Authorised Rako installerThe right lighting changes how a room feels far more than most people expect. We design scene-based lighting and motorised blinds with Rako as our headline platform, alongside Lutron RA3 and Silent Gliss, pre-set so morning, evening, film night and away mode each take one tap. The result is a calmer home, lower energy use, and the lighting doing the work the architect already paid for.
WHAT WE DELIVER
Honest, hands-on, and built to last.
Scenes you actually use
Morning, evening, dinner, film night, away. We programme the scenes around how you live and adjust them after handover.
Lutron-grade dimming
No buzzing, no flicker. We specify and wire dimmers that match the lamps and drivers, so the dimming feels smooth and natural.
Motorised blinds
Wired or rechargeable, by Silent Gliss and Rako-controlled drivers. Sun-tracking schedules included where useful.
Energy and ease
Occupancy sensing, daylight harvesting and away mode trim energy use without you having to think about it.
What scene-based lighting actually changes about a home
People rarely ask for "smart lighting" until they have lived with it for a few weeks. Then they wonder how they coped before.
The shift is from switches to scenes. Morning is one button: kitchen lights at fifty percent, hallway at thirty, bathroom on full when you walk in. Evening is another button: kitchen down low, dining lights up, table lamp on. Film night is another. Away mode is another. Each one is a single press and it sets every light in the house to where it should be.
The other shift is the dimming itself. Lutron-grade dimmers do not buzz, do not flicker, and do not feel cheap. The difference between properly engineered dimming and a £15 dimmer module from the high street is one of those things you cannot un-see.
Rako, Lutron RA3 and how we choose
Hubbub leads with Rako and we are authorised Rako installers. Rako is a UK manufacturer with a deep range of dimmer modules, keypads, wireless drivers and bridges that span every brief from a single living room to a whole-home retrofit. Keypads are engraved to your scenes. Drivers sit in the ceiling void or in a cupboard. The system runs reliably for years, and we know it inside out.
Rako pairs cleanly with Nice (ELAN OS 9) for whole-home control, so lighting sits inside the same interface that drives audio, cinema, climate, CCTV and access. Voice control works through Alexa for everyday convenience, and through Nice Voice for installations that want a single ecosystem from one supplier.
Lutron RA3 is our supported alternative. We deploy it where the brief specifically calls for it, particularly retrofit briefs where wireless keypads and battery-friendly remotes earn their keep. Lutron RA3 is wireless or hybrid, the processor tucks into a cupboard, and the system scales comfortably to a full house. We are not a Lutron dealer; we use Lutron RA3 because it solves specific problems well, not because we sell it by default.
We choose between Rako and Lutron RA3 per project. Most clients end up on Rako, both because we are closer to the platform and because Rako's scene programming, keypad finish range and Nice integration tend to win the room.
Smart lighting in period and listed homes
Period homes have specific lighting challenges. The original wiring is often partial. The wall switches are in places that made sense in 1885. The fittings are decorative and difficult to replace without losing character. The walls do not want to be chased. Rako's wireless keypads and inline dimmer modules were built for exactly this problem, and Lutron RA3 sits comfortably alongside as an alternative where its specific strengths are wanted.
Wireless keypads mean no new chases through plaster. Battery and powered options keep the install reversible. Plate finishes can be matched to existing brassware or chosen as bespoke heritage options when the conservation officer is in the loop.
Inline dimmer modules slot in behind existing switches, so the visible lighting position barely changes while the brain of the system moves into the ceiling void or a hidden cupboard. We agree every visible plate position with you before quoting, and we agree cable routes with the architect or conservation contact first when listed consent is in play.
Motorised blinds and shading
Blinds and curtains are part of the lighting brief, not separate from it. Pulling curtains for a film should be the same button press as dimming the lights. Raising blinds in the morning should be on the same morning scene as the lights coming on. We use Silent Gliss for motorised blinds and curtains because the quality of the track, the quiet of the motor and the choice of fabric and finish are all best in class.
Silent Gliss runs natively under Rako and under Nice, so the blinds become a programmed layer in the same scenes that drive the lights, the audio and the cinema. Wired drivers are the default for new builds and major renovations. Rechargeable battery drivers are the right answer in occupied homes where running cable is the deal-breaker.
We measure carefully, agree fabric and finish with you in person, and install with the same care a curtain maker would. The result is a window that disappears into the room, then reveals itself only when the scene calls for it.
The lighting brief: what we do before we wire anything
A good lighting design starts with a walk around the house at the times of day you actually use it. We want to see where the natural light falls in the morning. Where you sit in the evening. Which corners are wasted because they are dark. Which rooms have the wrong number of switches in the wrong places.
From the walk we draw a scene plan. Six or seven scenes per main room, mapped to the moments of your week. We mark up the existing wiring and decide what we can reuse. Most of the cost in a smart lighting install is in changes you do not need to make, so we look for the install that gives you ninety percent of the result for half the disruption.
Frequently asked questions
How disruptive is a smart lighting install?
Less than people expect. With Rako's wireless keypads and inline dimmer modules we can retrofit most homes without lifting floors or chasing walls. Larger projects with whole-home rewires are usually scheduled around the building work itself rather than the lighting.
Can you keep my existing light fittings?
In most cases yes. The intelligence sits in the dimmer modules and keypads rather than in the fittings themselves.
Will it work with my existing Alexa or Google Home?
Yes. Rako integrates with Alexa for voice control out of the box. If you would rather keep everything in one ecosystem, Nice Voice is the natural pairing when Rako sits under Nice (ELAN OS 9). Lutron RA3 integrates cleanly with Alexa and Google Home too.
Can blinds be retrofitted to existing windows?
Yes, in most cases. We measure carefully and offer wired or rechargeable options depending on whether we can route cabling.
What if I move house, can I take it with me?
Mostly no. The wiring, dimmers and keypads stay with the house. The intelligence and your scene preferences move with you, and we can replicate the setup in a new property.
Thinking of adding smart home technology? Book a consultation to discuss your project.
A 20 minute, no-obligation consultation. We will give you our honest view on what fits your home.