Part 2 of 2

Although wall grazing highlights the texture of a wall through the use of shadows, wall washing has the opposite effect. In essence, wall washing enhances the smoothness of a wall by eliminating the shadows. The wall washing lighting effect is created by mounting the LED fixture on the ceiling using wider beams of light to shine on the wall at a wideer angle. Reducing the shadows tends to make a room feel larger. Wall washing with LED lighting fixtures, such as our SB8 or HB3014i architectural LED lighting fixture, is the perfect way to display multiple pieces of artwork that are hung on a blank wall.

Wall washing distributes the light so that the viewer can focus on the artwork instead of the wall behind the artwork. Indoor plants, that are placed near walls, also benefit from the wall washing lighting technique. It basically promotes a brighter and far more vibrant atmosphere because the dark shadows are minimized. The wall washing technique can also be used to highlight large collectibles that are stored in a small space. This is due to the fact that the wall washing lighting method makes the room feel bigger. So, what is the main difference between wall grazing and wall washing?

In essence, wall washing is when light is uniformly spread out over a wall from top to bottom. Evenly illuminating the entire wall hides imperfections and eliminates shadows. As a result, the wall appears clear and bright, any architecture is emphasized, and the room as a whole looks more spacious. On the other hand, wall grazing is intended for the opposite effect, which is to accentuate textured vertical surfaces by exaggerating shadows.

Shining light just over the top of stone or textured surfaces, wall grazing creates pronounced shadows to give walls a more dramatic look. If these surfaces were illuminated using a wall washing technique, they would appear flattened and washed out. The bottom line is that wall grazing is best utilized on textured walls when a varied look to the room is the desired outcome.

However, wall grazing may end up exaggerating the shadows a bit too much if the wall has multiple textured elements. There is a delicate balance to the design element. On the other hand, the wall washing lighting technique is the preferred design element for flat walls when the focus should be on the wall hangings instead of the wall itself. If the wall has imperfections, the wall washing method will go a long way in hiding those imperfections. Both the wall grazing and wall washing LED lighting techniques draw attention to particular elements in the room and on the walls. As to which lighting technique should be utilized, it typically depends on both the material of the wall, and the desired outcome of the lighting effect.

The Smart Lighting Company only produces the highest quality and best performing residential architectural LED Lighting Solutions in the industry. For example, we incorporate the best Nichia LEDs into our fixtures. In addition, we also design and manufacture our own optics that create a beam of light that goes exactly where you want it to go.

The Smart Lighting Company is your single source for all of your architectural lighting needs. If you’re looking for a high-quality interior or exterior architectural LED lighting solution, please contact us today.

The Smart Lighting Company is a smart technology leader that is fully committed to the design and manufacturing of architectural- grade LED lighting solutions. We are incredibly proud of the fact that our company is patent holders in multiple proprietary technologies such as electronic circuit controls, optical technology, heat dissipation mechanisms, and heat transfer systems. We also have over 25 years’ experience in fixture design and manufacturing. Our advanced lighting options combine precision optics, low-operating temperatures and maximum life. The bottom line is that our lighting figures are built better. Period.