When you partner with Luminocity for your inspired outdoor lighting, you’re partnering with Karl Lundberg, our owner and leader. Karl, a former United States Marine, runs his company with military precision and a keen attention to detail. He takes individual lighting jobs personally, making sure each property receives a unique lighting configuration designed to show off its best features.
Karl is more than a lighting designer and company owner. He’s a father, husband, grandfather and proud Hamilton County resident. He’s also the owner of a rescue dog named Hachi who likes to shed (and shed and shed.) Read on for more Karl insights.
Karl: The early days
1. Where were you born? I was born in Olean, a small city in upstate New York.
2. Where did you go to school? I grew up in a very rural area. I attended Portville Central School for kindergarten-12th grade. My graduating class totaled 115.
3. What did you want to be when you grew up? I had no idea.
4. What was your favorite holiday when you were a kid? Christmas.
5. If your mom was looking for you and couldn’t find you, where were you likely to be? At a buddy’s house.
Karl: The Marine
6. When did you join the Marines and how long did you serve? I joined the Marines in 1979 and served for just under 30 years.
7. Did you have a favorite assignment or station while you were serving? Each assignment has its own special memory. My initial duty station was in Okinawa, Japan. I was a platoon commander of 35 young Marines. We trained hard and forged a tight bond.
My last assignment was at Camp Pendleton, California. I was activated from the Marine Corps Reserve after 9/11. Although I was trained as a combat engineer, I took over a logistics section. I wrote the order for how the equipment that was left behind at Camp Pendleton would be repaired and sent to the fight. It was inspiring to see the order implemented. The unit I was leading was responsible for providing desert uniforms for reserve units going to Iraq via Camp Pendleton, issuing security ammunition to Marine units going to the fight, handled hazardous waste, securing convalescent barracks for wounded Marines, and arranging for Angel flights for returning Marines to obtain flights home.
8. What surprised you about being in the Marines? “Once a Marine, always a Marine” is true. The change is forever. I heard about this and thought that it was a slogan. Having lived it, I know it is true.
9. What lessons from the Marines do you carry with you today? You take responsibility for what you accomplish or fail to achieve.
10. What was your favorite thing about being a Marine? Serving something larger than myself. Serving one’s country via an elite fighting force requires sacrifice, but there isn’t a more nobler thing to do than serve one’s country.
Karl: The outdoor lighting expert
11. How and when did you get into the outdoor lighting business? I had always been interested in being an entrepreneur. Although I enjoyed my job as a director of marketing, it was time to make a change. I explored various options and was intrigued by outdoor lighting. I learned about a franchise, Outdoor Lighting Perspectives, and decided to take the plunge. That was in 2005.
12. What’s something people might not know about outdoor lighting? Using the right designer makes all the difference. You can use the best outdoor lights but if they aren’t used properly, the results won’t be very impressive. It is imperative to use the right color temperature, beam spread and lumen output to have the right look.
13. What sort of certifications do you have, and why are those important? I am a Certified Outdoor Lighting Designer, Certified Low Voltage Lighting Technician and mentor for the International Landscape Lighting Institute. This has exposed me to some of the best outdoor lighting designers in the world. It isn’t all that much different from other skilled occupations. If you need medical care, most likely you would expect that the best results will be from the one who has received the best training. The landscape lighting industry is mostly filled by people who have never had a minute of actual training. They just started putting lights in the ground and hoped for the best. The idea of doing a thoughtful design is foreign to many of them.
14. Do you find yourself making mental lighting improvements to houses when you drive in the dark? I have become an outdoor lighting snob. Most landscape lighting isn’t done very well. That is because most guys that design and install lights have been self-taught. They don’t know any better and just wing it.
15. What’s your most important rule of outdoor lighting? There isn’t just one. I always ask myself, “What is the focus of this composition?” When placing the fixtures I always consider where the person looking at the item illuminated will be viewing it. I always interview the homeowner to learn what is important to them.
Karl: The man
16. What’s your greatest accomplishment? I don’t know if there is just one. When I was 16, I rode a bicycle from Mexico to Canada. Becoming a Colonel in the Marine Corps is very special. I have summited the highest point in 44 states with my boys. (In case anyone is wondering, Hoosier Hill in East Central Indiana is the highest point in the state, at 1,257 feet above sea level.)
17. What do you like to do on your days off? In my off time I like to read or work on projects around the house.
18. What’s the smartest thing you ever did? Ask my wife to marry me.
19. Dogs or cats? We have a rescue dog named Hachi. He is a smart dog and did very well at dog school. I don’t know who learned more – Hachi or me. Unfortunately, he sheds and sheds and…
20. What is still on your bucket list? There are still many National Parks I have yet to visit.
Are you looking for extraordinary landscape lighting? Trust your home to a man who has invested the time and knowledge to understand what it truly takes to showcase a property. Reach out to Luminocity now for your free consultation. While you’re at it, feel free to ask Karl about that bicycle trip from Mexico to Canada!
