Custom Lighting Installation in San Diego
Lighting transforms a space. The right fixtures in the right places can make a room feel larger, warmer, more inviting, or more dramatic. The wrong lighting, or no real lighting plan at all, leaves even beautifully designed spaces feeling flat.
CET Electric designs and installs custom lighting for homes and commercial spaces throughout San Diego. We work directly with homeowners, interior designers, architects, and general contractors to bring lighting visions to life. Our portfolio includes everything from high-end residential properties in Rancho Santa Fe to restaurants and bars in the Gaslamp Quarter. Take a look at our gallery to see the range of work we've done.
Residential Custom Lighting
A home's lighting needs vary dramatically from room to room. The kitchen needs task lighting over work surfaces and ambient lighting for everyday use. The living room might call for dimmable fixtures and accent lighting to highlight artwork or architectural details. Bedrooms benefit from layered lighting that can shift from bright and functional to soft and relaxing.
We approach residential lighting by understanding how you actually use each space. We'll talk through your daily routines, your aesthetic preferences, and any specific effects you want to achieve. From there, we develop a lighting plan that addresses both function and atmosphere.
Our residential lighting services include recessed lighting installation, pendant and chandelier mounting, under-cabinet lighting, cove lighting, stairway lighting, closet lighting, and exterior and landscape lighting. We also install smart lighting systems that let you control brightness, color temperature, and scheduling from your phone or through voice commands.
For new construction and major remodels, we work alongside your general contractor to integrate lighting into the electrical plan from the beginning. This is the ideal time to run wiring for future fixtures, install low-voltage systems, and build in flexibility for changing how rooms are used down the road.
Commercial and Hospitality Lighting
Restaurants, bars, hotels, and retail spaces require lighting that does more than just illuminate a room. The lighting sets a mood, influences how customers feel, and plays a direct role in whether people want to stay. A restaurant with harsh overhead lighting feels like a cafeteria. The same space with thoughtfully designed ambient lighting feels like a place worth lingering.
We've worked with restaurants and hospitality venues across San Diego to create lighting that enhances the guest experience. This includes dining room ambient lighting, bar area accent and feature lighting, patio and outdoor entertainment lighting, kitchen task lighting that meets commercial code requirements, and signage and façade lighting.
Commercial lighting projects often require coordination with architects, designers, and multiple contractors. We're comfortable in that environment and know how to work within construction schedules while delivering the precision these projects demand.
LED Lighting and Energy Efficiency
Nearly all of our custom lighting installations use LED technology. LEDs last significantly longer than traditional bulbs, use a fraction of the energy, and produce far less heat. For recessed lighting in particular, LEDs make a noticeable difference in both your electricity bill and how comfortable a room feels.
Modern LED fixtures offer excellent color rendering and a wide range of color temperatures. You can choose warm tones for living spaces where you want a cozy atmosphere, or cooler tones for kitchens and workspaces where clarity matters. Many of our installations include dimmable LED fixtures that let you adjust the ambiance based on the time of day or the activity.
For homes and businesses looking to maximize energy savings, we can recommend specific fixtures and systems that qualify for utility rebates. California's Title 24 energy standards apply to most new construction and major renovations, and we ensure all our commercial work meets those requirements.
Working with Designers and Architects
Many of our custom lighting projects come through interior designers and architects who bring us in as part of their team. We appreciate these relationships because they produce the best results. A designer understands how a space should feel and can specify fixtures that complement the overall aesthetic. We bring the technical knowledge to make those specifications work electrically.
If you're a designer or architect working on a project in San Diego, we're happy to collaborate. We can review lighting plans, suggest alternatives where needed, source and install specified fixtures, and coordinate with your schedule. Our goal is to make your vision work, not to impose our own ideas on your design.
What Custom Lighting Costs
Custom lighting costs vary widely based on the scope of the project. A single room with a few recessed lights is a much smaller job than a whole-home lighting design or a restaurant build-out. Rather than quote generic price ranges that might not apply to your situation, we prefer to discuss your specific project and provide an estimate based on what you actually need.
What we can tell you is that we're not the cheapest option for basic fixture installation. Our value shows in projects where design matters, where quality fixtures need to be installed correctly, and where you want someone who thinks through the details rather than just mounting what you hand them.
See Our Work
The best way to understand what we do is to look at what we've done. Our gallery shows custom lighting projects across San Diego, from dramatic restaurant interiors to elegant residential spaces. Each project reflects a collaboration between our team and the client or designer who brought us in.
Start Your Lighting Project
If you're building, remodeling, or simply ready to upgrade the lighting in your space, we'd like to hear about it. Contact us to discuss your project, and we'll schedule a time to walk through your space and talk through your options.
Call CET Electric at (619) 934-8626 or reach out through our contact form. We serve residential and commercial clients throughout San Diego County.