A 1958 ranch, lit the way it deserved.

A 1958 ranch with one ceiling fixture per room and a kitchen remodel underway. The owners wanted light that made the house look like the house they had bought, and a front yard you could find at night.

Inside

• Kitchen: eleven 4-inch recessed lights on two circuits, three pendants over the island, under-cabinet tape with a driver in the pantry.
• Living room: six recessed, two wall-washers on the fireplace wall, all on separate dimmers.
• Lutron RA3 throughout, scenes set with the owners on the last day.

Outside

A 300 W low-voltage transformer on a photocell. Fourteen path lights along the stone walk, three up-lights in the olive trees, step lights at the porch. One switch inside the door turns it all on; the timer does it anyway.

Then

No drywall came down. Every recessed light went in from the attic, every cable fished. The rooms were back in use each evening.