ERCO Case Study: Axis Miniature Spotlights at Home

August 2026 Case Study

Planning to renovate their Elizabeth Bay retreat, the owners of this apartment sought a minimalist way to showcase their exceptional art collection. A fortuitous Google search led them to ERCO, where residential specialist Diana Trejos guided them to using the ERCO Axis recessed spotlight in imaginative and effective ways.

Mastering the light

The initial idea was to focus quality lighting in the master bedroom suite, where recessed shelving had been specially designed to complement the room layout and display certain pieces. The Axis spotlight actually originated as a showcase luminaire for the professional culture sector, but its light quality, small dimensions and reasonable price structure made it attractive for residential and hospitality specifiers too, and the complementary recessed spotlight was subsequently developed. Axis delivers drama according to ERCO’s fundamental principle: it’s about the light not the luminaire.

Having demonstrated the performance of the ERCO miniature LED luminaire, Diana proposed to the couple that the same fitting could be used elsewhere in the apartment: as a discreet ceiling-recessed reading light for example. Using the same fitting throughout the room gives a cohesive and aesthetically pleasing result, whether the lights are switched on or not.

And one thing does lead to another ...

Before long, Diana retuned to Elizabeth Bay to help the client with their living space lighting. Additional loved artworks take pride of place there: the mask and screen shown each have a dedicated solitaire Axis spotlight to themselves, whilst a four-piece Axis quad illuminates the dining table. Each individual luminaire within the quad can be aimed as needed if the layout or activity in the room changes.

Layered lighting in any space can be broken into three tiers: light for Architecture, light for Activity and light for Atmosphere. Even in this two-bedroom apartment, Axis delivers light that defines the spatial dimensions, supports the appropriate Activity within each space, and creates Atmosphere by drawing attention to the superb art collection.

Future plans

The problem with finding great solutions is that they highlight how good things can look. Diana is already scheduled to return next year when the renovation progresses to the guest suite.

Axis luminaires are each just 17mm in diameter, and have been popularly adopted for residential projects in all ERCO markets around the world, as well as for restaurants, hotels and bars, and the originally intended culture and retail showcase applications. Despite its small dimensions, Axis has interchangeable lenses, and can deliver Spot, Flood and Wide Flood beam angles. Mounting frames host single, double or quad luminaire sets, and Axis control gear has been similarly designed for easier installation in tight spaces.

Find our more about the products used here:

Axis Recessed Spotlight