Sandi Pleeter, a New York City–based interior designer, is the founder and lead designer of Haute Home Studio, a full-service design firm serving residential and commercial clients throughout the New York tri-state area. With more than 20 years of experience spanning fashion, sales, product development, and interior design, Sandi Pleeter is known for her ability to blend creativity with functionality. She has collaborated with architects, contractors, and homeowners to transform spaces through thoughtful design, renovation, and staging. Certified by the New York School of Interior Design, Sandi Pleeter also volunteers at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, reflecting her lifelong appreciation for art and craftsmanship. Drawing on her design expertise, she explores how lighting design influences spaces—demonstrating how strategic illumination shapes mood, enhances function, and elevates a room’s visual harmony.
How Lighting Design Influences Spaces
Lighting is a very important interior design tool. It defines the function, shapes the mood, and highlights the personality of a space. Color, layout, and furniture are very important components, yes, but lighting brings the room to life. Adopting the right lighting design might make a small space appear more expensive, draw attention to architectural features, and make a cold room feel warmer and more inviting. Understanding the use of light and how to layer it strategically helps to transform your room’s ambience and emotional tone.
Lighting designs usually blend functionality with artistry. Every room in the house serves a purpose, and lights complement this purpose. For instance, a living room needs soft and diffused lighting that eases relaxation and conversation. Kitchens usually require bright and focused lighting for improved vision and precision. Warm and ambient light that calms the senses is ideal for bedrooms. Workspaces usually need bright, balanced light that fosters alertness. Factors like color temperature, intensity, and placement determine how light impacts the room.
A well-designed space comprises three layers of lighting, namely accent, task, and ambient. Accent lighting usually adds visual interest to a space. This type of light may accentuate the visibility of an artwork, texture, and architectural detail. Task lighting usually targets activities like reading lamps beside a sofa or under-cabinet lights in a kitchen. These lights provide clarity in spaces that require a great deal of precision. Ambient light is responsible for general illumination, and it is responsible for core brightness throughout the room. All of these layers of light work together to make the space feel more balanced and dynamic.
Natural light is also an important element of the lighting setup. It usually sets the rhythm for the home and changes throughout the day to influence moods and levels of productivity. So, adopting large windows, sheer curtains, or skylights makes it possible for designers to cut down on the need for artificial light, especially during the day.
Lighting can influence mood, sleep quality, and even productivity. Soft, diffused light creates a calm and welcoming atmosphere, while bright, clear light encourages focus and energy. Designers often use light to shape perception and guide emotion. By brightening a dark corner, you can make a space feel larger and more open, while lowering a pendant light can make a high ceiling feel cozy and intimate. Subtle choices, such as directing light across a textured wall or highlighting a favorite artwork, add a sense of depth and sophistication that turns an ordinary space into something remarkable.
In modern luxury interiors, lighting design has evolved with the rise of smart home technology. Automated systems now allow homeowners to adjust brightness, tone, and color temperature according to the time of day, activity, or mood. This personalized control enhances both comfort and energy efficiency. Designers can also program preset lighting scenes to match specific moments, a bright setting for the morning or a soft, dimmed glow for the evening. These innovations give homeowners the ability to change the entire mood of a room instantly, blending convenience with artistry in ways that were once unimaginable.
Ultimately, lighting design is about more than simply illuminating a room; it is about creating emotion and telling a story. The way light interacts with colors, textures, and materials shapes how a space feels and how people connect with it. A well-planned lighting scheme can make a cozy reading nook feel peaceful, bring vibrancy to an art display, or add warmth to a modern kitchen.
About Sandi Pleeter
Sandi Pleeter is a New York City–based interior designer and founder of Haute Home Studio. With over two decades of experience in design, fashion, and product development, she offers clients comprehensive services from concept to completion. A graduate of the New York School of Interior Design and the State University of New York at Buffalo, she has worked with a range of professionals to deliver elegant, functional spaces. In addition to her design work, she volunteers at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and serves on her co-op board.
