Cove Lighting

If you’re considering a simple design idea that will infuse light and beauty into your home, cove lighting may be the answer. It adds a unique ambiance and understated elegance that just can’t be beaten.

How does cove lighting work?

Typically, cove lighting is located in a hidden place, such as a false ceiling. A lighting designer might build a crown molding intended just for this purpose. The resulting cove is set a couple of inches down from the ceiling with the crown over the baseboard, creating a wide space for the light. A smaller cove molding might be placed on the bottom of the base to complete the look.

 

A modern designer is likely to use a light source such as an LED strip fixture and attach it to a wall, where it would spread the light evenly across the ceiling in a way to maximize its effect. The strip can be placed strategically and high enough to be out of view from the ground below.

 

Many homeowners who want a different vibe in their interior space often don’t realize the difference a lighting solution utilizing a makeshift cove can bring to their home. Cove lighting emanates a luxurious yet relaxing atmosphere that will make the rooms of your home seem larger than life.

Types of Cove Lighting Designs

We’ve already touched on one type of cove lighting design where the lights are hidden in a cutaway area. This type of cove lighting works well where there’s a drop ceiling. It also happens to be the simplest and least expensive way to bring a cove lighting design into your home.

 

Another design idea is to reverse that concept, where you only have a portion of the ceiling suspended.

 

If you really want to take cove lighting design to the next level, ask your designer about creating a multi-level cove lighting design. It may be an ambitious undertaking, but the effect is breathtaking.

 

Yet another beautiful design is dome cove lighting, where a recessed dome is formed in a ceiling, and the lights are arranged around the dome. It creates a circular, elegant focal point, and a chandelier can even be hung from the center of the dome to add even more drama.

 

Cove lighting can also be applied within the walls of your home, such as behind fine art or a headboard, or around display cabinets at the tops and bottoms. It’ll light the area evenly without sending out any glare.

 

A highly skilled designer can take more than cove lighting design and layer it together for the best effect. Like other lighting designs, cove lighting will have the most significant impact when the lighting is layered.

 

It’s important to understand that cove lighting is rarely designed from a functional point of view. It’s usually used as accent lighting. But the beauty of it is it’ll work in nearly any room of the home, including your kitchen, living room, bedroom, and bathroom.

Use LEDs for the Best Cove Lighting Effect

While you can use nearly any kind of light from halogen to fluorescent and everything in between, you’ll want to opt for LED lights. Other types of lighting leave more gaps within the illumination and rarely yield a smooth area of light. LED lights are also more energy and cost-efficient.

The Takeaway

A cove lighting design will add depth and dimension to the rooms of your home while yielding more balanced and relaxed lighting that creates a soft glow.

 

But cove lighting is an art and a skill that is best left in the hands of an experienced lighting designer.

 

At Illuminations Lighting Design, we’ve been the light design experts for many residential homeowners and businesses across Southeast Texas and beyond. Our talented and creative team has a stellar reputation in lighting design and architectural lighting services.

 

Contact us to schedule a consultation with one of our designers so that we can create a beautiful cove lighting experience for your home or business.