Anyone experimented with lighting for displaying rugs?
I'm hoping someone else with an engineering background has already =
spent some=20
effort on how much and what type of light optimizes how rugs appear. At =
worst=20
case, maybe some of the information here will be of help to others. The=20
discussion might be a bit geeky, but I think the payoff is worth it. =
I'd=20
been a bit depressed with how drab a lot of my rugs looked indoors vs. =
how they=20
looked in sunlight. I already had 4 100-watt incandescent bulbs in a =
12'x15'=20
room, so adding more light meant a fair amount of heat, which is =
unpleasant with=20
summer drawing near. To get around heat limitations, I've been =
experimenting=20
with compact fluorescent lights. My current setup is 3 55-watt CFLs and =
1=20
30-watt CFL in the same 12'x15' room. For comparison, before I had about =
6200=20
lumens of illumination; now I have 13600 lumens.
In a word, =
wow!=20
Rugs display much better than before. The strongest effects are for reds =
and=20
yellows, which appear much richer. Baluchis also look much, much happier =
since=20
it is possible to actually see all of those subtle dark shades (e.g. a =
black=20
field bordered in dark brown with navy blue highlights).
There =
are two=20
possible reasons for the better display:
1. There is twice as much=20
light.
2. The color balance is much better. Incandescent lights have =
light=20
that is very yellowish, around 2800K vs. 6000K for mid day sun. CFLs =
come in a=20
variety of temperature options up to around 6500K (somewhat blueish =
light).=20
If I had to guess, dark rugs display better because of the extra =
light=20
and reds/yellows display better since the yellow incandescent light =
washed those=20
colors out.
I feel weird having spent $100 on 4 light bulbs, but =
they=20
make the rugs much more beautiful. I can't think of a $100 upgrade that =
would=20
result in so much aesthetic improvement--and not just to the rugs, the =
entire=20
room looks happier.
Suggestions:
1. Additional lighting =
is worth=20
experimenting with.
2. Compact fluorescents deserve a look.
3. If =
you get=20
a compact fluorescent, pay attention to color temerature and color =
rendering.=20
Around 5000K seems to look nice, and you probably want a high color =
rendering=20
index (at least 84).
Questions:
1. Has anyone figured out =
an=20
optimal (or good) light level for different types of colors/weaving =
areas?=20
2. Has anyone done any playing around with different color=20
temperatures?
3. Any other lighting suggestions?
4. Is it worth =
mixing=20
CFLs from different manufacturers/product lines? CFLs tend to have holes =
in=20
their spectrum, would having a variety of bulbs help smooth things out?=20
Tech details:
3 CFLs, 55 watts, 3600 lumens, color =
rendering 91,=20
5000k, rated 10000 hours
1 CFl, 30 watts, 2800 lumens, color =
rendering ??=20
(claims to be a photography bulb), 6400K, rated 10000 =
hours
Total, 13600=20
lumens at 5200K
Holding a lux meter flat against the rugs hanging =
gives=20
lux readings in the 175 to 275 range, depending on where in the room the =
reading=20
is taken. Holding a lux meter at head level directly under the lights =
gives 1800=20
lux. Looking right at the light source hurts ;-)
Hi Joseph,
I'll try soon lighting carpets by led (Light =
emitting=20
diodes), they present several advantages (on the paper).
- very low=20
consumption
- temperature around 3000-3300 K
- very durable (more =
than=20
10.000 hours)
- smollest dimensions
Have you considered this=20
technology?
Maurizio
Hi Maurizio
Welcome to Turkotek. If you would, please =
overwrite the=20
word "unregistered" with your full name in the UserName field when you =
post.=20
That way, your name will appear in the message header.
I'll be =
very=20
interested to learn how your lighting experiment turns out.
Hi=20
Joseph
We have track lighting at home, and use PAR 30 halogen =
lamps in=20
most places for lighting rugs. They put out much more light than =
incandescent=20
lamps at the same wattage and, more important, their spectral balance is =
much=20
closer to sunlight than the incandescent sources are.=20
Regards
Steve Price
quote:
Originally posted by Unregistered
Hi Joseph,
I'll = try=20 soon lighting carpets by led (Light emitting diodes), they present = several=20 advantages (on the paper).
- very low consumption
- temperature = around=20 3000-3300 K
- very durable (more than 10.000 hours)
- smollest=20 dimensions
Have you considered this technology?
Maurizio =
lighting
Bonjour =E0 tous
I have some experience about indoor lighting. =
The=20
quality of the light in a room depends of several conditions :
- =
colour=20
temperature : the higher is the K degree of the lamp, the nearer of the =
sun=20
light at midday (6200 K).
- continuity of the spectrum : =
incandescence bulbs=20
have a continuous spectrum near of the natural light. Generally, =
fluorescent=20
bulbs, discharge lamps (metallic iodures for ex) do not have continuous=20
spectrum. Some colour bands lack and the light given by those lamps can =
display=20
some chromatic dominance (too pink, too blue, too green...). The =
rendering on=20
coloured objects could be unpleasant and artificial. Fluorescent tubes =
have a=20
better colour rendering than bulbs. In this case the better way is to =
mix in a=20
double set two tubes of different white (industrial white + daylight for =
ex).
- intensive or extensive lighting : this is in my opinion the =
key of the=20
problem. This is true that the colours of a rug are better with a good =
level of=20
lighting (mesured by lux). But for the brain the real thing is the =
contrast=20
between the object and the background.
For ex : your rug is on the =
floor, the=20
light comes down from the ceiling. You have the choice between a double =
fluo set=20
fixed on the ceiling that can produce a uniform light on the rug and on =
the=20
whole floor and walls around it, and a spot light with a tungsten/iode =
buld that=20
can give light only on the rug (with a framed optic in the spot, like in =
museum). The second solution will be more pleasant than the first =
despite the=20
lux level could be under. The rug will be thrown out and the room will =
keep a=20
combortable level of light. To do a comparison, go to a super market and =
go to a=20
museum : the objects are visible in the two cases, but are not lighted =
in the=20
same way.
A second reason to choose intensive lighting : you can put =
the=20
light source under different incidence angles. This is particularly =
usefull fot=20
rugs or frames hanging on the walls. With a good angle and a little spot =
you can=20
show the texture of the rug or weaving. With museum like light set you =
can just=20
light the object and not the wall around it.
- hot spots : if you =
use a very=20
intensive spot (5=B0) without frame set you can make a hot spot of light =
over a=20
little part of a rug. around the the intense light spot the other parts =
of the=20
rug are also illuminated but in a lower level. The effect may be =
dramatic in a=20
dark corner of the room.
The problem of the new bulbs (flurescent =
or=20
leds) is that there is no proper way to focalise the light on objects in =
an=20
intensive manner. It is possible to find sets with discharge lamps with =
a good=20
optical device, but the light power of those lamps are too great for =
using in a=20
house ( and there is a problem of UV that can dammage colours). The best =
way is=20
to use a set of low voltage (12 V) tungsten/iode bulbs with built-in =
reflectors=20
(or with special spots) fixed on a rail on the ceiling or on two cables =
tight=20
between two walls. This system is evolutive and extra lamps can be added =
for new=20
rugs (you just have to get a sufficient power for the transfo 230/12 V). =
Another=20
advantage of this system is that it can easily controlled by a power =
variator :=20
the light level can be easily adjusted to the light level of the room =
(and you=20
can save energy ! mind the climate !). With this system you can combine =
two=20
puposes : good lighting on the rugs and good light-mood in the room. I =
don't=20
know anything worse than a room lighted by extensive fluorescent bulbs =
fixed on=20
the ceiling : the shadows disapear, the uniformity of the light creates=20
depressing effect on the mind, it's boring to death !
Amicales=20
salutations
Louis
Lighting the Rugs We Display
Dear folks -
I am hoping that Wendel Swan will notice and post =
in this=20
thread. Wendel has both strong views and considerable experimental =
experience=20
with lighting rugs and it is one of his most frequent complaints that =
rugs are=20
not lit to advantage.
I fear that I am a great disappointment to =
those=20
advocating careful lighting of the textiles they display. I gave up all =
my track=20
lighting when we began to decorate with "antique" American furniture =
(although=20
the eventual results are more on the eclectic side).
My only =
excuse is to=20
indicate that I am simulating the lighting in a yurt so as to let folks =
see my=20
Turkmen pieces as they might have been seen in their original =
ethnographic=20
setting.
Regards,
R. John Howe
I think this is a pretty interesting topic. I use MR16 halogen (35w =
&=20
50w) bulbs in low voltage fixtures. The fixtures are a mix of low =
profile track=20
heads and 4" recessed. There are many MR16 bulb manufacturers to select =
from,=20
with a LARGE number of bulb characteristics and beam spreads available. =
I've=20
tried a lot of different combinations, sometimes lighting a piece with a =
mix of=20
bulbs. I also have one halogen framing projector which, if you have the =
right=20
location, can provide pretty dramatic lighting. For bulbs, my current =
mainstay=20
is the Sylvania 35w Tru-Aim in a variety of beam spreads. I've tried =
Solux and=20
other brands, but have currently settled on the Tru-Aim. The downside to =
all=20
this halogen, of course, is excess heat...good thing I live up=20
north.
Bob
Hi Robert
Although halogen lamps get extremely hot to the =
touch, I=20
think the total amount of heat generated by them is lower than that =
generated by=20
incandescent lamps that give the same amount of light. The reason is =
that=20
incandescent lamps are less efficient (that is, the same wattage =
generates less=20
light intensity). A 30 watt halogen lamp puts out a beam about as =
intense as=20
that of a 75 to 100 watt incandescent lamp with similar beam spread. =
Also, using=20
as narrow a beam as suffices to illuminate the object will result in =
greater=20
efficiency.
Now if I could just train my kid to turn off lights =
behind=20
him ....
Regards
Steve Price
Sounds like none of you are planning on a career mounting exhibitions =
at the=20
Textile Museum.
We've discussed archival lighting issues here =
before,=20
and the illumination you all are proposing wildly exceeds conservation=20
standards.
On the other hand, your lighting probably allows you =
to make=20
out the design and colors of your =
rugs.
Cordially,
-Jerry-
These Questions With a Curator Long Ago
Dear folks -
Jerry Silverman's post reminds me that we once =
convinced=20
the, then, curator of conservation at the TM to host a salon in which =
she stated=20
her case about why museum lighting standards are the way they =
are.
http://turkotek.com/salon_00058/salon.html
Man=
y of us=20
were not convinced, and Sarah took some fairly stern counter-arguments, =
but was=20
still there at the end.
One of the few times we've actually heard =
directly from a museum person engaged in establishing such=20
standards.
FYI,
R. John Howe
Hello all,
I think I=92d better respond to John=92s call for =
input about=20
lighting before he returns from Turkey.
I installed low voltage =
track=20
lighting (using MR16 halogen bulbs) in my house 12 or more years ago and =
my=20
enjoyment of our rugs increased immeasurably. Track lighting systems can =
be=20
inexpensive and are readily available at the major hardware stores such =
as=20
Lowe=92s or Home Depot.
You can install the surface mounted =
tracks=20
yourself, but you do need to connect the track head, possibly through a =
new=20
junction box.
A 3-fixture set usually comes with about 4-6 feet =
of track=20
and costs about $60. Additional fixtures are $20 or so each and bulbs =
cost=20
$5-10, depending on the brand and the beam spread.
Our living =
room is=20
about 14x24 feet. I have two runs of track operating from one switch =
with a=20
rheostat. Right now I have 18 fixtures that illuminate 12 objects (10 =
textiles,=20
an orchid and an oil painting). I use three additional fixtures when the =
rugs=20
are larger. No one rug has ever required more than 5 lights.
The =
fixtures=20
are 4.5 to 10 feet from the objects. The bulbs are primarily Sylvania =
EZX very=20
narrow beam (roughly a 6 or 7 degree spread), but some are ESX, narrow =
beam. All=20
are 20 watts, except for one 50 watt bulb that illuminates a 4.5=92 x =
4.5=92 rug. I=20
never have the lights on at full power. I usually have the rheostat set =
at about=20
50-60%. That means that something around 200 watts lights all the rugs, =
and=20
quite adequately. The MR16s last a long, long time.
In addition =
to the=20
track lighting, we have three recessed lights and four table or floor =
lamps, all=20
with incandescent bulbs. Don=92t try to illuminate the rugs with ambient =
light. By=20
keeping ambient light levels low, the effect of the track lighting is=20
enhanced.
For 8=92 ceilings, the tracks should be at least three =
feet from=20
the wall on which the light falls. Make the angle as shallow as =
possible. If you=20
mount the track too close to the wall, you=92ll only get unwanted=20
shadows.
I know one collector who paid for an =93expert=94 to =
install his=20
track lights, but they were way too close to the wall. The result was, =
well,=20
less than optimum.
I have been obsessed with having as little =
light=20
spillage as possible, hence the narrow beam spread. Further, I reduce =
spillage=20
on the ceiling and to the sides by using PVC plumbing sections of about =
3=94 in=20
length that fit into the fixtures. No, they don=92t burn or melt. You =
can use=20
sheet aluminum or even paper rolled into a tube if you =
wish.
Never buy=20
anything called a flood light and make sure that you understand beam =
spread=20
before you put down a nickel. The bulbs all look alike, so you must do =
some=20
research on each specific bulb. You can find most of the information on =
the=20
internet now, but that wasn=92t the case when I started on my project. =
Make sure=20
you get the narrowest possible spread.
Another reason to buy a =
very=20
narrow beam spread is that light dissipates quickly with distance. You =
want=20
light on the rug, not in the air between the fixture and the =
rug.
You can=20
buy framing projectors, but they are very expensive and inefficient =
because the=20
baffle system consumes a lot of light. My entire system cost maybe $800. =
You=20
could spend 10 times that on professional lines such as Lightolier, but =
that=20
$800 was the best money I ever spent in connection with rugs.
I =
just=20
can=92t imagine trying to illuminate rugs with incandescent or =
fluorescent bulbs.=20
The efficient, unobtrusive, white-light MR16s are the only way to=20
go.
Wendel