What is accent lighting?
Accent lighting focuses light to a particular area, object or feature. It’s widely used to add emphasis in settings, such as museums, galleries, and retail and leisure spaces.
If we want to see something clearly, it needs to be lit effectively, and products, like spotlights, were created for this very purpose. However, direct lighting is often harsh and unflattering. Accent lighting provides a more aesthetically-pleasing way to focus light into a particular area, without overshadowing the item in question.
Going beyond the spotlight
In some instances, accent lighting is primarily functional and is used to light something like an artefact or display cabinet. But many schemes go beyond this and use accent fixtures to create atmosphere, add impact or highlight the structure or architecture of a space. This is one way to blend practicality and refinement.
Elegant design features
When you’re displaying something beautiful like a painting, it’s surrounding should be of an equivalent level of quality. The most effective accent lighting fixtures are designed with this in mind, becoming uniquely attractive features in themselves.
Take the accent lighting we manufactured for the Royal Opera House as part of StudioFRACTAL’s lighting design, for example. We produced a bespoke aluminium LED profile that was adapted for several different uses, including the slatted ceiling and a series of illuminated solid acrylic pendants.
Photo by © James Newton
A significant amount of time, effort and thought went into the design and creation of these bespoke elements in order to strike the right balance. Although the finished fixtures blend seamlessly with the space, they also stand out as accomplished pieces of design work in themselves.
This project also features Regis, which is one of our most versatile accent lighting products. The minimalist, cylindrical linear fixture is subtle enough that it doesn’t overshadow its subject, yet has distinct style and appeal.
Define empty space
Accent fixtures can also be used to add depth and significance to empty space.
Take these Wayfinder Luminaries installed at Heathrow Terminal 2. The fixtures accentuate the sculpture above, with the light reflecting off the metal surface. But they also add structure to the walkway, guiding pedestrians along and illuminating an otherwise dull boundary line.
Suspended accent lighting fixtures are another effective way of adding focus to dead space. These products provide light in a practical sense, but they also create a visual point of interest within areas, such as roof cavities. Details like this can elevate a functional lighting system into a noteworthy design scheme.
We hope this has provided you with a useful overview into some of the ways accent lighting fixtures can be used to best effect. If you’d like to talk to us about a project that requires accent lighting, get in touch with the Kemps team on 0113 263 9039 or info@kempslighting.com.
