Lutron and Coastal Source unveil a unified indoor-outdoor lighting system at CEDIA Expo 2026, signalling a new era in integrated residential lighting solutions with the launch of the VIA outdoor platform and Native by Design partnership.
Coastal Source and Lutron will use CEDIA Expo 2026 to show a more tightly linked approach to residential lighting, with indoor lighting, shading and outdoor illumination presented as a single system rather than separate categories. The companies say the demonstration builds on a partnership first announced at last year’s expo and centres on VIA, a new intelligent outdoor lighting platform developed through Lutron’s Native by Design programme.
According to the companies, VIA is intended to extend Lutron’s premium lighting and control experience beyond the walls of the home, giving dealers a unified specification path across the full property. Pre-orders are set to open on 18 August, with shipments due to begin in early October. Lutron has said Native by Design is meant to bring selected manufacturers into its ecosystem in a way that simplifies installation, programming and day-to-day use.
The main Destination Outdoors display will be designed as a continuous transition from interior to exterior spaces. Visitors will move from a living room setting into an outdoor entertaining area and then into a fully lit landscape, with Lutron’s Ketra lighting and automated shading shifting the indoor atmosphere as the day moves towards evening. Coastal Source says its outdoor fixtures will then carry that progression into the garden and wider property.
The outdoor section will be powered by VIA alongside Coastal Source’s EVO and Niche fixture families. The companies also plan to show other parts of Coastal Source’s outdoor infrastructure portfolio, including the 1000 Series Bollards, PowerSource and Uni-Connect cabling technology. This marks the first public showing of the Coastal Source and Lutron ecosystem using commercially available VIA products, underlining the companies’ view that lighting should be designed as one connected strategy across the entire home.
Lutron president and vice-chairman Ed Blair said VIA demonstrates what the Native by Design programme was intended to achieve, extending the company’s lighting experience into outdoor spaces through a platform built to integrate natively with its broader ecosystem. Coastal Source chief executive Franco D’Ascanio said the exhibit is meant to show that strong outdoor lighting begins with planning the whole property as one environment, not by treating the landscape as an afterthought.
CEDIA Expo/CIX 2026 is scheduled for 1-4 September at the Colorado Convention Centre in Denver, with organisers expecting more than 14,000 attendees and over 300 exhibiting brands. The event has become an important stage for lighting, shading, control and broader smart-home integration, and Lutron’s expanded presence reflects the growing role of outdoor systems in that market.
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