Ceiling Design
Cove Lighting, Done Properly
Most cove lighting fails in one of four predictable ways.
In this article
Set the strip back far enough
At least 75mm from the cove lip, and 100mm is better. Too close and you see scallops and hotspots on the ceiling instead of an even wash.
Use enough output
12–15W per metre minimum for a genuine wash. Cheap 4.8W strip lights the cove itself and does nothing for the room.
Get the colour temperature right and keep it consistent
2700K–3000K in living areas and bedrooms. Mixing temperatures within one sightline is the most visible lighting mistake there is.
Dim it
A cove at full output all evening is unpleasant. A dimmer costs very little and is what makes the layer genuinely useful.
Plan the driver access
Drivers fail before strips do. Put them somewhere reachable — inside a wardrobe loft or behind an access panel — not sealed inside the ceiling void.
Next step
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