The Interior Designers’ Lighting Club
The Interior Designers’ Lighting Club
Why are you here?
You might be here because
You know that getting the lighting right on your projects makes a massive difference to the way your clients’ homes function and feel, and to how those homes (and your portfolio) look, but you have no idea how to approach it?
You are perfectly comfortable specifying decorative lighting but you find trying to use lighting like ceiling spots, step lights, and groundlights completely baffling?
Your clients are putting you under pressure to include lighting designs in your service package, but you don’t believe you have the knowledge to offer it? Does the fear of getting it wrong stop you from doing it at all and you know you are leaving money on the table with every project where you don’t do it?
You want to be able to offer an extra service that differentiates you from your competitors or because you need to play catch up with those who do?
You know you’re being BSed by electricians and builders telling you the stuff they can’t be bothered to do isn’t possible? And you know you don’t have the knowledge to stand your ground and get what you want for your clients?
Or, maybe you are here simply because an Interior Designer friend has recommended you have a look?
Whatever brought you here keep reading as you’ve found the right place to fix things…
So, what is the Interior Designers’ Lighting Club?
The Interior Designers’ Lighting Club is an on-line membership group exclusively for Interior Designers who want to take control of the lighting on their projects, learning about lighting design at their own pace, supported by me and a community of their peers.
And, what’s more, it’s unique – there’s not another place quite like it!
Who is the Interior Designers’ Lighting Club for?
It is for you if:
You are working for yourself or for a company as an Interior Designer – and can prove that.
You get involved in lighting design for your projects and want to learn more about it – even if it’s only for your simpler, smaller projects.
You have made mistakes in the past and are prepared to get back in the saddle.
You work with other people’s lighting designs and want a better understanding of what’s in them.
You are prepared to take part in the Club, put in time in to do the learning putting your hand up where necessary, and then you’re going to put it into practice on your projects. Knowing is not doing!
Do any (or more than one!) of those sound like you? If so, read on…
What’s included for you in the Interior Designers’ Lighting Club?
Regular new trainings on all aspects of lighting design you can call on whenever you need.
Q & A sessions with me on all things “lighting”.
Updates on the latest advances in lighting technology.
Access to the checklists, tools, and processes I use in my lighting design business that I’ve been refining over more than 15 years.
And, there will be more to come over time…
Phew, that’s a lot isn’t it!
Those are all of the benefits of a mastermind group where everyone is working towards the same goals, but without the usual time pressures and high ticket price.
Join now for just £27 per month
Why Listen to me?
Hi, I’m Sam Coles. If you don’t know me already, I have more than 20 years of experience as a Lighting Consultant. I began my design career with a degree in Interior Textile Design and followed that up with a qualification in Interior Design. During my early years in lighting consultancy, I also offered a basic level Interior Design service gaining a bit of a feel for what an Interior Designer has to know – and that’s a lot!
I have been an integral part of some award-winning project teams, providing the interior and exterior lighting expertise for projects that have won:
- A What House? Gold Award for Best Luxury House in the UK
- An International Property Awards for Best Residential Development
- A London Evening Standard New Homes Award for Best Luxury Home (probably the biggest and definitely the most well-known accolades in the UK)
- Amongst others…
In 2019 I was invited to provide a masterclass on the latest trends in lighting design at the National Home Building and Renovating Show at the NEC -the biggest footfall public exhibition in the UK. In 2020 and 2021 I have regularly given webinars on lighting design to the Interior Designers’ support group the Camberyard Collective. In June 2021 I contributed to a Grand Designs Magazine feature on how to create a healthy home.
Even those of you who know me may not know that prior to working in lighting I spent 10 years designing computer-based training courses, workbooks, and manuals in a wide range of technical subjects. Around half of this time, I designed and presented face-to-face training on the technical design subject of using garment and textile design CAD software. In 2018 I decided to combine the skills from my two different careers and in 2019 I launched the e-course Getting Light Right™ Home Lighting Designer. This unique career experience gives me the ideal background to be a lighting design educator.
Some people believe that great lighting design comes from within. You may not believe that you can learn lighting design but as an Interior Designer you are already an expert in a creative field. I have been building and refining my processes and systems for over 15 years and in the Club you can learn these processes, in bite size chunks, either along with the other Members of the Club, or where and when you want to.
One time founder members’ price
Founder Membership is just £27.00 per month until 31st May 2021. It will never be this price again!
Got questions about membership?
Read on
Can I invite any of my friends to be Founder Members?
Yes, you can invite them to apply for Founder Membership. Please note that every applicant will be required to provide proof of being an Interior Designer. I want this club to be a safe space for Interior Designers to discuss anything to do with lighting design and it won’t be if just anyone can become a Member. I also reserve the right not to admit people who I don’t think will be a good fit for Membership for any reason.
Will you ever let in people who are not Interior Designers?
I want this to be a safe space for Interior Designers to be able to discuss all aspects of lighting design and that could be tricky if others like trades and potential clients are around. If it looks like enough other trades people, construction professionals, and the general public are interested in joining then I will consider opening other Clubs specifically for them.
At some point all the content in Home Lighting Designer will be covered in the Club, but it’s going to be in a lot more detail and with a higher level of support from me. Plus, we’re going to be covering so much more over time and going to a higher technical level.
Are Memberships transferrable?
Due to vetting process I am afraid they are not.
Can my company join as a Member?
No, Club Membership is for individuals. Whilst companies can pay for as many of their staff to be Members as they wish, an organisation cannot be a Member in its own right. Memberships cannot be shared between people even if they are in the same organisation.
Where will the main Club interaction take place?
In common with many Clubs, memberships, masterminds, etc. currently the main interaction will take place in a private Facebook group. Please do not apply to join if you do not or do not want to use Facebook, unless you are happy to not join in with this part of the club. The Facebook group is an added bonus which we may withdraw at any time and choose to not substitute with anything else. Facebook is third-party company which may also change its terms and conditions of operation or its business model, so any closing of the Facebook group may also be outside of our control.
About the financial side
Yes, because my business is VAT registered, VAT must be charged on anything it provides. To make the monthly fee a round number I have priced it at £27.00 including VAT.
Can I get an extra special deal by paying for a number of months in advance?
Whilst I love your sense of commitment, I don’t know how the Club will go until it has been running for a while. This option isn’t being offered now but it might be offered in the future.
Sorry, no. Paypal makes it really hard to manage subscriptions, so we use Stripe.
Can I leave and rejoin at the same price?
The Founder Members’ price is a one-time offer that will expire at 11.59 on 31st May 2021. Anyone leaving the Club at any point after that will need to apply to rejoin and will be charged the current monthly Membership fee and any applicable joining fees at that point. They will also lose the ability to take advantage of any other Founder Members’ special prices and exclusive offers that may be made.
About the training
How will the training be delivered?
People vary wildly in their learning styles so I will aim to provide training in a variety of ways – this may include live videos and webinars (recorded where possible for those who cannot attend live), pre-recorded videos and webinars, worksheets and workbooks, checklists and cheat sheets and, when it’s possible, face to face.
Where will the training materials be held?
My training materials are held on the Thinkific platform. I reserve the right to change platforms or have my own bespoke platform designed in the future. In this event, notice would be provided along with instructions of how to move from one to another.
Will you be the only person providing the training?
I expect to be creating and delivering most of the training materials. If there are opportunities and instances where people with alternative expertise can be brought in, I will.
How long will I have access to the training materials?
You keep access as liong as you have an active subscription. The training materials will be available for the lifetime of the Club.
The printables are downloadable but the videos are not. You are paying for access to my content rather than the content itself.
Can I ask for specific help on a project I am working on?
Yes, and if I think the reply will help other Members, I will help, provide ideas, etc. However, if I don’t think that will benefit the group, then you or your clients are welcome to hire me outside of the club.
How long should I expect to wait for the answer to a question?
The Facebook group will be regularly monitored and answers will be provided between 9.00am and 5.00pm Monday to Friday, excluding Bank Holidays. I may answer outside these hours, but this is not guaranteed and should not be expected.
Can everyone in my company use the Club training materials?
Members have permission to download training materials for their own use only. Part of any Club is the interaction of the Members and if more than one person shares a Membership, this dilutes the interaction.