About Us
John Pletcher
Owner/Principal Designer: Natural Accents, LLC
Growing up in the wholesale floral industry in northern Indiana was the beginning of my love for the beauty of the natural environment. Surrounded by flowers and plants every day, I developed a special affinity for the effect of nature and how it creates emotion in people. I remember one particular day, staring at a bouquet of tulips and focusing on the complex beauty of one, perfect tulip, which stood out from the entire bouquet of equally beautiful tulips simply because of the sunlight shining through the windows overhead in my father's greenhouse. It may have still been late winter in northern Indiana, but with the light shining on that one perfect bloom, it felt like a beautiful spring day to me.
That was my first realization of how important light is to a scene.
In the 1980s, I moved to Boulder, Colo., and was introduced to a whole new type of natural environment. I spent hours staring at the visual majesty of the Rocky Mountains and the interplay of light and shadows.
Truly, light and nature can be art.
I received a bachelor's degree in environmental design from the University of Colorado, Boulder in 1988, and then moved to southern California. Once again, I saw how important lighting can be – this time with a focus on light's interplay with water.
Lighting's effect on the overall environment became a passion. While also working as a landscape designer for 17 years, I was able to learn the correct way to design and create artistic outdoor lighting with the client's needs being fully met.
Finally, in 2002, I was able to open Natural Accents L.L.C., focusing all my energies, attention and passion on low voltage energy efficient outdoor lighting design and installation. I now use my passion for art, light and nature on a daily basis and share that passion and beauty with my clients.
Technical Team
Natural Accents' team of lighting technicians are trained to handle all aspects of low voltage lighting installation, maintenance, and repair. The individual members of the group have a broad range of experience in the fields of landscaping, electrical work and construction. This background provides the knowledge required for Natural Accents' creative lighting designs.
Administrative Staff
And of course, no company can be complete without the people behind the scenes who keep everything running smoothly!
Articles Written About Our Company
- The Kansas City Star, House and Home Section, “Question and Answer” article – 12/24/2006
- The Kansas City Star, Grow Section, “Night Lights” article – 4/29/2007
- Liberty Tribune, Business Section, “Light as an Art Form” article – 8/9/2007
- The Kansas City Star, House and Home Section, “The Garden at Night” article – 1/17/2010
- Kansas City Spaces Magazine, “Painting with Light” article – April 2010
- The Denver Post, Inside and Out Section, “Let Your Landscape Shine at Night” article – 1/15/2011
- Celebrate Gettysburg, “Choose lighting for outdoor entertaining spaces” article – May/June 2012 http://digital.graphcompubs.com/publication/?i=109293
- North Magazine, “Painting with Light” article-June/July 2013
- 435 Magazine, “The Best-Dressed Home Incorporates Dramatic Lighting-August 2013 http://www.435southmag.com/August-2013/Home-Design/
Charity Information
Natural Accents Lighting Design believes in charitable community involvement. With the goal of making the greater Kansas City area a better place to live and work, we proudly contribute to local charities through our Charity Partnership Program.
Through the Charity Partnership Program, Natural Accents donates gift certificates to be auctioned during fundraising events. Each certificate entitles the winning bidder to a low-voltage lighting consultation with the Principal Designer of Natural Accents.
These certificates are for either residential or commercial designs, so they are attractive for both homeowner and corporate bidders. Certificates donated by Natural Accents are an excellent way to raise money for charity and give the discerning donor something valuable in return.
If you are involved with organizations that sponsor charitable fundraising events, please feel free to contact us with information to see if our program will benefit your cause.
