Once you've found the perfect framed painting or photograph to complement your home or office decor, it's time to think about the optimal lighting for it. A properly lit piece of art will show the artist's intended nuance and won't give off a glare or shine that makes it hard to view comfortably.
Where you place the framed art in your home or office will play some part in the lighting, of course. If you have a room with large windows or another source of natural light, then you should also consider what changes that natural light will bring to the artwork at different times of day. Placing your paintings in direct sunlight is not recommended, however, as the UV rays may cause color fading.
Your lighting choices will also depend on the medium of the artwork. Oil paintings, for example, reflect spectral highlights if a beam of light is pointed directly at the painting, whereas acrylic paintings are far less glossy and can be comfortably lit by a single beam of light. For oils, you'd do well to think about a broad-based light that is diffused in some way.
Another twist on the path to good lighting is whether or not your artwork has been framed behind glass. Glass that has not been treated with an anti-reflective coating will be shiny when viewed from different angles, or if catching natural light at different times of day. If you do have a piece of art that is behind reflective glass, you'll need to experiment with your lighting sources to find the best way for that particular piece of art in that particular room. Generally, the DIY Network recommends placing lights at a 30 degree angle to the art, in order to reduce glare.
It's important to assess the kind of light that is already installed in the room in question, before adding any additional sources for your artwork. Most homes have incandescent bulbs in the fixtures while offices may have fluorescent lighting. If you want to place a painting under fluorescent light, you should be aware that the higher quantity of UV rays in fluorescent light may cause painting colors to fade over time.
Once you have found the placement and assessed the available light, you can begin to consider different choices for additional lights.
There are three kinds of lights that are commonly used to illuminate framed artwork:
- "picture" lights
- mantel lights
- track lights
Picture lights are usually small--three inches or less in diameter--and hang above the painting or on the frame.
Mantel lights are on a shelf ("mantel") under the painting or photograph and point up at it.
Track lights, usually a series of lights set on a track on the ceiling, are more flexible than the other options, and are ideal if you have several pieces of art in the same room.
And, if you're still looking for that elusive perfect art piece to decorate your home or office, we offer a variety of styles of framed art. Don't hesitate to contact us.
