Guide to Art Display Lighting Options

Posted by Seth Braverman on

We think your art collection deserves to be seen at any time of day. Every intentioned detail of it. How do we make that happen? Let us shed some light on the situation.

Types

Ambient light

White satin laminate pedestal with ambient light top

Our ambient-lit displays provide a broad, soft light that wraps around your display.  This comparatively large light source creates diffused light with soft shadows. 

Black laminate pedestal with ambient top displaying abstract iron sculpture

 In comparison, a more focused light source, like our spot or corner lights below, will create more pronounced shadows with contrasting areas of light and dark.

 

Spotlight

 

 Blue glass sculpture displayed with spotlight pedestal

Our spotlight concentrates a beam of light coming up and out of a variable-diameter hole in the middle of the pedestal’s top surface, covered by a frosted acrylic disk. This feature fills and illuminates your glass or semi-opaque art piece. Ideal especially for pieces with color and nuance.
Although the standard light aperture is 3”, we offer an array of customization.

Spotlight set on bamboo display pedestal

 

Corner Lights

 

Vase with corner lights on black laminate pedestal

Corner swivel lights are small, round, adjustable spotlights that create spectacular drama by highlighting the piece’s natural contours. Our corner lights are available with small (2" dia) or large (3.25" dia) bezels to best suit the size of the display. The large lights are available in a color-changing option with remote control dimmer.

Depending on the height of your piece, you’ll want to make sure you provide enough top surface display space to achieve the proper angle. If you have questions, give us a call and we can help design and discover the custom option to best display your art.

 

Overhead Lights

 Color controlled overhead light on glass vase

For museum and gallery quality lighting in a small package, we recommend our overhead lighting option. These telescoping, stainless steel rods integrate seamlessly out of the pedestal top and cradle a rotating, 7.5 watts LED bulb that illuminates your piece from above for a heavenly glow.  While the rods come in 36” or 60” lengths, they can be adjusted down to any height using the retractable, telescoping feature.

 Klingit mask showcased with overhead light

For customers who already have their pedestal at home, an overhead light kit can be ordered and easily retrofit into your existing display. Check out the instructional video for further installation instruction.

Showcase Light

Modern display case at Soutwest Airlines commemorative exhibit

This is the ultimate light package to showcase and protect your art. Our display case comes fully integrated with an acrylic dust cover and down-lighting installed in the overhead hood. For additional lighting effects, we can customize your case with bottom lighting, including an ambient-lit base, corner lights and spotlights. This combination of top and bottom lighting creates an attractive balance and plays well with the translucent dust cover.

Lighted Acrylic White Pedestal

Sign white lighted pedestals

Capture anyone’s attention with the magnetizing glow of our White Acrylic Lighted Pedestals. A vertical, low voltage LED system distributes light evenly across the surface of the pedestal. Controlled by a remote control, you can fine tune the coloring and brightness to whatever best fits the situation. 

Sign white acrylic lighted pedestals

 

Sleeve with Ambient Light

For a particularly unique way to bring your piece to light, our translucent, acrylic sleeves with ambient light is an excellent choice. Think our ambient top pedestals sheathed in a translucent sleeve for an intriguing glow effect.

Bulbs

There’s more to this lighting thing than you probably want to know — but of particular importance is the bulb.  It’s the heart of your lighted pedestal and can give off all the right feels — or all the wrong ones. There are three major decisions to keep in mind when choosing your bulb: type, power and warmth.

Type

The default bulb that will come with your lighting system is a 4,100K neutral white LED bulb.  For safety purposes, DO NOT use incandescent bulbs. This could burn your house down! And it won’t be nearly as cool as David Byrne makes it sound.

Our standard ambient and spotlight pedestals come standard with LED bulbs. Our large bezel corner, overhead and display case lights come standard with MR-16 LED bulbs. If you have a particular lighting need we can likely make it happen— just give us a call!

We recommend using LED bulbs in our lighted products. LEDs have an average lifespan of about 25,000 hours, 15,000 more hours than a typical CFL! If you are using CFL bulbs, we recommend 14-25 watts. DO NOT use bulbs more than 25 watts in strength! Again, this could burn your house down.

Tone/Warmth

Bulbs can produce a range of temperatures and dramatically change the “feel” of your piece in the room. Many of our products come standard with neutral light temperature — if you have a preference for warm or cool, please give us a call and let us know!

Remotes, Foot Switches and Cords

We have three standard options for turning up the lights on your pedestal: remote, foot switch, or side switch.

Foot Switch

Our bulbs that come standard in ambient and spotlight pedestals are typically turned on and off using a footswitch, connected by a cord to your pedestal. Cords come standard in clear, but we also offer black, brown and white cords. Just let us know you’d like a different color when you order, each pedestal is built-to-order.

Side Switch

For something a bit more discrete and convenient, we can install a switch on the backside of your pedestal. These come in white or black.

Available side switch for discrete on/off of any installed light

 

Remote

Some lighting options include a remote control — you can adjust the color, temperature, or brightness of your lighting within a 20-meter radius using the AAA battery-powered remote. Not all of our pedestals or lighting options can be outfitted with adjustable bulbs, so if you have any doubts or need clarification, please call us!

Remote control

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