Lighting With Intention Is Our Design Philosophy

Lynne’s love affair with light began when, for the first time, she saw a demonstration of MR16 halogen lights transform a landscape from dull and dark to magical and magnificent.  She actually gasped when the switch was turned on, and in that moment the “Light Lady” was born.  She has been Lynne the Light Lady for more than thirty-five years, and, in that time, she has had a front-row seat to see the evolution of lighting technology and lighting design from the incandescent MR16 through the doldrums of compact fluorescent, and now as LED technology is inching ever closer towards being able to sculpt any expression and experience of light we can imagine.  This depth of enriching experience is brought into every conversation and consultation about lighting design.  And yet, after all this time, Lynne still gets the girly giggles just talking about light as she did when she first discovered its mysterious power.

Having graduated with her Masters degree from HKU (Hard Knocks University), Lynne has put herself into every facet of the lighting design game from earning her journeyman’s credentials as an electrical contractor to teaching for Kichler lighting as their national product manager.  She passed on her passion for lighting by becoming a founding member of the Advisory Counsel for the Interior Design School at Southwest Florida College as well as becoming an affiliated member of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) among other allied industry professional groups dedicated to the built environment.  Most recently, Lynne and her studio were honored by their local American Institute of Architects (AIA) chapter as being their Affiliate Member of the Year (2023).

“My passion for lighting stems from how it affects people’s lifestyle and how it makes them feel in their environment… I have a very keen understanding of what it takes to bring a lighting vision to reality in a client’s home, not just from an aesthetic lighting perspective, but also from a construction and electrical perspective.”  To this end and as a seasoned Lighting Designer, Lynne brings her passion, extensive experience and perspective into every project she considers herself privileged to be invited into.

With over twenty-five years in the lighting and construction industry, Curtis brings his passion to both the technical and implementation sides of the business.  That deep, hands-on experience has earned him the moniker “LED Man” as he has helped guide hundreds of high-end LED installation projects towards successful completion.  It has been and continues to be his mission to keep abreast of the latest emerging lighting technologies that provide the right kind of solution to any lighting application challenge.  One of his specialties happens to be in underlighting complex and intricate stone installations.

His git-r-done attitude brings practical synergy to his long-standing partnership with founder and studio principal of ILDS, Lynne Stambouly, as they bring projects to life from the creative design process through execution and installation.

Reflecting back upon the evolution of the lighting industry, Curtis shares that “the emergence of Light Emitting Diodes has been the biggest breakthrough in our industry, presumably since the invention of the original Edison light bulb itself. As LED technology has moved into the mainstream for residential and commercial spaces, there are many unique and creative energy-efficient products that open many innovative design concepts that were previously unimaginable. Incorporating this new solid-state lighting technology into high-end projects is certainly the most rewarding aspect of my lighting career at this point”.

Curtis is also a very active member of the Interior Design Society and supports the lighting industry in various other ways.

Shortly after launching his own Custom Integration industry-focused lighting design practice in 2020, Bruce Clark was asked to describe his approach to lighting and design to a group of potential partners that were interested in his services.  He didn’t want to limit his broad interests and engagement with the world of lighting to just “design”, but he had a passion to empower others to know more and do better in lighting as well.  It was in this exchange that he donned the name of the “Lighting Sherpa”, someone who is available to help you carry your lighting burden, whatever that may be.  It could include Lighting Design services, but it could just as easily be delivering engaging educational content or helping someone make sense of their lighting specifications.  Whatever helps make lighting and design more accessible and actionable to others, be they industry partners or clients, Bruce is willing to help empower and enlighten.  Lighting sherpas don’t climb FOR you, but they will climb WITH you’ helping your project arrive at a successful execution that leaves you having a deeper understanding of all that goes into designing lighting well.

To that end, Bruce has developed and delivered training content,  conducted coaching groups, provided counsel to trade groups and rep firms, consulted on projects and helped custom integrators across the country to develop strategies to effectively and sustainably find success in the world of lighting and design.

Bruce brings his passion, creativity, and warmth to the ILDS team as they position themselves to extend their reach to a wider audience that will benefit from their experience and expertise.