A lighting plan shows a downlight in a guest cabin with a note that says "2700 K". Two suppliers quote for it. One prices a fixture with a CRI of 80 and a 60° beam, the other a fixture with a CRI of 90 and a 36° beam. Both quotes answer the drawing, but they are not quotes for the same product, and the difference in price says nothing about value.
If the cheaper one is ordered, the difference shows up on board. Skin tones and timber look flatter under the lower CRI, and the wider beam lights walls the designer meant to leave dark. Where part of the scheme comes from a second supplier, two "2700 K" fixtures in the same space can still look different side by side.
Most of the questions we send back after an enquiry are about details like these: specifications, quantities and run lengths, the control system, and the project's stage and deadline. This article lists what to send for each of our three levels, so the first quote is one you can compare fairly and order from.
What every request needs
Whatever the level, five things allow us to get started:
- Project and stage: new build or refit, and whether you need a budget figure for a concept or a quote you can order from. The two take different amounts of work and lead to a different answer.
- Deadline: when you need the quote, and when the lighting has to be on board.
- Area: which deck and which spaces, including any wet areas or exterior decks.
- Control system: the system the lighting connects to and its protocol (DALI, DMX, KNX, 0-10 V or another). This decides the driver or interface in every fixture, so we need it before we can price one.
- Drawings or a schedule: lighting plans and details as PDF, with DWG where you have it, or a fixture schedule in Excel with types, quantities and run lengths per area.
The Collection
The Collection covers downlights, panels and linear systems, customisable and delivered in 4 to 6 weeks. For a quote you can order from, we need each fixture type specified:
- Quantities and run lengths: a count per type, and for linear and strip, the length of every run and where it is fed.
- End caps: straight or angled, and for angled, which direction.
- Colour temperature: the CCT for each space, and whether any space needs tunable white or colour.
- Colour rendering: the CRI you expect. Left open, quotes from different suppliers assume different values.
- Optics: beam angle for downlights and spots, diffuser or lens for linear.
- IP rating: dry interior, wet area, exterior deck or underwater/pool.
- Finish: trim colour and material, trimmed or trimless.
Run lengths matter more than a drawing suggests. A cove detail that says "LED strip, 2700 K" leaves out the length of each run, where the feed points sit, end caps, leader cables and spares. When those are missing from the order, the installer solves it on site with offcuts, extra joins and improvised feeds. Our 1010 strip runs up to 18 m in one continuous length, other strips in the Collection up to 50 m, and each is cut to the exact length of the run. With a complete run list, we quote end caps, cabling and spares as part of the order rather than as extras.
Signature
Signature pieces are statement pieces, delivered complete with software, content and integration. The specification follows from the space, so we need two things up front:
- The space and how the piece is seen: where it sits, the size you have in mind, and where people view it from, for example across a saloon, from the stairs or from the tender.
- What the content should do: ambient light, artwork, information, or a response to people and events on board.
From that we propose the piece, its size and its content, and quote it as one package.
The Atelier
The Atelier is for fully bespoke fixtures and content, developed with the owner and designer from concept to installation. There is no specification yet, and you don't need one. We need:
- The idea, in any form: a sketch, a mood board, a reference image or a few lines of description.
- Who decides: owner, designer or yard, and who signs off each design step.
- The timeline: the milestone it has to meet, such as a launch, a refit window or a delivery date.
What you don't need yet
A complete request is not a finished design, and we know that you don't always have all the details from day one, so send what you have. Where the specification is open, we propose a value and mark it as our assumption, so you can see what the quote rests on. A concept on a floor plan is enough for a budget quote, and if you describe the effect you want in a space, we can suggest the fixture. The most useful thing you can tell us is which parts are fixed and which are still open.
What happens next
For the Collection, a complete request typically gets a quote within a few days, with the datasheets for every product in it.
To start, send a brief through the enquiry form and use the "what project is this for" field to tell us the project and its stage. You can also email or call us.