April 22, 2013 (Powerhomebiz.com) The art on your walls says a lot about you; choosing the perfect picture light can help you say even more! Lighting your artwork can create cozy
warmth as well as highlight striking details of your photos and images. These days you have an extraordinary range of picture light choices to choose from. How can you decide which picture light is right for you? What follows are some questions to help you focus your attention on the House of Troy picture lighting styles that are perfect for you.
What are the dimensions of your artwork? Choose a picture light with a shade size between half and three quarters of the width of the image, depending on shade style. That’s the simple answer. We have picture lights as small as 4” shades (the T4) all the way up to 84” and higher shade widths (the SL84 and custom sized SLs can go over 100” wide).
DC9-61, a 9” shade, direct wired into the wall, in a polished brass finish. Ideal for paintings 15” – 20” wide. What’s Your Style? Is your home décor traditional? If so the Traditional “T” or Richardson Reflector “RR” styles will fit right in. Is your home more modern? Look at Contemporary “C” style or the “XL” style or the Slim Line “SL”. Do you prefer the Country style? Look at Hyde Park “HP” styles. Do you identify as Eclectic?
If so look through all the picture light families to find the “just right” picture light fit. You’ll know it when you see it!!!
HP16-71, a 16” shade, ideal for paintings 26” – 32” wide, for homes decorated in the American Country, Colonial or Traditional style.
What type of framing and matting surrounds your artwork? Is it a gold frame? Metal or wood? Your picture light can either compliment or contrast. Usually a gold frame works best with a picture light finished in House of Troy’s classic gold painted tones, the #1 Gold finish. If you have a dark wood frame, compliment it with a dark mahogany bronze (#81 finish) or an equally dark oil rubbed bronze (#91 finish). Or use a contrasting brighter metal finish that brings out the rich tones of the wood frame while shining richly on its own; one of my favorites is the weathered brass finish with warm red gold overtones and a lovely patina (#76 finish).
What electrical outlets are available on the wall where the painting hangs? If you want to use a plug-in lamp you can either disguise the cord as it goes down from the behind the painting to the outlet or install a recessed or clock outlet behind the artwork. If you prefer to have a direct wire light, most of the picture light styles are available in direct wire fixtures as well. See the DCF, DT, DSL, DXL styles.
This DXL24-52 has a satin nickel finish, 24” shade would be perfect for a 35” to 48” width picture. Direct wire, built in! The graceful swan neck requires quite a bit of wall above the painting for proportional fit.
Do you need the picture light to be dimmable? If so, you need to choose an incandescent picture light. None of the LED picture lights are dimmable. We tend to recommend incandescent light for homes; most people prefer the warmth of incandescent light where they live.
As a lighting consultant I’ve advised homeowners like you on lighting artwork for nearly 20 years. Take advantage of my deep product knowledge to wade through hundreds of choices and find the ideal picture light for your wall art. Don’t forget, customization is available for one of a kind lighting, just for you! I specialize in customized picture lighting advice, call me at 800-792-4457 or fill out our customization request form
http://www.perfectpicturelighting.com/custom-picture-lighting.php.