The Lighting Warehouse : Picture Perfect

Picture lights are the perfect way to draw attention to your favourite framed photo or artwork. Melissa Davidson from leading lighting retailer, The Lighting Warehouse, offers some do’s and don’ts with regards to selecting and installing picture lights.

Investing in a beautiful artwork is the perfect way to complete the look of a room, however it doesn’t end there. To really make it a standout feature, you will also need to install the correct lighting to ensure that the eye is immediately drawn to the piece.

Picture lights provide the perfect solution. So says Melissa Davidson from leading lighting retailer, The Lighting Warehouse: “Picture lights are specially designed to offer the best illumination for framed photos or artworks. They are wall-mounted fittings that project light onto a piece of artwork. What’s so great about them is that they are affordable, super easy to install, and they really add a sense of drama to any artwork – making it museum-worthy and serving as an additional piece of décor for the room in question. Picture lights can also serve as a great source of ambient lighting in living or dining rooms, and hallways for example.”

Melissa offers four essential considerations when selecting and installing picture lights:

Select the correct size

The bigger the picture, the more light you will need to illuminate it. For portrait pictures, the rule of thumb is to choose a picture light that is approximately half the width of the picture. For landscape pictures, you will need to select a picture light that measures between one third, or half of the width of the picture.

Choose your light source carefully

LEDs are an excellent source of light for picture lights – they don’t give off any heat, they are exceptionally affordable to run, and they last for ages. Some picture lights even come with integrated LED lights for maximum convenience. Fluorescent globes, like the T5 for example, are also a practical choice for picture lights.

Position of the light

When positioning a light over the artwork, always bear in mind that the goal is to achieve an even spread of light over the entire picture, avoiding any “hot spots” on the top half. This is achievable by installing the picture light about 13cm – 18cm above the top of your artwork. Most picture lights can be adjusted so that you can achieve the perfect angle for the light. The ideal angle of the light is 30 degrees, so that there is no glare or reflection of the glass of your frame.

Colour and finish

Picture lights generally come in metallic colours that can be used with any frame – for frames with a traditional design, then brass or satin silver is recommended; and for modern frames, then you chrome or black is best suited. The Lighting Warehouse sells a choice of five different picture lights, including the following:

The Da Vinci picture light (R1 699): Available in Antique Brass with an integrated 13W LED, or in Satin Silver with a T5 Max 14W Warm White fluorescent globe included.

The Monet picture light (R799): Available in Chrome – buy 2 x warm white G9 LED globes separately.

The Picasso picture light (R899): Available in Antique Brass or Satin Silver – buy 2 x E14 warm white LED globes separately.

You can browse and shop these picture lights in-store or online here: https://lightingwarehouse.co.za/product-category/indoor/picture-lights/