BY ELLIE DEES
Cove lighting is an indirect lighting application for ledges and ceiling recesses or high on the walls of a room. It directs or bounces light toward the ceiling or along adjacent walls.
Cove lighting is ideal to highlight architectural details. The diffuse illumination, or ambient luminescence, of cove lighting adds depth and interest in the look and feel of your lobby, office or home. Indirect lighting creates a gentle glow that minimizes stark shadows and eliminates glare issues. This makes cove lighting ideal for relaxation areas such as living rooms, bedrooms, or hotel lobbies and lounges.
Several types of lighting can be used in cove systems, but LEDs are easily the most popular due to their efficiency, flexibility and durability.
Here are nine cove lighting tips:
- Use coves and valances to add drama in rooms where the ceiling is at least 8 ft high.
- Eliminate glare by using baffles, louvers or diffusers to shield any LEDs that can be seen from normal viewing positions.
- The top of an LED fixture should be level with the edge (fascia) of the cove to prevent harsh shadows.
- The “6-inch rule” is a simple tenet for building basic coves. If every dimension associated with a cove is 6 in. (150 mm), the cove will hide the LEDs, permit easy maintenance and allow plenty of light.
- The further the cove is from the illuminated surface, the more uniform the light will become.
- The inner surface of the cove should be a flat white to prevent odd reflections.
- Neutral LED colors like white and beige provide a clean, modern look.
- In most cases, 400 lm/ft (1300 lm/m) is sufficient.
- Color changing LEDs can be used to change the mood, set a theme or complement other colors in the room.
Great cove lighting examples:
The Well, New York City
Matrix RibbonLyte
THE WELL New York is the flagship location of an international wellness studio that joins multiple healing practices under one roof. Throughout, the mood is set with calming, clean LED light, courtesy of Static White Matrix RibbonLyte from Acolyte. Bendable Matrix RibbonLyte highlights THE WELL’s flowing hallways and ceiling coves. It accents the banquets and café seating. And it illuminates the mirror wall of the yoga studio and custom curved shelves lined with wellness essentials.
Sphere, Las Vegas
Neon Contour
Sphere’s futuristic interior lobby design employs more than 4,400 ft (1.34 km) of color changing LED neon from Acolyte. Side-bending Neon Contour and Neon Contour Plus fixtures line gleaming circular coves that highlight massive columns throughout the grand space.
Paradise City Casino, Incheon, Korea
Static White Series 2 RibbonLyte
Static White Series 2 RibbonLyte creates a modern, clean look in the cove lighting at Paradise City Casino. Designers specified almost 16,000 ft (5,000 m) of custom RibbonLyte channel fixtures for use in cove lighting and indirect lighting effects throughout the resort’s casino, hallways, common areas and guest rooms.
Luxury Basement, Boonton, N.J.
RGBW Series 2 RibbonLyte
This recently remodeled luxury home features an amazing basement full of color changing coves illuminated with RGBW Series 2 RibbonLyte from Acolyte. Relax around the couch or at the bar as you entertain in the family room. Choose from reds, whites and blushes in the climate-controlled wine cellar and tasting area. Take a break and get into the zone for some top-level pool or pump up the energy with brilliant colors in the home gym. Tune the colors throughout with two sleek 10 Zone DMX Wall Controllers.
Bank OZK, Little Rock, Ark.
Direct AC RibbonLyte
The elegant “boat-shaped” panel ceiling at Bank OZK headquarters features long Static White Direct AC RibbonLyte fixtures that join two building wings atop a five-story atrium. The Static White Direct AC RibbonLyte provides an ethereal glow from within the extended hidden coves. Super-efficient Static White Direct AC RibbonLyte offers run lengths of up to 164 ft. without a driver.
