---
title: "Why Bad Lighting Kills Good Design: A Conversation with Karen Herold, Studio K"
description: Studio K founder Karen Herold joins Lighting Matters to reveal why bad lighting kills good design and how collaboration makes hospitality spaces unforgettable.
image: https://blog.morlights.com/hubfs/Imported%20sitepage%20images/PDR2Web.jpg
---

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## Why Bad Lighting Kills Good Design: A Conversation with Karen Herold, Studio K

[Admin](https://blog.morlights.com/morlights-blog/author/admin)

 Aug 26, 2025 2:47:49 PM

On the latest episode of *Lighting Matters*, the podcast hosted by Morlights CEO Avraham “Avi” Mor and Lisa Reed of Reed Burkett Lighting Design, the guest is **Karen Herold**, founder of Chicago-based **Studio K**, a nationally recognized interior design studio known for its work on some of the country’s most iconic restaurants and hotels.

With over 25 years in hospitality design, Karen shares why she believes *“lighting makes or breaks every project,”* how thoughtful illumination creates emotional environments, and why she’d choose a smaller finishes budget with a lighting designer over a million-dollar interiors package without one.

From rechargeable table lamps reshaping restaurant design to the power of trust and collaboration, Karen makes the case that without good lighting, even the best interiors fall flat.

[Listen to the whole episode here. ](https://lightingmatterspodcast.com/episodes/episode-22-studio-ks-karen-herold-why-bad-lighting-kills-good-design)

![](https://episodes.castos.com/66889601ede0f5-02583431/images/2115803/c1a-6r61m-v643kn9ps28n-xs58ym.png)

## Read On

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### [Creative Architectural Lighting Design The old adages say that opposites attract and familiarity breeds fondness, but which one leads to a...](https://blog.morlights.com/morlights-blog/blog/view/lighting-a-balancing-act)

### [From Overlooked to Essential: The Four Visual Professionals in Architecture](https://blog.morlights.com/morlights-blog/from-overlooked-to-essential-the-four-visual-professionals-in-architecture)

[*Lighting Matters* is the podcast hosted by Morlights CEO, Avraham “Avi” Mor and Lisa Reed of](https://blog.morlights.com/morlights-blog/from-overlooked-to-essential-the-four-visual-professionals-in-architecture)[Reed...](https://rbldi.com/)

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