The Brief
This Jumeirah Golf Estates villa was lit by 88 low-voltage MR16 downlights on transformers, which is the kind of detail that quietly rules out half the smart lighting on the market. Every fitting also had a conventional wall switch, which means a smart bulb goes dead the moment somebody flips it.
The owner wanted the whole villa on one app and one set of scenes, without a rewire.
The Build
From low voltage to mains, without new cable
We surveyed the ceiling first and confirmed the existing cabling could be reused. The 12V MR16 fittings were converted to mains-voltage GU10 on 90mm recessed frames, and the old transformers came out. Tunable-white smart bulbs went in across all 88 positions, so the villa shifts from cool daylight to warm evening on a schedule.
The wall switches had to stop cutting power
Twenty-one wireless switches replaced the existing wall plates. They look and click like a switch and behave like a scene button, so the bulbs keep power and the house keeps working for anyone who has never opened the app. Guests, housekeeper, kids: nobody needs a briefing.
One hub, no subscription
A local hub with its own radio controller runs the scenes. The lighting works whether or not the internet does.
The stairwell chandelier
The feature chandelier over the stairwell was installed as part of the same visit, so the fixture and its control went in together rather than as two trips.
What Changed
The villa went from 88 dumb lamps and a wall of rockers to one system with scenes per floor, and it was done with the cable that was already in the ceiling.
Old low-voltage downlights and a villa full of switches? Get a free quote and we will tell you first whether the cabling you have can carry it.