with precise dimming curves so they read as warm focal points rather than glare sources. Picture lights with warm candle like tones draw attention to artwork and joinery, while the cut string staircase is outlined with invisible step level lighting for a quiet evening route.
Bedrooms and bathrooms were treated with the same attention to detail. Mirror lighting with high colour accuracy ensures natural skin tones, low level night lighting guides movement without disturbing sleep, and softly tuned scenes transition from morning brightness to relaxed evening ambience.
The result is a luxury country home where every space feels composed and calm, with lighting and control of the highest quality enhancing the architecture rather than competing with it.
