Picture lights are one of the most underused and most undervalued lighting solutions. And yet they hold so much potential for a home and can be used in a variety of ways. Bringing defined focus to specific features, they can transform humdrum corners of your home while improving practicality. Beautifully and subtly. So, let’s have a look at how you can make the most of these elegant fixtures.
How to Use Picture Lights in Your Home
Bring your artwork to life
As the name implies, pictures lights were originally conceived to illuminate artwork. And that’s still how they are most commonly used. Whether you have a long hallway that you’re looking to elevate into a personal art gallery. Or you have a couple of special paintings or photographs that really mean something to you in your sitting room, dining room, or anywhere else. Individual picture lights can bring real charm to the space, helping you to uncover the detail locked within particular imagery. And you have a range of styles to choose from. If you prefer sleek and unobtrusive, a minimalist picture light, like the Mondrian could really complement your aesthetic. While a chunkier light, like the Chawton, can carry its own character.
Mirror, mirror on the wall
Mirrors are often chosen merely for decorative purposes. But if you have a mirror that you actually want to use, ambient lighting often isn’t enough. Which is why most bathroom mirrors have a dedicated light. In a sitting room or hallway, an Elstead picture light can bring that practical illumination to help the mirror fulfil its purpose. While the elegant shape can also make the mirror more of a feature. Enhancing its inherent beauty while subtly increasing the radiance within the room. Which can be a lovely advantage for those times when you just don’t want overhead lighting.
Brighten your bookcases
Picture lights, like the Alton, are also brilliant for bookcases. If you have a home office with files in bookcases, you can send yourself cross-eyed looking for the titles you need in uncomfortable light levels. Making picture lights a genuine business necessity. Or, if you’re an avid reader who likes to keep their books – and keep them looking their best – a picture light can really enhance their aesthetic, as well as providing practical lighting for browsing. With picture lights like the Winchester, it would be easy to imagine yourself in your own little library, swinging along your bookcases on your very own rolling ladder!
Picture lights are underused simply because most people view them as suitable only for expensive artwork. But they can make a beautiful addition to any home. Whether you’ve got that one baby photo that makes your heart sing, a collection of the most gorgeous childhood doodles, or an old master knocking about in the attic, the picture quality doesn’t matter. It’s what it means to you that counts. And if you display it with care, it will look all the better.
Picture lights are pretty, practical, and appealing, and we think that there is a place for them in every home.
View the full range of picture lights at First Choice Lighting.
