Wall washing is a lighting technique that has been doing rounds in the design space, and it might just become the flavour of the season in the upcoming festivities. Wall washing is one of the most sought-after ways to illuminate your walls, and it looks absolutely ravishing, and you can take our word for it. Wall-washing lighting technique not only adds dimension to your space but adds some much-needed depth to your decor too. Wall washing is probably one of the best ways to lend some drama in your space, and the moment you decide to go for it, you know you will not regret it. And now, we bring to you everything there is to know about wall washing, and you can flaunt it in your home.

What is the wall-washing lighting technique?

Wall washing technique is used to illuminate the wall by placing a lighting fixture at a distance from the wall. The lighting design is usually placed around 12 inches away from the wall to uniformly and evenly cover the entire wall. The lighting technique makes the wall appear flat and highlights the texture of the wall beautifully, if there is any. In case the wall is longer in height, then the lighting design will have to be placed further away from the wall. The height of the wall dictates the distance of the lighting design from the wall.

What kind of lighting designs can create this effect?

Wall-washing effect can be created using a number of luminaires, but it best works with architectural lighting designs. You can use downlights, uplights, track lighting, profile lights and many more to lend perfect illumination to your wall. Wall lights and ceiling lights are good alternatives too, if they are intense enough to light up the entire structure. It is important to ensure that whichever lighting design you go for eliminates the shadows on the wall completely.

Which parts of your home can use a wall-washing effect?

Wall washing is a stunning technique that can bring the best out of any part of your home. You can highlight the exterior of your home using this technique and add a flair to your outdoor decor. Many people don’t realise it, but wall-washing techniques can be used as accent lighting too. Be it your artwork, photograph, photo wall, indoor plants or home decor, you can highlight them all using this technique. If done correctly, wall-washing lighting can look good behind a cabinet too giving the entire space a gorgeous touch.

Precautions to be taken when giving a wall washing effect to your space

It is always better to give a vertical structure a wall-washing effect than a horizontal wall, as the human eye can better decipher the former than the latter. Wall-washing looks better if the surface has a matte finish, so make sure you get that done. And always illuminate walls that have a light-coloured finish as darker surfaces are very difficult to illuminate and they simply don’t create a similar effect.