Why it's cool

Good lighting design not only makes a room comfortable and functional, but it can create moods - just like music. Having the ability to control lighting levels and create 'scenes' throughout your house lets you create just the right atmosphere for dining, entertaining, reading, or watching a movie.

People spend thousands of dollars on lighting fixtures then control them with just an 'on' or 'off' switch. Lighting control lets you set an individual light or group of lights to just the right brightness to create the atmosphere you want.

We've all used a rotary or sliding dimmer, but modern lighting control is much more convenient and elegant.

What it does for you

Set individual lights or groups of lights to the exact brightness you want for a particular activity - and recall that setting at the touch of a button

You can integrate lighting control with other functions of your home electronics system, like having the lights dim automatically when you start a movie, or having them turn on when you come into the house

You can monitor and control lights in other rooms, for instance from your bedside table. So when you hear that 'bump in the night', you can turn on exactly the lights you want, before you even go downstairs.

How it works

There are two types of systems: hardwired or wireless. Hardwired systems are usually installed in new construction. Wireless systems are used in both new and existing homes.

In both systems standard switches and dimmers are replaced with ones that can receive commands from a controller (the brain). In good systems, even if the controller fails, you can still use the switch or dimmer manually, just like normal.

Pressing a button on a hand held, tabletop, or wall mounted keypad sends commands to the controller, which in turn sends commands to individual lights or groups of lights.

Good controllers have a memory so that you can set a group of lights to particular settings, and then recall the settings for use again later. The best systems actually record your usage of lighting throughout the day and night and let you 'play back' the lighting usage to create a 'iived in' look when you're away on vacation.

A lighting system can be integrated with other systems, like security or home theater. Pressing a button to start a movie could also dim the lights. Pressing the garage door opener on your car visor could light a pathway into your home. You'd never have to come home to a dark house again!