Today I have attended a presentation on light control in sustainable interior design by Lutron. I am a big advocate of controlling light levels in the rooms designed at my studio with the use of dimmers on the incandescent as well as fluorescent fixtures. You could call me a "dimmer queen", since even in my own home you would find that there is practically no light switch without a dimmer or timer installed.

I guess it's my urge to control everything with the greatest precision, even the light levels of the rooms I'm in. But there are only benefits to the "dimmer craze": you are able to select the light level you need for the task as well as for creating the ambiance for the space, and you are saving energy and extending the life of the lamp (which always means saving some $, too).

Lately I have fallen in love with Lutron's new Vierti line. The Vierti single touch dimmer is as decorative as it is functional. It supports all types of lamps: incandescent, fluorescent, halogen, LED, you name it. Multi-location dimming allows you to dim the lights from any entrance to a room. And the most important feature to every designer (and many homeowners) is that they come in a range of 10 matte and 11 metal finishes, with a white, green or blue LED status indicator bar (altogether 63 color combinations; what's not to love?). You can complete the style for your whole house by using complementary no-dimming switches. The finished look is sleek and downright minimal.

My favorite color combination is the Architectural Metal Brown faceplate with the green LED strip (see below). Find your favorite look on the Lutron website.

Lutron Vierti brown with green LED

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