Dustin Cook - Zionsville Monthly Magazine

September 2020 You probably love the way your house looks. Beautiful brick exterior, majestic columns on the front porch, perfectly coordinated window shutters and trim, dramatic dormers adding style and dimension. You see it as the pride of the neighborhood. But what happens when the sun goes down? Does it all get lost in the darkness? A couple of light fixtures on either side of the front door doesn't cut it. Neither does that solitary lamppost in the front yard. What stands out as a model home during the day virtually disappears at night. But it doesn't have to be that way. A professionally installed landscape lighting system can make all the difference between an invisible house and one that looks just as good at night as it does in broad daylight. "A good landscape lighting system really does make the house pop," says Dustin Cook, owner and operator of Glimmer Landscape Lighting in Indianapolis. "When you see a house that's well lit and the house next to it is completely dark or maybe just a couple of porch lights, the one that catches your eye is the one that's lit up. It showcases the home.” Cook goes on to explain that it's not just about aesthetics. Adding landscape lighting to patios, pool decks or boat docks extends your outdoor activities and entertaining. And there's the security factor too. The very thing that makes your home more attractive at night—walkway lights and exterior up-lighting—makes your house an unattractive target for would-be thieves. Landscape Lighting Design Experience What sets Glimmer Landscape Lighting apart from other residential lighting services is Dustin Cook's extensive training and design experience, having been in the landscape lighting business for more than 10 years. When it comes to proper lighting on a home, Cook says it's more than just sticking a few floodlights in the ground. "We take into account each individual house and its unique features so we can highlight it in a way that really makes it stand out and accents the architecture.” "Houses are so different, especially in the Carmel and Zionsville area," says Cook. "You really have to have an understanding of beam spread, color temperature, the right wattage to use to make a particular area brighter and not create shadows that you don't want. Some homes have really tall columns that you want to accentuate." For two-story homes, Glimmer Landscape Lighting offers the unique feature of mounting lights on gutters, illuminating the upper peaks of the house in a way that can't be done on a different style of home. Locally Owned and Operated Glimmer Landscape Lighting was created in 2014 and is locally owned and operated. A native of Ellettsville, Indiana, Dustin Cook started Glimmer Landscape Lighting in Indianapolis when his wife, Kelly, was pregnant with their first child. "I wanted to create a business that my kids could be proud of and provide a better future for them,” says Cook, now the father of two and an Indy resident for nearly 20 years. Something else that Cook's children can be proud of is his charitable contributions. He is active with Gleaners Food Bank and is a regular supporter of the MIBOR Foundation Ball, an event that raises money to fight homelessness in the Indianapolis area. Cook is also a very hands-on owner. When you hire Glimmer Landscape Lighting, you'll see him throughout the process from start to finish. "From the initial setup to final installation, I want to make sure the customer is completely happy," says Cook. Not Just for Lighting the House Landscape lighting isn't just for illuminating the house. As the name implies, landscape lights can accentuate your, well ... landscaping too. Chances are, you've invested a lot in those trees and bushes that beautify your yard, and Glimmer Landscape Lighting has the products to put them in their best light. "We have up-lighting that we use on trees to show them off," says Cook. "We can also do canopy lights for some of the taller trees that have bare trunks with branches and leaves higher up. Our in-ground well lights can highlight different landscape features as well." Glimmer can even install underwater lights. For a customer with a waterfall feature in their landscape, Cook was able to place a landscape light under the falls. "It really made it stand out at night when you otherwise wouldn't be able to see the waterfall," says Cook. Some of the lights from Glimmer Landscape Lighting do double duty. "We have a tiki torch light that can be filled with citronella fluid but also with the LED light feature," says Cook. "So it doubles as a pest repellent and a working LED light.” All LED Lights All fixtures that Glimmer Landscape installs for new projects include high-quality LED bulbs. The LEDs come with a five-year warranty, though Cook says they often last much longer. And LED bulbs use considerably less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs. Glimmer also offers LED bulbs that change color. “We just started carrying a brass up-light that has an integrated LED color-changing light that works from an app," says Cook. "You can change the light to almost any color you want.” As a special offer for new installations this fall, Glimmer Landscape Lighting will include red and green LED lights that you can swap out for the holidays. The fixtures themselves are all high-quality, heavy-duty cast brass with a limited lifetime warranty. "That, coupled with professional installation techniques, definitely ensures the longevity of the system,” says Cook. Depending on your needs, Glimmer Landscape Lighting will provide a transformer with a timer or one with a photocell for dusk-to-dawn use. Cook explained that because of the relative inconsistency of sunshine in Indiana, Glimmer does not use solar-powered lighting. The 90-Minute Quote Getting a quote for a new landscape lighting system from Glimmer Landscape Lighting is fast and easy with their proprietary app. "From an app that we created, you put in your information and upload pictures and tell us a little bit about what you're looking for," says Cook. "We can get you a quote within 90 minutes during regular business hours. This is especially convenient with COVID right now because you don't have to have someone come out to your home." The app is available through Apple’s App Store or Google Play. Just search for “Glimmer Landscape Lighting.” All-Inclusive Service Package Another unique feature of Glimmer Landscape Lighting is its all-inclusive service package—unique because they offer it even to customers whose landscape lighting system was installed by someone other than Glimmer. "It's a very affordable service package that we offer," says Cook. "It's pretty much any kind of service that you would need," including cleaning and straightening fixtures and lamps, any necessary landscape trimming around fixtures, swapping out bulbs and routine service repairs, even repairing cut wires. It happens. "A lot of times landscapers will knock things over or irrigation companies will clip a wire. These are things that can happen that you would need service for,” says Cook. Satisfied Customers After six years in business, Glimmer Landscape Lighting has plenty of customers singing its praises. Here are just a few of the five-star reviews for Dustin and his crew at Glimmer: "Dustin and his team did a great job. Our house looks awesome at night. I was very happy with his pricing and the high-quality bulbs and fixtures that he used." —Greg P. "The owner was such a nice guy and professional. He did a great job and we are so pleased. We absolutely recommend this company." —Jennifer B. "Dustin did a great job with our landscape lighting at a price that easily beat his main competitors. Solid product and service at a fair price. Also great service after the sale." —Matt L. "Glimmer is one of the best contractors we've worked with. Great service and attention to detail." —Al L. Service Area Glimmer Landscape Lighting provides lighting services throughout Central Indiana. In addition to Indianapolis, Carmel and Zionsville, Glimmer will go from Cicero and Sheridan to Greenwood, from Plainfield to Greenfield and everywhere in between. Visit glimmerlights.com to see dozens of shining examples of how Glimmer Landscape Lighting can illuminate homes, walkways, patios, landscaping and more. You've invested a lot to make your home and yard look great. Make sure they look just as good—if not better—after sunset with a landscape light system from Glimmer Landscape Lighting. Call Dustin at (317) 989-5193 or email dustin@glimmerlights.com.

Light Up the Night: Glimmer Landscape Lighting adds beauty and security to your home with a variety of landscape light options.

Light Up the Night: Glimmer Landscape Lighting adds beauty and security to your home with a variety of landscape light options.