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Designer: John Cullen Lighting

AV: Clark Infinity

Photography: James Balston

John Cullen Lighting has masterfully illuminated a new-build masterpiece in Essex, transforming it into an epitome of luxury living and impeccable design. Tasked with creating a holistic lighting solution for both the vast interiors and the picturesque surrounding landscape, John Cullen Lighting delivered a design that spans four meticulously crafted floors, each tailored to the family’s every need.

The property boasts a subterranean haven featuring a luxurious wellness and spa complex, a ground floor dedicated to living and entertainment complete with a private cinema and worship space, a first floor with the principal suite and additional family bedrooms, and a second floor dedicated to guest and family suites. The lighting design plays a crucial role, orchestrating the ambiance and seamlessly guiding transitions between communal gathering spaces and intimate retreats.

One of the project’s standout features is the innovative movable pool floor. This element required a lighting system adaptable enough to transform the space from a serene swimming sanctuary to a vibrant event venue at the push of a button. Controlled by a sophisticated Lutron system, the lighting effortlessly adapts to preset scenes, especially impactful in the luxurious basement retreat.

Various living areas within the property provide relaxed spaces to unwind and entertain. The large open plan living, dining, and kitchen areas were lit in diverse ways to suit the architecture, employing downlights for panelling and artworks, linear lights for voiles and light wells, and spotlights over coffee tables and the kitchen island. The elegant lighting designs for the bedrooms across the first and second floors create sanctuaries to be enjoyed both day and night.

Each bathroom features a unique style, allowing for imaginative designs such as downlights skimming the perimeter to emphasize the curve of the shower, individual niches being both down and uplit, and window reveals being uplit. The cinema and snooker room, discreetly hidden off the main hall, benefit from lighting designed to offer different levels to suit the required experience.

Central to the property’s allure is the breathtaking spiral staircase, an architectural marvel visible from every floor. John Cullen Lighting accentuated its sweeping design with sleek, linear lighting details, skillfully navigating the complexities of concealed steel frames within the walls. Through relentless collaboration, they refined the proposals until achieving a design that harmonized aesthetic vision with technical precision.