How to Light Art Up!

a guest post

I don't know if I've made it explicit on this blog, but I welcome guest posts.  Especially from other framers!  I love to see what you guys are working on!  Recently someone from a lighting company approached me about doing a guest post.  I asked if she could write about something I am very interested in:  how to best light art.  She came back with these beautiful ideas and examples.  Please keep in mind that all types of light have an effect on art, so be sure to protect your art with uv protectant glass before installing any of these fixtures.


Today’s guest post is from Susi, a writer for Arcadian Lighting.

Art is a great addition to a home's walls. Whether your artwork is a masterpiece or decorative, a single work or a gallery wall, you'll want to light it correctly. Frame lights, lighting fixtures that attach to the top of frames, and track lights are two very good options for highlighting the artwork on your walls.

Cabbage Rose

Track lighting, mounted on the wall or ceiling, offer a sleek minimalist lighting for the art in this contemporary space. Love the low wall mounted wall sconces for the low painting.

Restoration Hardware

Frame lights bathe these art filled walls with soft light. Frame lights can be hung above a single work of art or in a row above a collage wall.

Pottery Barn

A trio of small frame lights highlights certain works of art on this gallery wall. The frame lights also create nice ambient lighting for the space.

Dwell

Track lighting is great for spotlighting different works of art. A pair of track lights can light art on two different walls from a single source.

Haute Indoor Couture

Cabled track light fixtures offer a more contemporary look than traditional cans. Halogen or LED lights can be placed along the cables to best highlight artwork.

Censational Girl

This wall sconce is a combination of vanity light and track light used as a frame light. With their typical downlights, vanity lights could be used as frame lights.

Gadget Grid

Frame lights for single works now come in LED and cordless options. These lights dramatically focus on a single work of art but can also be grouped for walls or bookshelf lighting.

Garden Web

While frame lights and track lighting are fantastic solutions for lighting art, sometimes something different works as well. Wall sconces can also be used to light art in place of frame lights. Look for wall sconces with adjustable or swing arms to pinpoint light on the artwork.

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