Designing with streaks of light that seemingly cut through a space or define edges is becoming more sophisticated as luminaires and the technologies behind them do. The effects can be anything from ethereal to edgy and futuristic (regarding the latter, think “Tron,” the original 1982 film). Whatever the ambiance or energy you’re trying to imbue in your project, there’s now a linear system for it all, transforming the walls and ceilings into canvases. Here are five product ideas to get you started using light as an art medium.
Moonline by Flos.
Flos: Moonline
Designed by Frank Sinnaeve and Stephan Gunst for indoor use, this recessed luminaire is plastered into ceilings or walls to seamlessly blend into such surfaces and emanate a beautiful glow. Its extruded aluminum profile features a magnetic-click fixture that holds the dimmable LED modules. Use this to accentuate wall and ceiling planes, corners, or doorways or to create a “floating” wall.
Pure Lighting’s TruLine .5A
Pure Lighting: TruLine .5A
This plaster-in system includes a 1/2-inch-wide diffuser lens that creates a narrow, crisp line of light while also concealing the LED strip’s points. TruLine’s aluminum-extrusion channels come in one-foot increments and with end caps. The commercial-grade, dimmable white LED strips can be specified in 2,400K, 2,700K, or 3,000K temperatures.
Light Tape
This super flexible “tape” (also shown at top) is a mere .02-inch thick and runs up to 150 feet long. It conforms to any interior or exterior architectural element and surface, whether flat or curved. What differentiates this tape from the rest is that it employs an electroluminescent technology with a conductive phosphor layer, reportedly making it 40-percent-more efficient than LEDs. The technology also enables the one-inch-wide tape to remain cool to the touch.
TruGroove by Philips.
Philips: TruGroove
Philips added flat, inside, and outside corner units to this linear recessed LED luminaire, affording architects and designers the ability to create long-spanning ribbons that turn corners or create grids and geometric patterns. Furthermore, the lens-diffused fixture — offered as two-, four-, and eight-foot modules — can be specified for symmetric or asymmetric light distribution. Trimless, drywall trim, and T-grid trim options are all available to meet different design needs.
Birchwood Lighting’s Jake LED
Birchwood Lighting: Jake LED
Another recessed linear fixture, Jake LED comes in three different aperture widths — 1.65, 2.24, or 3.25 inches — and can run along inside or outside corners thanks to optional 90-degree mitered modules. The extruded aluminum units are offered in two-, three-, four-, six-, and eight-foot lengths and come with extruded acrylic lenses. Jake LED can be installed with or without a trim.
