Short answer: at a dusk demo we come to your property in the evening, set temporary fixtures where we think they belong, switch them on and walk the yard with you while the light is real. You see the effect before you commit to anything. The estimate is free, and the firm number comes before any work begins. We run these because lighting is easy to explain and hard to picture, and a diagram will never show you what a warm uplight does to a brick wall.
Why we do it at dusk
Lighting looks nothing like it does at noon. A fixture that seems pointless in daylight can be the one that makes the entry feel welcoming at night. Dusk is also when the sky still has a little color, so you can see how the lights balance against the dark. That is why we design on your property, at dusk, and do not hand you a drawing from an office.
The visit, step by step
- We walk the property in daylight. We note the house, the trees, the paths, the steps and the spots where you walk at night. We ask what bothers you and what you want to show off.
- We talk through the layers. Good lighting uses more than one kind. Uplighting on walls and trees, path lighting along walks and wash lighting across surfaces. Not every house needs all three.
- We place demo fixtures. Low-voltage LED fixtures go into the ground temporarily, in the spots we have in mind.
- We wait for the light to fall. As it gets dark, we switch everything on.
- We walk it together. You tell us what you like and what you do not. We move fixtures as you watch.
- We adjust until it looks right. Angle, distance and glare get tuned on the spot.
- We talk numbers. You get a firm price for what you saw, before any work begins.
What you should look for during the demo
- Glare. If you can see the bulb from where you stand or sit, the fixture is aimed wrong.
- Pools of light. Lights that spot the lawn in circles look like a runway. Good lighting blends.
- Shadows. Some are good. Some hide the steps you need to see.
- Evenness along a path. You want to see where to put your feet, not a string of bright dots.
What a demo is not
It is not a sales ambush. There is no upsell pressure and no hidden fees. If you decide the lighting is not for you, we pick up the fixtures and leave. If you only want part of what you saw, we price just that part. Smaller jobs are common, and a single fixture starts at $195 on our price list.
After the demo
If you go ahead, the fixtures we place are low-voltage LED, with lifetime-brass options. For a sense of cost, fixtures start at $195 each on our price list. The total depends on how many fixtures the design needs, the transformer and the wire runs, and you get a firm number for exactly what you saw.
When to call us
Call when you have wanted lighting for a while and could not picture it. We serve North Atlanta, including Brookhaven, Dunwoody and Sandy Springs, and the Gwinnett towns to the northeast. See landscape lighting design and our gallery.
What to wear and bring
Nothing special. Pick a night when you are home and can walk the yard. Turn on your porch light so we can see what you already have, and tell us which parts of the yard you actually use after dark. A dog run, a side gate and a back door matter as much as the front facade. If you have an irrigation system, tell us where the heads and valve boxes are so we do not trench through them. We handle both, so we plan the wire around your sprinkler lines.
FAQ
Does the dusk demo cost anything? No. We offer a free on-site estimate, and the demo is how we show you the design before you commit.
How long does a demo take? It depends on the size of the property. The walk-through starts before dark and runs until the lights are tuned.
Do I have to buy after the demo? No. There is no pressure. If you decide not to go ahead, we take the demo fixtures with us.
What kind of fixtures will I see? Low-voltage LED fixtures, with lifetime-brass options for the permanent install.
Prices from our price list. Updated October 2026.