Lighting Antique Cabinets & Furniture
The lighting store we bought fixtures from said they cannot help us with lighting our antique cabinet. Why?Most lighting stores do not install fixtures; they simply sell equipment and refer you to a display lighting contractor who can install them. When it comes to antique cabinet lighting, few electrical contractors will touch this type of work. Antique cabinets are fine and valuable forms of furniture that represent a very big liability if damaged. Any significant amount of cutting into an antique cabinet and destroy its value. Also, most standard linear strips will not look good in an antique cabinet. Antique cabinets are mostly custom-built, and standard light fixture dimensions will not fit them.
Many of our clients and lighting consultants contact us because they have experienced the same frustration you are facing now. They feel they must either leave the cabinet unlit, or risk damaging it to illuminate its contents. There is, of course, a third alternative.
What is that alternative?
The only way to successfully light an antique cabinet is with customized cabinet lights and special wiring techniques. Only a few fine art companies in the world of design are willing to show this type of flexibility when working on a project. It is analogous to playing cards, and being willing to make the most of the hand you are dealt. Because every cabinet is different, you have to treat it as a unique and special project on a case by case basis. You have to work wires through existing space without making visible cuts in the wood, and you have to use cabinet lights that will not be seen once installed. The same holds true in new home wiring or electrical remodel work.
Can Illuminations Lighting Design do all of this?
Yes. We have worked for over 25 years in the world of fine art and display lighting, and have literally installed lights in thousands of antique cabinets over the years. As a Houston electrical contractor our specialists combine strong, practical wiring and electrical skills with a keen eye for design and aesthetics. Most antique cabinets are built using saw brackets and cleats to support the horizontal shelves. The small spaces between the shelves and the vertical sides provide opportunities for hidden wiring—providing the electrician has the patience and skill to do so. Our home lighting design team does, and also has access to highly specialized cabinet lighting strips that can be concealed underneath the shelves and powered with these hidden wires. Only a few screw holes are what are needed to install the strips and contact pads, and the value of the cabinet is preserved along with its presentation power being enhanced with interior illumination. The lighting fixtures themselves cannot be seen by people looking at the antiques in the cabinet, which appear to be softly bathed in a warm luminance that appears sourceless and multi-dimensional.
What services other than display lighting does ILD offer?
Illuminations Lighting Design is a full service design build firm specializing in residential and commercial indoor lighting and outdoor lighting, electrical service and maintenance as well as home automation, home theaters, emergency generators, surge protection systems, and phone systems.
How can I reach you to schedule an appointment?
Contact us at 800-863-1184 today to talk about your next lighting project or visit our lighting and home automation blog to learn more about our products and services.
Labels: Antique Cabinet Lighting Houston, Antique Furniture Lighting Specialists, Low Voltage Display Lighting Experts
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