Project: Lighting design for The Silos
Lighting and Lutron electric curtains and blinds for a unique luxury country house
Designing with linear LED lighting
Linear lighting is incredibly versatile, from creating a soft ambient glow to providing functional task lighting for cooking. With a range of LED profiles, it integrates seamlessly into joinery or stair treads for a clean, flush finish. High output, different IP ratings, and colour changing options make it a flexible and valuable addition to any lighting design.
Using linear LEDs in joinery
Whether classic or contemporary, adding a diffused linear LED to joinery not only highlights what’s on display but also turns the piece into a striking focal point. It’s a clever way to enhance both the room’s lighting and overall design.
There are multiple ways to illuminate shelving: mounting LEDs along the front or back edge or running them vertically along the sides. With a range of profiles available, there’s always a solution to suit the unit’s thickness. For chunkier shelves, dual linear LEDs can be used to light both above and below, creating a beautifully layered effect.
As part of the scene programming with the Lutron HomeWorks QS system we used joinery lighting to create the perfect setting for a cosy night in front of the TV.
The unique architecture of The Silos project brought challenges, especially when lighting curved joinery. To follow the curve seamlessly, we used smaller sections of LED linear linked together allowing the lighting to flex and adapt to the design.
Washing the ceiling with light
Linear LEDs can be used to wash light up onto the ceiling, whether recessed into a coffer or discreetly mounted on a beam. It can be ideal for pitched ceilings or light wells.
For the pool coffer shown here, we used an IP rated profile designed for pool environments. We chose a higher output LED to achieve greater throw and impact; this is the primary light source in the space.
Surface mounted linear LED
The beam in this pitched roof study, overlooking the river, provided the perfect mounting point for a linear LED, casting a soft glow across the ceiling and creating a beautifully diffused light throughout the room.
The ledges of these Victorian arched pillars provided the perfect spot for a slim, discreet LED profile, subtly highlighting the elegant arches whilst adding to the overall light in this grand entrance hall.
Coffer lighting is a sleek way to highlight ceiling details
Here are some more examples of coffer and surface mounted LED linear lighting from some of our projects.
Delivering practical lighting in the kitchen
Adding linear LEDs under kitchen wall cabinets provides focused task lighting exactly where it's needed. If there’s space above the cabinets, surface-mounted linear LEDs can enhance the overall lighting effect.
Similarly, under a cooker hood, linear LEDs offer an even, seamless alternative to traditional spotlights, ensuring uniform coverage over the hob.
With a variety of profile sizes and angles available, there’s a solution for every application. Slimmer profiles are easier to recess, while deeper ones offer better LED diffusion. Angled profiles can also direct light back and across for optimal illumination.
A mix of practical and decorative linear LED lighting
With two shelves above the sink, we recessed a slim yet high-output LED linear profile into the bottom shelf, providing ample task lighting for daily chores like washing up. The same approach on the top shelf highlights the items on display, adding both function and ambiance.
Linear lighting suits both modern and classic styles
Linear LEDs enhance the clean, minimal design of this Scandi-style kitchen and bathroom. Good colour rendering is crucial, especially in a space with a mostly white interior. Poor colour rendering can make the space feel harsh and clinical, whereas high-quality LEDs with good colour rendering create a warm, inviting atmosphere that complements the minimalist aesthetic.
In this traditional farmhouse style kitchen, the double AGA benefits from high-output LEDs mounted at the back of the cooker hood, providing focused light over the cooking surface.
Linear lighting and staircases
If the staircase structure allows, recessing a linear profile beneath the treads provides both functional lighting and a striking visual effect.
Linear LEDs can also be integrated into handrails or the underside of the staircase, offering another creative use for this versatile profile.
Bathroom niches and shelves
By backlighting these shelves, we've created the illusion that they’re 'floating.' A diffused LED profile was recessed inside, producing a soft, ambient glow. For this application, we used an IP rated fitting, ensuring it’s safe and effective in wet environments.
A niche in a shower enclosure or beside the bath is both a practical and stylish addition, offering storage for shower and bath products. It also creates an opportunity for integrated lighting. Here, we’ve used a linear, IP-rated fitting tiled flush to the top of the niche. A diffused profile was selected to eliminate the visibility of LED spots, ensuring a calming atmosphere while relaxing in the bath.
Garden lighting with linear LED
With the right IP-rated fitting, linear LEDs can seamlessly integrate into an exterior lighting plan or garden design. These versatile fittings can provide low-level lighting under planters or seating areas, edge light paths or borders, illuminate steps, or highlight water features. In outdoor kitchens or BBQ spaces, linear lighting also serves as effective task lighting, adding both function and ambiance to the space.
Adding fun and colour to a design with linear lighting
Linear LEDs don’t always have to follow a straight line. With a range of profiles, including flexible options, you can create fun, statement shapes and lines of light that transform your design. Adding a splash of colour is easy with linear LEDs, and if you have a control system in place, like Lutron HomeWorks QS, you can take the design further by incorporating colour-changing effects.
Cool shapes & colour changing
Related projects
Linear LED lighting suits a range of architecture and styles here are some examples of our projects where we have used linear lighting in a creative way.
