from Oct/Nov 2025

How Media Has Shaped Homeowners' Views on Professional Lighting Design

By Stacie Dinwiddy, CLD, IALD, LC, LEED BD+C Associate Director, HLB Lighting, NY

With today’s unprecedented access to media and online content, a question arises: How do professional designers compete with the rise of the DIY mindset?

I studied architecture and earned my BArch, but I built my career as a lighting designer, with over a decade of hands-on experience managing projects and helping bring spaces to life through light. I've always been fascinated by how buildings are made, but what really excites me is how lighting transforms them. Like many homeowners, I’m constantly dreaming up ways to refresh and rework our home.

During a recent lighting upgrade, I was reminded that even with years in the industry, there are limits when you step outside your specialty.

What should have been a quick retrofit—swapping out incandescent recessed downlights for modern LED lensed lights—turned into a voided online order and two last-minute trips to Lowe’s to find the right fit. Thankfully, an experienced electrical contractor helped me navigate the structural and electrical factors I had overlooked above the original 1970s soffits.

It was a humbling reminder that knowing the product inside and out doesn’t mean you’re equipped to handle every element around it.

That experience came to mind at a recent networking event, where a contractor asked how I advocate for including a lighting designer on a residential project team. My response? “Would you want the person selecting your furniture to also engineer your foundation?”

The Influence of Media on Design Expectations

Stores like Lowe’s and Target are catnip for the modern DIYer. You walk in for a light bulb and come out ready to transform a room. It’s no surprise, given how many HGTV and Netflix shows inspire homeowners to take design matters into their own hands.

This movement isn’t entirely new. It traces back to the 1979 premiere of This Old House on PBS and HGTV’s Room by Room in the 1990s. These shows offered relatable hosts, real-world scenarios, and empowered viewers to take charge of their homes.

But what started as motivation has morphed into something different. The rise of the “Insta-expert,” who appears credible through media presence but may lack formal training, has changed public perception of design expertise. Blogs, YouTube channels, and Instagram reels offer step-by-step guides and product links, making it feel like anyone can redesign a kitchen or install a lighting system.

And while it’s amazing that information is so accessible, the tradeoff is that it often downplays just how much knowledge, coordination, and craftsmanship are involved in quality residential design.

The Reality Behind "Made-for-TV" Makeovers

As design media became more popular, so did the national home renovation market. Home improvement stores thrived, and professional tradespeople were brought in to execute what enthusiastic homeowners had started.

These shows often portray renovations happening in weeks. They skip over planning delays, permitting, and coordination issues that take months (sometimes years) in real life. That disconnect can put pressure on builders and designers to deliver unrealistic timelines, often with limited budgets.

Professional designers have seen the shift. Prospective clients now compare seasoned design firms to gig-based platforms where credentials are secondary to online reviews. This can result in miscommunication, lack of design cohesion, unexpected costs, and in some cases, project failure.

That’s not to say design marketplaces don’t have their place. They can work well for small-scale or cosmetic upgrades.

For more complex or integrated projects, though, the value of working with a trained, experienced design team becomes clear—in both the process and the final result.

Pandemic Shifts and the Rise of Digital Design

During the pandemic, home became everything: office, school, gym, and sanctuary. My family, like many others, had to carve out functional spaces for work and learning, all under one roof. The importance of intentional design skyrocketed.

Platforms like Pinterest and Instagram became go-to resources, not just for homeowners but for professionals, too. They enabled designers to share ideas, showcase work, and connect with clients worldwide. Inspiration boards, livestream Q&As, and even AI-generated mood boards opened new doors. But, they also raised new challenges.

Today, many professionals struggle to distinguish between real, feasible design and content created purely for clicks. The line between inspiration and imitation has blurred. AI tools, while useful, can promote concepts that are structurally or materially unrealistic, something a trained eye can quickly identify and adapt.

The digital era also shifted communication habits. Virtual meetings, for all their convenience, have made it easier for people to multitask and harder to hold focused, productive conversations. And with so many apps, messages, and platforms in play, meeting notes and decisions can easily get lost in the shuffle.

Still, this era of instant feedback and fast-moving trends has had its upside: Homeowners are more design-savvy, and project teams can evolve more quickly to meet changing tastes and needs.

So, How Do We Compete?

We don’t compete by mimicking media trends. We compete by doing what media can’t: bringing depth, originality, and professional insight to every detail.

That means using online inspiration wisely—as a starting point, not a destination.

It means leading clients with experience and empathy, helping them understand the why behind each decision.

And it means protecting the integrity of our work by staying grounded in our education, field training, and project experience.

Most importantly, we show up as collaborators. Whether a homeowner found us through a well-designed website or a quick scroll on Instagram, we’re here to help them realize their vision and bring it to life in its best light.

So, yes, we’re always happy to meet over coffee, talk ideas, and explore what’s possible. And unless we truly believe a marketplace solution better fits your project, we’re ready to bring a professional touch to your home in a way that no algorithm or episode can replicate.

Designing in the Age of DIY