Light is Art, Not an Afterthought
Everyone knows outdoor lighting can improve security, curb appeal, and safety but many don’t realize there are levels to this! Homeowners spend tens of thousands of dollars on landscaping, patios, and outdoor space, but the value disappears when the sun goes down. Any light is better than no light at all, but hiring a landscaper to do lighting design is like hiring a DJ to bake your wedding cake.
Builders and landscapers think of lighting last, if at all, but this is a mistake. LUC takes this art to another level. On the technical side, we consider the fixture placement, the beam spread, the color temperature, the lumen output, the reflective nature of the surface to be illuminated, the texture, light hierarchy, among other factors. More importantly is overall effect of a scene. Light creates emotion and we work carefully to curate how a scene makes you feel.
There's a Difference Between the Lighting Industry and the Lighting Craft
The industry is enormous. Big-box stores, manufacturer reps, franchise operators, drop-shippers selling fixtures that fail in three years. Most of it operates at the speed and scale of construction — quick installs, thin margins, no follow-up.
The craft is small. A few hundred people in North America, maybe, who treat outdoor lighting as a design discipline that takes a decade to learn and a career to master. People who know which fixtures fail in which conditions. Who understand how light renders different materials at various color temperatures. Who can walk a property in daylight and visualize what it could feel like at 9pm in October.
Light Up Columbus is built around the craft, not the industry. That's why our designers are credentialed and our crews are full-time employees. It's why we maintain installations from 15 years ago. It's why we wrote the Lighting Book — to share what we know with anyone who needs it, whether they hire us or not.
If you're looking for the cheapest install on the block, we're not it. If you care about the level of the design, the quality of the material, and demand a red glove, white carpet service, your search is over.
Who You’ll Actually Meet
Chris Apfelstadt
Husband, Father, Lighting designer. Founded Light Up Columbus in 2006. Current Vice President of the Association of Outdoor Lighting Professionals. International Landscape Lighting Institute certified. Certified Low Voltage Lighting Technician — one of approximately 133 in North America. Featured in Architectural Digest, Authority Magazine, the Lighting for Profits Podcast, and the Lighting Coach Podcast. Three-time AOLP Best of Show winner (2024, 2025, 2026).
Ellen McLauren
Ellen is the glue that holds LUC together. She is our office manager and is often the first voice clients hear on the phone when they call. Ellen has worked with Light Up Columbus since 2022 and continues to help us improve every day. She also helps her husband manage his Dublin based company, Edgework Landscaping.
Jacob Robinson
Jake is our longest tenured employee having worked with LUC since 2020. Throughout his career in lighting, Jake has done it all starting as a field lighting technician, advancing to a team leader, and settling in as a lighting designer. Jake is passionate about our mission “We bring joy through light” and loves designing holiday, landscape, and gemstone lighting. Jake and his bride Ashley live in Sunbury with their dogs Bandit and Moose.
Tommy Faulkner
If Ellen is the glue, then Tommy is the oil that keeps our machine running smoothly. As Director of Field operations, Tommy schedules installations, manages workflow, organizes materials, and oversees the teams working in the field. From his first day on the job, Tommy showed an incredible mechanical aptitude with tremendous problem solving acumen. When no one else can figure out a challenge, Tommy will be able to discern the right solution. He lives in Mt. Gilead with his partner and their 2 year old daughter.
Justin Robinson
Justin (or “Red” as his friends call him) has worked at LUC since 2023. He runs a holiday installation crew and is one of our most experienced technicians on the landscape lighting side. Justin has steadily grown his knowledge base and leadership skills over the years and is proficient at trouble shooting and fixing existing systems as well as installing new ones. LUC is a family affair, Justin and Jacob are brothers.
Brody Matthews
Brody might be one of the youngest members on our full-time team, but immediately proved himself to be incredibly capable. After his first year working with Tommy, Brody was ready to run his own crew and has become the company expert in Gemstone Permanent Roofline Lighting. In the winter of 2025, Brody and his team set records for the most revenue generated for a holiday season and the most completed work in a single week. He is fast but also extremely careful and has been named in many of our 5-star Google reviews. Brody and his fiance live in Sunbury and are expecting their first child in fall of 2026.
Scott
Scott is our newest full-time employee but is not to be underestimated. He picks up technical skills faster than anyone we have employed and never has to be told how to do something twice. He was the key member of Brody’s record breaking team in 2025 and looks to run his own holiday team for the 2026 season.
Recognized Work
Awards and credentials don't make the work better. But they tell you that other professionals — peers, jurors, industry bodies — have looked at this team's work and decided it's worth recognizing.
Industry awards
- AOLP Best of Show 2024
- AOLP Best of Show 2025
- AOLP Best of Show 2026
- Multiple AOLP Award of Excellence honors across categories and years
Professional credentials
- Chris Apfelstadt — Vice President, Association of Outdoor Lighting Professionals (AOLP)
- International Landscape Lighting Institute (ILLI) — Certified designers on staff
- Certified Low Voltage Lighting Technicians (CLVLT) — On staff
- Authorized Gemstone Lights Dealer
- AOLP Member Firm in good standing since 2009
Featured in
- Architectural Digest
- Better Homes and Garden
- Forbes
- Landscape Management Magazine
- Pro Landscaper USA
- Landscape Architect Magazine
- Authority Magazine
- Lighting for Profits Podcast
- Lighting Coach Podcast
- OPE+ Magazine
As Featured In
Local Roots
Light Up Columbus was founded by a Dublin native and resident in 2006. We employ 20+ Central Ohio residents. We work with local suppliers, partner with local landscapers and contractors, and have lit some of the public spaces that define this region's identity — from the Short North to municipal parks across the region.
We're also active in industry mentorship. Chris regularly speaks at AOLP conferences, is featured on industry podcasts, hosts apprentices through ILLI's certification program, and writes for industry publications on lighting design and business operations.
