Exploring the Magic of Ketra

Introductory Lighting Concepts

Experience Light
Science, art, engineering, design, psychology, physiology — light touches every aspect of life and offers endless
possibilities to narrate time and place. In the right hands, light has the power to set the mood and create a one-of-
a-kind sensory experience.

Ketra is the best choice to deliver on key design principles and illuminate life’s most treasured moments— with an
infinite palette of beautiful light and intelligent controls that allow you to fine-tune each scene. We recommend that
you work with a lighting design professional to ensure the overall vision for the space is executed with the proper
skill and experience, and we hope this resource serves as inspiration for the limitless possibilities of Ketra light.

While this guide focuses on understanding the power of light in application, it’s important to recognize that light
works in harmony with control systems and shading solutions to create a beautiful, functional environment. Shades
help deliver the right balance of indoor and outdoor light while adding a sophisticated design element. An integrated
control system allows you to pre-program scenes to easily and intuitively personalize your lighting and shades for
the task at hand. The combination of beautiful lighting, intelligent shades, and seamless controls are the best way
to craft an environment you’ll love.
 Design Principles
Wave House
Palm Desert, CA

Architecture
Stayner Architects

Photography
01 Layer Your Light
Tim Hirschmann Balance Direct vs. Indirect Light
Apply Curated Scenes

02 Create Contrast
Choose Your Beam Angle
Aim and Focus

03 Explore the Spectrum

Select Color Temperature
Render Color with Vibrancy
Play with Saturated Color
01
Layer
Your
Light
Ketra Showroom Layers of light set the mood and add visual interest to a
New York, NY room with style and versatility. Ambient lighting fills the
space with general illumination, while accent lighting
Lighting Design
A+I
highlights featured artwork and other areas of interest.
Task lighting directs light onto work surfaces or can
Photography cocoon an area to bring a sense of intimacy to the space.
Magda Biernat Employing these three layers, along with a combination
of direct and indirect light is crucial to creating complete
lighting scenes with purpose and impact.
01 Layer Your Light

Balance Direct vs. Indirect Light

Squarespace used Ketra light to achieve a balance of direct and indirect light in
their New York Headquarters. Direct Light is an effective method to distribute
ambient light with crisp shadows. Optical accessories can be used to mitigate
glare from direct light. Indirect Light can be used to produce ambient light
with softer shadows and less glare. Ensuring the proper balance of both direct
and indirect light is vital to creating a complete scene.

In this open cafe, Squarespace used G2 fixtures to provide indirect lighting

around the suspended ceiling and support column and also to backlight the
ceiling and create a starry night effect. For direct lighting, they utilized S38s
mounted in cylinder pendants as well as S30s to provide task lighting over the
countertops. A20s in custom lamps illuminate seating areas with additional
direct lighting.

Squarespace
New York, NY

Lighting Design
Lighting Workshop
Lutron + Ketra Products
Architecture
+ G2 Linear A+I
+ S38 Lamp
+ S30 Lamp Photography
+ A20 Lamp Magda Biernat
01 Layer Your Light

Apply Curated Scenes

Once the designers fine-tuned every lighting element in
Lutron’s Commercial Experience Center to achieve their
vision, they were able to save curated scenes and build
a pre-programmed collection. Now, when the mood
or occasion changes, the occupants can simply switch
scenes to create the perfect ambiance for that moment.

Five zones create different layers of light for each scene

in this space. The custom ceiling fixture has three distinct
zones of control comprised of 12 S30 lamps programmed
in a single high-voltage run to provide both direct and
indirect illumination. A20s inside floor and table lamps
provide accent lighting and two additional zones of
control. All together, the five zones of control can be
adjusted for both intensity and color point with each
scene change.

Preset Scene: Candlelight Preset Scene: Reading Preset Scene: Entertain

A low level lighting preset provides soft, warm light for This brighter scene provides perfect day-to-day lighting Entertain guests with a saturated color scene that allows
an intimate candlelit scene, creating a comfortable and — appropriate for completing a wide range of functional you to step away from the norms of traditional lighting and
relaxing environment. tasks like reading a book, working on a laptop, or visiting make a bold statement when hosting.
with family and friends.
The floor and table lamps (zones 4, 5 in the diagram to the left) The pendant’s zones provide multiple layers of effect to
provide a soft glow of warm light to cocoon occupants while The floor and table lamps (zones 4, 5) now provide a bright, wow guests: a cool white island of light on the coffee table
the pendant uses its three zones by splashing a soft glow on the neutral colored light to illuminate the seating area with the (zone 1), deep purple light to saturate the space (zone 2),
coffee table (zone 1), casting soft uplighting on the ceiling (zone 3) pendant providing additional general light. (zones 1, 2, 3) This and an accent of pink uplighting (zone 3) adds visual interest
and filling the rest of the room with light for navigating the space scene also incorporates Ketra’s natural light settings, allowing to the scene. The floor and table lamps (zones 4, 5) match
(zone 2). The scene is completed by closing the motorized Sivoia the color temperature and intensities to change throughout the spotlight and provide additional cool white light to the
shades to shut out excess light and create an oasis. the day to match the natural rhythms of the sun. space for balance.

Lutron Commercial Experience Center

New York, NY

Lutron + Ketra Products Lighting Design

One Lux Studio
+ S30 Lamp
+ A20 Lamp Architecture
+ Sivoia Shades COOKFOX
02
Create
Contrast
Steinway Vault Contrast is a powerful tool for adding dimension and
Astoria, NY drama to a space. Ketra’s TruBeam optics help bring a
room’s design to life by creating depth around objects
Lighting Design
Ed Gilmore
like sculpture, fine furnishings or architectural features,
and pulling them into stunning focus. In lighting design,
Photography artful contrast is achieved through a combination of
John Frattasi proper beam angle selection, appropriate aim and
focus, and varying intensity of light.
02 Create Contrast

Choose Your Beam Angle

Focus light precisely where you want with a range of beam angles. Wide
Flood fills the room with ambient light. Flood draws focus. Spot adds drama
to objects of interest. Using multiple types of light allows you to convert a
multi-purpose space from a dedicated media room to a simple yet stylish
living room by effortlessly raising the lights and spotlighting artwork.

This scene at Ketra HQ in Austin is brought to life by a myriad of beam angle

types. Wide angle S30s uplight the ceiling to provide general illumination,
while narrow beam angle S30s above the wooden slats illuminate the
walkway. S30 track lamps cast tight beam angles on table surfaces, and
S30 floods in pendants provide even light levels over the island. A20s in
decorative globe pendants provide omnidirectional light.

Ketra Collaboration Studio

Austin, TX
Lutron + Ketra Products
Lighting Design
+ S30 Track Cecilia Ramos
+ S30 Lamp
+ A20 Lamp Architecture
+ Palladiom Shades Vlado Pejic
02 Create Contrast

Aim and Focus

The aim, shape, and beam characteristics of a light source govern both
the direction and distribution of light. By carefully using these elements to
craft an interplay of light and shadow, a lighting designer can impact the
appearance of the room and any special accents within. Proper aim and
focus will draw the eye to specific features in the space, highlight contours,
and showcase details to their finest.

Here, Ketra S30 Track lights powered by HomeWorks illuminate the abstract
artwork with crossed beams. Track luminaires set further back from the
wall cast light towards decorative objects, featuring the shelving unit as a
design element.

Ketra Collaboration Studio

Austin, TX

Lighting Design
Cecilia Ramos

Architecture
Vlado Pejic
Lutron + Ketra Products
Photography
+ S30 Track Jake Holt
03
Explore
the
Spectrum
Whistling Valley Home The flexibility of dynamic, tunable color empowers
Lake Elmo, MN designers to shape spaces that delight the senses.
Ketra’s High Def Palette produces the widest spectrum
Integration
NorthStar Home Technologies
available, from every shade of white light to any color
you desire. This section describes three principles --
Photography Color Temperature, Vibrancy and Saturation -- that can
Spacecrafting be used to indulge in endless creative options to set
moods, support functional tasks, or create drama.
03 Explore the Spectrum

Select Color Temperature

Bring nature indoors with Ketra’s high quality white light that recreates any
outdoor lighting condition you can imagine. Tap into the cool arctic sky to
foster an environment of crispness and productivity in a home office. Create
a warm candlelit glow to set the scene for an intimate dinner or promote the
vital connection to nature by mimicking natural light as it shifts throughout the
day. The right light for the time of day or the task at hand is yours to explore.

In this residential loft, A20 lamps inside custom pendants provide direct,
general illumination on the work surfaces, while S30s in a nearby drop ceiling
fill the space with ambient light in a matching color temperature.

Residential Loft
Austin, TX

Interior Design
Lutron + Ketra Products Allison Crawford Design

+ A20 Lamp Photography

+ S30 Lamp Andrea Calo
03 Explore the Spectrum
High CRI (Color Rendering Index)
Render Color with Vibrancy
Not all white light is created equal. Make treasured and everyday objects
burst to life with Vibrancy, Ketra’s industry-unique ability to tune the colors
that make up white light at a given correlated color temperature (CCT).
By changing the recipe of white light to render colors their most vivid and
lifelike, Vibrancy allows you to reimagine that light to reflect brilliantly off
objects, materials, and artwork.

This conference room at the Lutron Experience Center in NYC utilizes D3

downlights to direct vibrant light to the large painting and pops the details
of the items on the shelves, while S30 lamps illuminate the work surface
with task lighting.

High Vibrancy

Lutron Commercial Experience Center

New York, NY

Lighting Design
One Lux Studio

Lutron + Ketra Products Architecture

COOKFOX
+ D3 Downlight
+ S30 Lamp Photography
+ Sivoia Shades Andrea Calo
03 Explore the Spectrum

Play with Saturated Color

Saturated colors are a powerful tool — in an office space, color can be used to
reinforce a brand’s visual identity or provide a creative assist in wayfinding. In
the home, color can enhance architectural appeal, bring drama to a space, or
create the perfect mood for any gathering.

In the image to the right, focused task areas at Vice Media are illuminated
by S38 lamps inside track fixtures. G2 linear fixtures inside ceiling coves offer
general illumination and added depth to the small rooms. In the detail image
below, G2 linears are mounted inside 3rd party fixtures for a tube lighting
effect, reinforcing Vice’s creative atmosphere.

Vice Media
Brooklyn, NY

Lighting Design
Lumen Architecture

Architecture
Lutron + Ketra Products The Switzer Group

+ S38 Lamp Photography

+ G2 Linear Ashok Sinha
 Bring Your Vision to Light
Tamarindo
San Clemente, CA

Architecture
Stayner Architects
We hope this guide offered a starting point for incorporating Ketra lighting into built spaces and illuminated
Photography
Liz Kuball how lighting, shades, and controls work together to enhance the human experience. To learn more about
designing with the principles discussed, we recommend exploring industry resources (AIA, IALD, IES) and
consulting a lighting designer.

Design is a collaborative pursuit— we invite you to join us in disrupting the lighting experience with our
revolutionary system of lights, controls and shades, working together to inspire and delight. For more inspiration,
see how Lutron and Ketra craft complete systems at some of the world’s premium built spaces — explore the
possibilities at ketra.com/projects.
Explore the Possibilities Front Cover Photo:
BIG Architects

of Ketra Lighting
Brooklyn, NY
Photo: Max Touhey

Back Cover Photos:

www.ketra.com Tamarindo
San Clemente, CA
Photo: Liz Kuball
Honeybrains
New York, NY
Photo: Magda Biernat
Kips Bay Showcase
New York, NY
Photo: Magda Biernat
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