LIGHT DESIGN STUDIO LTD

What LIGHT DESIGN STUDIO LTD does

The Lighting Design Studio (LIGHT DESIGN STUDIO LTD) is an independent lighting design consultancy headquartered at 70 Cowcross Street, London, founded in 2011. The firm delivers bespoke architectural and residential lighting design services to high-end hospitality, luxury residential, commercial, retail, and automotive clients in the UK and internationally, with completed projects documented across Dubai, Doha, Marbella, Paris, Monte Carlo, Mykonos, and Riyadh. The practice follows RIBA Stages for residential engagements and operates three service tiers: Commercial Lighting Design, Residential Lighting Design, and Essential Lighting Design (the latter delivered via a supply partner at lds-supply.co.uk).

Technically, the studio works with industry-standard lighting control protocols — DALI, DMX, KNX, and SPI — alongside proprietary-style integrations with Lutron, Rako, Mode Lighting, and GrandMA3 consoles, and uses Madrix for dynamic pixel LED and sound-to-light installations. A core differentiator is the studio's explicit commission-free model: it does not take payment from luminaire manufacturers, positioning its product recommendations as fully independent. Specialist capabilities include dynamic pixel LED programming, MIDI-driven DJ control, obtrusive light pollution assessment, and UK Part L compliance consultancy.

The business operates on a project-based professional services model with individually tailored fee proposals and no published pricing. Marketing is conducted through a content-heavy website portfolio, technical blog, Instagram, LinkedIn, and RIBA-accredited CPD talks to architects. Clients are acquired primarily via referrals, portfolio visibility, and collaborative relationships with named architecture practices (Greenway, Ash Sakura, First Within, Harriet Forde Design). Notable enterprise engagements include COYA across seven cities, Spaghetti House across 16 UK restaurant locations, GAIA across London, Doha, and Marbella, Jaguar Land Rover design studios, Shanghai Me, and The Arts Club.

Name

LIGHT DESIGN STUDIO LTD

Legal name

The Lighting Design Studio

Website

https://lightingdesignstudio.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Lighting Design Studio is an independent London-based lighting design consultancy providing architectural, residential, and commercial lighting design services across high-end hospitality, luxury residential, retail, and automotive sectors in the UK, Middle East, and Europe on a project-based consultancy basis.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Lighting Design Services

NAICS

Interior Design Services (541410), Architectural Services (54131)

akta.pro primary industry

Lighting Design Services (BPAHAKAJ)

Keywords

• Architectural lighting design
• Lighting consultancy services
• Commercial lighting design
• Residential lighting design
• Lighting control systems

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Professional Lighting Design Services: Project-based professional services revenue model. The studio is engaged on a project-by-project basis, providing comprehensive lighting design from concept through to completion. Services include concept design, technical specifications, luminaire specification, lighting control strategy, on-site installation support, and commissioning. Clients receive a tailored fee proposal covering design approach, timelines, and costs before project commencement. The studio is totally independent of manufacturers and does not rely on sales of luminaires, indicating revenue is derived solely from consulting fees.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Independent architectural lighting design consultancy offering bespoke lighting design for high-end commercial and residential projects. Services span concept design, technical specifications, luminaire specification, lighting control strategy (DALI, DMX, KNX, Lutron, Rako), and on-site commissioning support. Three core tiers — Commercial, Residential, and Essential Lighting Design — are supplemented by specialised verticals including restaurant, swimming pool, facade, and office lighting, plus regulatory services (Part L compliance, light pollution assessment) and educational CPD talks.

Product overview

The Lighting Design Studio is an independent lighting design consultancy offering three core service tiers: Commercial Lighting Design for high-end hospitality and commercial spaces, Residential Lighting Design following RIBA Stages, and Essential Lighting Design for budget-conscious projects. Their services span specialized verticals including restaurant, swimming pool, car park, facade, and office lighting design. They provide comprehensive lighting control system expertise (DALI, DMX, KNX, Lutron, Rako, Mode Lighting), dynamic/pixel LED lighting using Madrix, and regulatory compliance services including Part L and obtrusive light pollution assessment. The company also offers architecture CPDs and interactive light installations. The consultancy operates internationally with projects across UK, Dubai, and Marbella, serving clients including Jaguar Land Rover, high-end restaurants, boutique hotels, and residential properties.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Commercial Lighting Design Lighting design service for high-end hospitality and commercial spaces, including hotels, restaurants, bars, and entertainment venues, covering ambiance, dynamic lighting, pixel LED integration, and advanced control systems from concept through to completion.
• Residential Lighting Design Comprehensive residential lighting design following RIBA Stages for high-end private homes, covering concept through to completion with detailed technical specifications, luminaire schedules, and on-site installation support.
• Essential Lighting Design Streamlined lighting design service for projects requiring functional, well-designed lighting within tighter budgets, delivered via the studio's supply partner at lds-supply.co.uk.
• Restaurant Lighting Design Specialist restaurant lighting consultancy covering light levels, colour temperature, CRI, and lighting control, creating intimate or dramatic atmospheres with accent lighting, decorative pendants, and dynamic scenes for fine dining, casual, and late-night venues.
• Swimming Pool Lighting Design Specialist swimming pool lighting design covering maintenance considerations, IP ratings, SELV/fibre optic solutions, and creation of relaxing or dramatic aquatic environments in residential and hotel pool settings.
• Car Park Lighting Design Professional car park lighting with a design-led approach for covered and open car parks, addressing crime reduction, environmental zones, light levels, uniformity, and glare control.
• Facade Lighting Design Commercial facade lighting design including planning compliance, mock-ups, renders, commissioning, and control system implementation to support dynamic colour and intensity schemes sympathetic to the building context.
• Office Lighting Consultancy Cat A office fit-out lighting consultancy including concept design, calculations, CIBSE compliance for glare (UGR) and light levels, detailed drawings, wiring schematics, and full emergency lighting strategy.
• Architecture CPD Talks Continuing professional development talks for architects covering how humans see, circadian rhythms, LEDs, energy legislation (Part L), colour temperature, colour rendering (RA), and lighting controls, enabling RIBA CPD points.
• Interactive Light Installations Collaborative creation of interactive light installations for events and design weeks, including responsive lighting that reacts to visitor interaction via fingertip sensors and other inputs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Energy savings of up to 90% less power compared to halogen equivalents
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers49 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration11 records

Feature5 records

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Hoare Lea Lighting: Lighting design division of UK engineering consultancy Hoare Lea, providing architectural lighting as part of integrated M&E services. Comparable in delivering lighting for commercial, hospitality, and heritage projects, but operates within a much larger multi-discipline engineering firm.
• Arup Lighting: Lighting design practice within global engineering giant Arup, offering architectural lighting as part of multi-disciplinary engineering commissions. Competes for the same premium commercial and cultural projects but with the backing of a much larger parent and ability to bundle lighting into broader engineering scopes.
• BDP (Building Design Partnership): Major international architecture and engineering practice with an established lighting design team. Competes for high-end commercial, hospitality, and public-sector lighting commissions as part of integrated design-and-engineer offerings.
• Atkins (Lighting Design): Lighting design capability within global design and engineering consultancy AtkinsRéalis. Provides architectural lighting as part of broader infrastructure, transportation, and built-environment commissions — a scaled competitor for the firm's commercial and infrastructure work.
• Bartenbach: Austria-based research-driven architectural lighting design consultancy with international reach. Comparable in working on premium hospitality, cultural, and residential projects with deep technical expertise in lighting research and human-centric design.

Emerging players

• Studio Fractal: Independent architectural lighting design studio with strong presence in the Middle East, including UAE and Saudi Arabia. Direct peer for the firm's hospitality-led Middle Eastern projects and dynamic lighting specialism.
• GIA Equation: Independent lighting design consultancy with offices in the UK and internationally. Comparable as a boutique competitor in architectural lighting across hospitality and residential sectors.

Regional players

• Sutton Winson: Independent UK lighting consultancy with strong presence in the British residential and hospitality markets. Comparable in serving UK-based premium residential and boutique hospitality clients with a consultancy-led offering.

Direct peers

• Michael Grubb Studio: UK-based independent architectural lighting design consultancy working across commercial, hospitality, residential, and heritage sectors. Direct peer as a similarly sized specialist competing for the same boutique commissions.
• Speirs Major: Independent London-headquartered architectural lighting design consultancy with an international project portfolio spanning cultural, hospitality, and urban masterplans. Directly comparable as a boutique specialist competing for the same premium hospitality and cultural-sector commissions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/the-lighting-design-studio-b5b80139
• Instagraminstagram.com/thelightingdesignstudio/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about LIGHT DESIGN STUDIO LTD