Dan Ryan talks with Thomas Paterson, founder and lighting designer at Lux Populi, about one of hospitality's most overlooked design disciplines… light. Thomas explains why lighting designers need a seat at the table from day one, not after the drawings are done, and shares his take on how light shapes a space's emotional experience. The conversation covers the gap between the 2% of projects that engage a true lighting specialist and the 30-50% that probably should, what it means to design from the inside out, his unconventional path from Australia to Mexico City, the sustainability case for old-school screw-in bulbs, and why asking the right question at the right moment is the smartest move a lighting designer can make.

About the Guest:

Thomas Paterson is the founder, director, and principal lighting designer at Lux Populi, a Mexico City based lighting design studio. He brings a first principles approach to every project, asking what light can do before how it should look. His portfolio spans luxury resorts, boutique hotels, restaurants, museums, and infrastructure, including 15 years with Sandals Resorts, the Four Seasons Los Cabos, and a landmark tunnel gateway in Sydney. Originally from Australia and formerly based in London, he landed in Mexico City by chance and built one of the industry's most distinctive lighting practices.

Chapters:

00:25 Meet Lighting Designer Thomas

03:09 Hospitality Through Light

06:43 Bring Lighting In Early

10:17 Who Owns The Brief

11:46 Do Projects Hire Lighting

17:23 Lighting As Editing Tool

25:43 Fixing Spaces After Opening

29:09 Why Mexico City

31:53 Mexico City Safety Shift

32:43 Designing the Cocoon

33:17 Contrast and Tone Basics

34:14 Fixing a Brand’s Lighting

35:47 Kelvin Myths Explained

37:38 Infrared and Homogenous LEDs

42:39 Culture and Buying Bulbs

47:37 Sustainability and PoE Lighting

54:53 Future of Lighting Design

Quote of the Show:

"Lighting design is an editing tool. Emphasize, de-emphasize, reveal, conceal." - Thomas Paterson

Building a hotel, brand, or guest experience? Reach out to Dan on LinkedIn or hit reply on the Substack to share what you’re working on.

Links:

• Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@defininghospitality?sub_confirmation=1
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• Guest’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tpaterson/
• Guests Website: https://luxpopuli.com/New/
• Dan Ryan LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thedailydanryan/

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