DIY Color Wash Lighting

Color washing, or bathing a wall in a soft color, can be done with paint or with lighting. Color wash lighting allows for greater flexibility, since you can easily change the colors to create different moods or to coordinate with the time of day the room will be in use. Ready-made LED lights are available, priced from $100 to more than $3,000 (2011 prices) that allow you to program any color you wish, but you can easily make your own.

LED light with swivel base
Transparent colored gel
Scissors
Clear tape

Instructions

- 1
  Position the LED lights so they illuminate the entire wall. You may need several lights to accomplish this, depending on the size of the wall. Any rotating, canned light will work, but LED fixtures provide the most rich, saturated color.
- 2
  Cut the sheet of transparent colored gel to fit over the top of the light fixture. Affix to the light fixture with clear tape. When this color is placed in front of the light fixture, the color is projected onto the wall.
- 3
  Turn on the light and position it to wash the wall with a blanket of color. If you want to play with colors, buy several different colored sheets of gel and experiment to get the saturation you want. You can splash the room with golden tones at sunset or mimic candlelight in the evening. Magenta or rose tones are complementary to all skin types and can be used at any time.

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Lighting