7 Cove Lighting Ideas for Creating a Soft Ambiance
Cove lighting is a type of uplighting that indirectly bounces light off of a ceiling and down adjacent walls, in order to add diffuse light, warmth, and elegance around the perimeter of a room.
It does so by means of fixtures hidden in coves – long concave mouldings where the wall meets the ceiling – so they are invisible from below, adding depth, interest, and warmth to a space. In this article, we’ll explore how it can dramatically change the atmosphere of any room, including unique spaces.
Benefits of Cove Lighting for Creating Ambiance
If you are drawn to warm and softly glowing light and have architecture that incorporates coves, then you’re in luck. Cove lighting enhances a space’s ambiance in a muted but impactful way. And because the fixtures are hidden, they integrate well with almost any interior design style and take up very little space.
Since cove lighting comes in a variety of shapes and sizes, be sure to get fixtures that fit in the allotted space! Ideally, the top of each lamp should be level with the lip of the cove, so it does not cast shadow lines on the ceiling. And the surface of your ceiling should be painted with a reflective matte or satin finish, with the inside surface of the cove painted flat white, in order to prevent an overwhelming, mirror-like reflection of the light.
Choosing the Right Cove Lighting for Different Rooms
Cove Lighting in Bedrooms
Your bedroom is a quiet, tranquil, and even romantic space, where you can unwind in peace. Because it gives diffuse, soft light, cove lighting can be a perfect fit here – especially a recessed cove LED light strip that gives a warm and elegant glow around the room’s edges.
Cove Lighting in Living Rooms
In your living room, you can use cove lights not only in the ceiling, but also for highlighting an architectural feature that you want to draw attention to. Cove lighting can also define and highlight a media center, with long cove light strips hidden behind the edge of the wall unit.
Cove Lighting in Kitchens
Cove lights can be installed under the cabinets in your kitchen, to cast light that is bright enough for you to clearly see cooking prep workspaces. As well as performing a valuable function, this will bring a luxe vibe to the room. Under-cabinet lights come in a range of lengths: 7.5, 18, 24, or 30 inches; choose the one that best fits the width of your cabinets. If your kitchen ceiling has coves, you can even pair cove lights in the ceiling with these under-cabinet lights to add a welcoming warmth.
Cove Lighting in Bathrooms
Whether you are unwinding in the bathtub or getting ready for the day, cove lighting has multiple uses in the bathroom. Cove ceiling lights will set the mood for relaxation by casting a soft glow around the edges of the room. Or you can install cove strip lights around the mirror, which will reflect and bounce the light to bring an understated yet helpful brightness to your morning and evening rituals.
Cove Lighting in Foyers and Hallways
If your foyers and hallways are also a gallery for paintings or family photos, then you can add ceiling cove lighting to shine directly onto the artwork. Its cozy radiance will also make a narrow hallway feel more open and roomy.
Different Types of Cove Lighting
Channels of Light
When considering what type of cove lighting fixtures you want to install, think in terms of creating a channel of light around the edges of a room. You can use recessed lights, which are cut into the drywall behind the moulding, or LED strip lights to ensure a consistent brightness all along the length of the cove.
LEDs vs Other Cove Lighting
While you can use either fluorescent or LED lights, LEDs are a revolutionary step forward worth considering. They come in a variety of sizes, so you can find one that best fits the available space behind your moulding. LEDs also use up to 90% less energy than other types of bulbs and often do not need to be changed for more than a decade.
And they come with an added benefit: LEDs can be installed on a dimmer switch. In cove lighting, this is a great advantage because you can dial the brightness up or down depending on the kind of atmosphere you want to create – from bright and focused to romantic and intimate.
Cove Lighting Solutions
1. Cove Lighting to Enhance Overall Décor
First and foremost, cove lighting is known for its ability to soften the edges of a room, creating a feeling of open spaciousness by blurring the boundaries between the walls and the ceiling. Its gentle, indirect light creates an inviting ambiance, adding a luxurious vibe to your space.
2. Cove Lighting to Highlight Architectural Features
Cove lighting also lets you accentuate architectural details, drawing attention to beautifully sculpted crown mouldings or coffered ceilings.
3. Cove Lighting for Vaulted Ceilings
If you have a vaulted ceiling, cove lighting is ready to help them shine! You can install LED strips or even rope lights behind the moulding and because they are directed upward, they will emphasize the ceiling’s extra height. If your room has exposed cross beams, then it’s easy to install cove lighting on the top side, to shape a modern and expansive atmosphere.
4. Cove Lighting Integrated in Shelves
Highlight books, curios, or collectibles on shelves by installing cove lighting behind where the shelves are affixed to the wall. The light will gently cascade up the wall, providing not only practical illumination but also a decorative element.
5. Cove Lighting on Staircases
Cove lighting can add a sleek and modern look to your staircase, as well as improve safety, by providing a low-level ambient light that illuminates the steps and reduces the risk of slips and stumbles.
6. Cove Lighting on Textured Walls
Because it is designed to shine upward, you can install cove lighting behind base moulding at the foot of textured stone or plaster walls, to highlight the texture with subtle but dramatic shadows.
7. Color-Changing Cove Lighting
Bring a vibrant look to your living room, den, media room, or even bedroom by installing multicolored LED cove lights. Because they are designed to slowly switch colors on a timer or at the flip of a switch, you can change the atmosphere of the room based on your mood or a special event that you have planned.
Cove Lighting Trends
Layered lighting is a hot trend, even a best practice in interior design today. Once you have a base layer of general brightness that is visually comfortable – whether it is provided by recessed lighting, a stunning modern or classic chandelier, well-designed wall sconces, or beautiful floor lamps – you’re ready to bring task and accent lighting into play.
Task lighting can come from cove lighting, if it’s installed in a way that brings clear and concentrated light to work areas, while accent lighting helps you highlight features and objects in the room. When you use cove lighting for task or accent lighting, you create extra visual interest and depth, because the fixtures are hidden while the indirect light they create spills from the ceiling down the walls.
Custom Designs for Personalized Spaces
Working with a lighting design professional, you can also customize cove lighting so it works flawlessly in your space. Different factors to consider include the length and spacing of cove lighting, the right size of fixtures so they remain hidden without casting unsightly shadows, and the color of light that will best coordinate with the design style of your room.
Find the Right Lights at Visual Comfort
At Visual Comfort, we work hard to bring lighting solutions that are both practical and well-designed – including chandeliers, pendant lights, sconces, lamps, and other fixtures that will work beautifully alongside your cove lighting. Visit visualcomfort.com to explore the many options that can help your home shine.
FAQs
What are the benefits of cove lighting?
Cove lighting is indirect light that highlights the perimeter of a room, typically hidden behind moulding where the wall meets the ceiling. It casts a warm and inviting glow, creates a sense of spaciousness, and gives a modern feel to many different types of rooms.
What types of cove lighting are available?
You can use a variety of types of fixtures, from spotlights to light strips. Just ensure that the lights fit in the available space – remaining hidden yet level with the top of the moulding – so they do not cast odd shadows on the ceiling. Cove lights such as LED strips are a great option because they use up to 90% less energy than other types of bulbs, and only need to be replaced about once every decade.