Picture lights offer a practical and stylish way to highlight your treasured artwork. Melissa Davidson from leading lighting supplier, The Lighting Warehouse, offers some advice on what to consider when investing in picture lighting for your home.

 When it comes to lighting, nothing can beat natural light – it enables us to see all the colours of the spectrum accurately. However, natural light does have its drawbacks, the main one being the fact that it emits UV rays, which has a very harmful effect on artwork, photos and prints. In fact excessive exposure will lead to fading, drying out, and cracking. For this reason, it is always advisable to hang any pictures out of direct sunlight.

Says Melissa Davidson, from leading lighting supplier, The Lighting Warehouse: “Picture lights offer a means to illuminate your prized artwork, photos and prints without exposing them to harmful UV radiation. They are elegant, stylish and go a long way to make your pictures stand out as features in their own right.” She offers the following picture lighting tips for those looking to make a statement with their artwork:

How to size picture lights

 Melissa says that you need to select picture lights that are big enough to illuminate the entire picture in question, so it is important to measure the picture (including the frame), and take these measurements with you when you go shopping. “If you are using a light with a slim, small profile, you may have to choose one that is slightly larger in order to cover the entire picture. For unusually tall art, consider using a picture light that extends further out from the wall to ensure that the light reaches down across the entire piece,” she advises.

 Currently, The Lighting Warehouse offers the following picture lights:

• The Da Vinci picture light range is available in Satin Silver (code: 18157) and Antique Brass (code: 18158). The Da Vinci picture lights are wider than most, so they can accommodate larger or wider pictures or artwork. The headpiece is also adjustable. They come with a high-output fluorescent tube light. POR.
• The Picasso picture light range is available in Antique Brass (code: 19793), Polished Brass (code: 19793PB), and Satin Silver (code: 19794). These lights boast a more classical design, with an adjustable head allowing you to customise and focus the beam of light on to the picture. The Picasso picture lights are the perfect complement to oil paintings, and it is recommended that you choose a 4000K cool white 3.5w pygmy LED globe for this fitting. POR.
• The Monet picture light (code: 18157CC) boasts a polished chrome finish and a sleek, simple and modern design. It is ideal for monochromatic and contemporary works of art.  For this fitting – choose a G9 LED globe in either cool white, daylight or warm white. POR.

Visit www.lightingwarehouse.co.za to find a store closest to you, or to shop online for these products : www.lightingwarehouse.co.za/product-category/indoor/picture-lights/

Nationwide delivery for online orders over R500 is free.

E&OE. While stocks last.