Besides the obvious practical functions, lighting is one of the easiest and most effective ways to lend a sense of atmosphere to a space. We are all too familiar with the sterile beams of white light so often found in hospitals, so to avoid it we must look in completely the opposite direction, and that is where we find wall washing. Wall washing is a lighting technique which uses ceiling lights directed towards a wall to create a soft, uniform glow on the wall and the area surrounding it, instead of letting the light pool directly on the floor. It is a smart detail that simultaneously highlights the texture or colour of a wall while helping to avoid the ever-unflattering glare of an overhead light. Given how perennially unpopular spotlights are among designers, this technique is a useful and stylish one to have in your arsenal.
‘If executed well, wall washing can immediately elevate an atmosphere by creating a mood,’ says interior designer Angus Reid. ‘For me, it is about creating a gentle, even glow that celebrates the surface of a wall rather than simply lighting a room,’ he explains. ‘It’s a way of drawing attention to texture, tone and architectural features which also allows light to skim across a surface and give it depth and interest’. For some designers, such as Rachel Aisling Walker, it can be used to highlight other features too: ‘I’m not a fan of picture lights so will often use a surface mounted downlight that can be angled towards art or sculpture to light indirectly and create a soft subtle glow,’ she says.
Angus points out that one of the benefits of wall washing is how it can enhance a specialist finish or beautiful, textured wall covering: ‘It can create organic shadows and enhance natural materials like plaster, stone and timber, highlighting their texture and patina, while making the space feel more layered and intentional,’ he explains. That being said, Angus reminds us that it is a technique best avoided if the patina or texture on your wall is unintentional: ‘If your plasterer has done a dodgy job, it’ll only highlight that.’ He also suggests that for high-functioning spaces, such as the kitchen, task lighting remains the go-to: ‘It’s about atmosphere, not precision, so if you want focused, task-oriented light, like over a kitchen worktop or in a workshop setting, it is best avoided’.
Interior designer and lighting maestro Brandon Schubert is another fan of wall washing, highlights that another benefit is its ability to increase the sense of space in a room. ‘Imagine you’ve walked into a darkened room with a recessed ceiling spotlight in each corner. In one scenario, those lights are pointed straight down at the floor. When you switch them on, you get four bright circles of light on the floor, but everything else stays in darkness. In the second scenario, the lights are angled so that they point into the corners of the room. When you switch them on, you get four brightened corners, with the light running evenly from floor to ceiling’. Lighting the corners in this way will draw the eye to the parameters of the room, instead of making the floor or centre a focal point. ‘It’s also more interesting because it shows more of the room and its contents,’ says Brandon. ‘And the lighting feels gentler, since it’s being cast more indirectly and across a broader surface, rather than sharply outlined in a circle on the floor.’
How you position the light will have an impact on its effect and reach. As Brandon explains, ‘in the most extreme version, the light source would be positioned right at the top of the wall, shining straight down the vertical surface. And in more ordinary situations, the light would be pulled a bit away from where the wall meets the ceiling, but angled towards the wall, so that light cascades down the wall's surface’. These two placements require different types of lights: one would be a thin, horizontal light, and while the second placement offers more freedom, and can be achieved using an angled recessed spotlight or a ceiling mounted spotlight, since there is more space between the light and the wall. Some choose to position the lights on the wall pointing upwards, washing the space above them (see Haidee Backer's hallway, above). Then there is the question of bookcases, which can be lit in myriad ways, and washing them gently with light is among the most pleasing. In this scenario, you might want to follow Brandon’s advice and stick to classic decorative picture lights or bookcase lights. ‘The effect is the same, but more fun because the light fitting becomes part of the furniture,’ he says.
The type of light and bulb that you choose is equally important. Angus’s go-tos are low-glare linear fittings or adjustable recessed wall washers. He reminds us to look for ‘something with a good beam-spread that creates a soft light’. He uses fittings with warm colour temperatures (around 2500-2700K) to create his desired natural, ambient tone. ‘The aim is for it to feel discreet and subtle, not bold or flashy. We are not trying to bring back statement feature walls,’ he laughs.
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