Photography by Spacecrafting
Alex Lelchuk
Alex Lelchuk and his team of 37 in-house lighting and audio/visual designers, engineers, technicians, and project managers are helping architects, builders, and residential and commercial clients see the light — literally.
He started his business in his basement a decade ago, focusing on smart home automation. But then he discovered lighting was a truly underserved market segment in the Twin Cities. So over the past four years, Lelchuk has added lighting design and specification services to his shop’s tech-savvy lineup. “No other companies are bringing lighting in-house locally, and it’s not readily available in the marketplace,” he explains.
It’s true: Lighting has all too often been an afterthought until very recently. Because of this, the training and understanding necessary to achieve great lighting are hard to come by. “Lighting should be personalized to each space but so often is overlooked, and the same standardized product ends up being installed everywhere,” Lelchuk says.
His search for a simple solution led to his own light-bulb moment: If his company could demonstrate lighting, clients could more easily navigate their needs. And so the lighting lab was born, featuring in-ceiling fixtures as well as undercabinet options, LED strips, toe kicks and more. Customers can compare good/better/best options side by side and truly understand the difference between canned lighting, wall washing and grazing, and the like.
“Our team is educated and certified, and we’ve partnered with a variety of manufacturers to continue our education,” he notes. That includes innovations as complex as lighting that mimics our circadian rhythms. But most importantly, Lelch focuses on helping clients, architects and builders with lighting schedules and install details, so that the technology doesn’t get in the way of the homebuilding and design process. “We are addressing the fundamentals from lighting design, applying higher quality fixtures and the right effects, ambiance, aesthetic and look,” Lelchuk concludes.
