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Commercial Lighting Case Studies
HBHQ Office and Podcast Studio

HBHQ Office and Podcast Studio

Designer

Kelsi Lamberth, Nuance Interiors

Lighting specifier

Eric Bartlett

Client

HBHQ

Location

Fort Worth, Texas

Date of completion

October 19, 2022

Who is the client and what is the project location?

The client is HBHQ, the coaching enterprise led by profit and money-making coach Haley Burkhead. HBHQ’s space exists at 3100 Capital Way in Fort Worth, Texas.

A 5-light pendant light hangs over the HBHQ office kitchen island, providing task lighting, with linear recessed and round recessed lights affording general lighting

Who designed this project; who chose the lighting?

Kelsi Lamberth, owner, proprietor and lead designer of Texas-based Nuance Interiors is the lead project designer. Lighting was selected by Eric Bartlett, Nuance Interiors’ leading architect.

Recessed linear lights and trimless round recessed lights by Alcon Lighting hang over a conference room table at the HBHQ podcast studio

Lighting in the HBHQ podcast studio office conference room balances with natural light from the large windows

What was Kelsi Lamberth’s design goal?

To create a soothing atmosphere with an orderly lighting layout.

“We wanted to keep the ceilings as clean as possible, sparingly using recessed cans,” Kelsi explained. “The only fixture extending from the ceiling is a simple five-lamp chandelier system, which acts as the focal piece of the main space above the island.” Kelsi ordered ceiling cove lighting with a long linear wall wash in the main space to promote comfort, adding flexibility and allowing for recessed lights to remain off during daylight hours when there’s adequate ambient light.

Kelsi noted that linear recessed lighting in HBHQ’s executive office affords refined lighting within the vaulted ceiling. This provides downlighting for task work, while feeling softer due to positioning in the ceiling and shielding direct visibility of fixtures.

Slim 1-inch linear recessed lights by Alcon Lighting provide light in an office at the HBHQ podcast studios in Fort Worth, Texas

Natural light streams through a window at the HBHQ podcast studio office with linear recessed LED lights providing downlighting and wall wash lighting

What was the lighting challenge?

“Lighting two podcast rooms and the ceiling within Haley’s office,” Kelsi answered. “In order to achieve the ceiling design, we needed a fixture that would fit within the 1" flat channel at the apex of the ceiling coffers. That space was determined by the proportion and curve of the trim elements we used in order to make the ceiling [appear] as one structural system.”

The 2' and 4' length lights allowed Nuance Interiors to properly distribute light and maintain the same product type throughout three rooms with different dimensions.

Nuance Interiors used slim 1-inch linear recessed ceiling lights for podcast studio lighting at HBHQ in Fort Worth, Texas

Commercial bathroom lighting at HBHQ in Fort Worth, Texas, features a modern decorative pendant light

Which lights were used and why?

Nuance Interiors chose the 3" recessed trimless LED light [14143-R-WH-35K] for general downlighting.

“We liked the 3" fixture size for the scale of the space and light level it provided,” Kelsi said. “The 4" fixtures felt a bit too large, while 2" fixtures were not substantial enough and would have required more fixtures to achieve the same goal. The 3" was Goldilocks-perfect for the space.”

Within Haley Burkhead’s office ceiling and the podcast studios, Kelsi used 2' linear LED [12100-10-R-R30-S2'-35K-BK] and 4' linear LED [12100-10-R-R30-S4'-35K-BK] lights.

“Both of these linear LED products allowed us to achieve the structural look of the ceiling with fixtures neatly installed in the apex of these vaults,” she said. “We also selected linear diffusers with apertures matching the width of these fixtures. This allowed for all lighting and HVAC needs to be met within neat, thin lines, maintaining [a] solid, structural feel and clean, refined look.”

Product dimensions and construction suited the trim, she noted. “The great light quality and dimming capability allowed us to dial in the perfect light level for an even glow that feels as if light is softly breathing from the ceiling vaults, creating a peaceful, meditative atmosphere.”

Opting for the 3' linear LED wall wash product [12100-10-PR-CR15'-35K-BK] along the kitchen tile wall behind steel and glass hanging shelves, Kelsi was able to keep shelving close to the tiles while illuminating the whole wall. “The fixture was a perfect fit in terms of size and light output,” the lead designer said. “We also brought the wood surround of our built-in millwork right up to the edge of the fixture for a seamless channel look.”

1-Inch Perimeter Wall Wash Trimless Linear Recessed LED Light

This wall wash perimeter strip light is ideal for hallway accent lighting or for lighting art and other aspects on the adjacent wall. Our commercial-grade trimless lighting includes a 1-inch wide, glare-free, snap-in lens in frosted acrylic for better distribution of light.

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VE 14143-R 3-Inch Recessed LED Trimless Round Light

Our three-inch, round LED recessed, trimless downlight fixture is ideal for retrofit and new construction residential and commercial applications. The 120-voltage downlighting has a 30° beam angle. This product is Type IC-rated, no housing required.

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1-Inch Recessed Linear LED Light

Our military-grade, field-cuttable aluminum light fixture will last a long time and can be installed in any drywall thickness. This commercial-grade lighting product includes a 1-inch wide, glare-free, snap-in lens in frosted acrylic for better distribution of light.

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Nuance Interiors' lighting specifier Kelsi Lamberth used three types of Alcon Lighting fixtures at HBHQ: a 1-inch linear recessed light, a recessed wall wash light and a round recessed light

“The fixture was a perfect fit in terms of size and light output,” the lead designer said. “We also brought the wood surround of our built-in millwork right up to the edge of the fixture for a seamless channel look.”

What was the overall goal of the space?

“The client loved the feel and charm of older brick and concrete office and warehouse buildings, while also gravitating towards a cleaner, more refined style and calming atmosphere,” Kelsi recalled. “The challenge was to marry those two elements and bring the vision of a meditative renovation of an older building to life within newly constructed office space. That concept was incorporated from the initial planning by blocking out offices and conference rooms in uniform bays lining the main space.”

Kelsi’s simple design allowed for accentuating materials, furniture and artwork. Of these, the feature ceiling within Haley Burkhead’s office was the most ambitious. The ceiling design called for standard crown trim elements with a curve to create a continuous series of miniature barrel vaults, reminiscent of concrete T-beams commonly found in older office and warehouse buildings.

The result? A ceiling that felt structurally solid in form, providing easygoing charm while remaining refined due to scale. The interior already lent itself to the design goal, Kelsi said, but the material palette and lighting were key to HBHQ project success. Offices and conference room bays received full-width storefront systems; these were surrounded by dark brick cladding, solidifying the sense of an existing building.

Wall-to-wall millwork within the main space was fitted in light-toned white oak, with a full-height ivory color tile inset, drawing out tones of the monolithic marble island. The simple nature of the main millwork forms in lighter materials sets the tone from the moment you enter the space, softening the roughness of the brick—allowing space for each element.

Proper lighting design combined with an understanding of lighting’s effect on the human body can improve worker wellness and efficiency while reducing operating costs. The guiding principles of lighting design are a starting point. But the ultimate office lighting determinant is the unique nature of the work itself, including any specific task-related habits practiced by the worker. Learn more in our article A Practical Guide to Work and Office Lighting.