Art lamps for the living room: wall art by day, a warm glow by night
Updated
An art lamp is a lamp that is also the artwork. Ours are framed acrylic panels with a soft color gradient, lit from within by LEDs. With the lamp off, it hangs on your wall like a minimalist painting. Switch it on and it fills the living room with a warm, even glow, and a knob on the frame turns the brightness up or down.
Most living room lamps are either something to look at or something to see by. A table lamp or floor lamp lights the room but takes up floor space, and a painting on the wall looks good but goes dark at night. An art lamp does both jobs from the wall.
This guide covers what acrylic art lamps are, how they compare with regular home lamps and with picture lights for paintings, how to choose between a matte black and a woodgrain frame, and how to hang one so your living room looks good with the lamp on and with it off.
What is an art lamp?
An art lamp, also called an artwork lamp, wall art lamp or frame light, is a light that is designed to be looked at as a piece of art. Aliwalas Home makes acrylic art lamps: a square panel of acrylic printed with a soft color gradient, held in a frame and lit from behind by LEDs.
- Lamp off: a quiet, color-field artwork on the wall, like a framed print.
- Lamp on: the gradient glows from within, and the room takes on a warm, soft light.
- In between: a knob at the bottom of the frame adjusts the brightness, from a bright glow to a low one.
Because the light comes through the art, you see a glowing image rather than a bare bulb. That's what gives these lamps their aesthetic look in photos and in person.
Why an art lamp works in a living room
Good living room lighting usually comes in layers: a ceiling light for when you need the whole room bright, and softer lamps for the evening, when you want the room to feel calm. An art lamp is one of those softer layers, placed at eye level on the wall.
- It doesn't take up floor or table space, so it suits small living rooms, condos and sitting rooms.
- It is decor all day. A table lamp that's off is just a lamp; an art lamp that's off is still art.
- The glow is warm and diffused through the acrylic, so it's easy on the eyes for movies, conversation or winding down.
- One piece above the sofa can anchor the whole room, in a family room, lounge or living area.
An art lamp is ambient lighting, not task lighting. Keep a ceiling light or reading lamp for when you need bright, focused light, and let the art lamp set the mood.
Matte black or woodgrain: choosing a frame
The frame decides how the lamp sits in your room when it's off, which is most of the day.
Matte black lamps suit contemporary, minimalist and industrial living rooms, dark or moody walls, and rooms that already have black accents like metal light fixtures, picture frames or a black TV console. A black frame keeps the edge crisp, so the glow looks like it's floating. Our Siklab is a red-orange ember on a coal-dark field in a matte black aluminum frame.
A woodgrain finish suits warm, Japandi, tropical and natural-material rooms with wood furniture, rattan, linen and plants. It softens the piece so it reads more like a painting than a light. Our Takipsilim is a gold-to-violet dusk horizon in a woodgrain aluminum frame.
Not sure? Look at what's already in the room. Match the frame to your other lamps, frames or furniture legs and the piece will look like it belongs.
How to hang an art lamp in your living room
Hang it like you would a framed painting, then check it with the lamp on at night.
- Above a sofa: leave about 20 to 25 cm between the top of the sofa back and the bottom of the frame, and center it on the sofa.
- On an empty wall: put the center of the piece at about eye level, roughly 145 to 150 cm from the floor.
- Size: the 800 × 800 mm piece is the one for above a sofa, a bed or a console. The 550 × 550 mm suits a hallway, a desk wall, beside a TV, or a smaller room. Two 550s side by side also work above a wide sofa.
- Light: switch off the other lamps in the room once to see the full effect, then find the brightness that feels right on the knob.
On our home page, the living-room preview shows each piece above a sofa at real scale, in both sizes, switched on and off.
A warm glow for the evening, or a soft night lamp
Turned up, an art lamp gives off a warm glow that fills the wall and spills into the room, enough for a relaxed evening or a movie. Turned down with the knob, it becomes a soft, dim glow that works as a night lamp in a living room, bedroom or hallway.
The gradient colors change the mood of the light too. Gold and amber, like Takipsilim, feel like sunset. Red-orange, like Siklab, feels like the last embers of a fire. Both are warm lamps, so the room feels cozy rather than bright white.
Art lamp vs table lamp vs picture light
People searching for a light for wall art are often after one of three different things. Here's how they compare.
| Feature | Table or floor lamp | Picture light | Art lamp (Aliwalas Home) |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | A lamp with a shade and a bulb | A small light fixed above a painting that shines down onto it | The artwork itself, lit from within by LEDs |
| Where it goes | On a table or the floor | On the wall or frame above a painting you already own | On the wall, hung like a framed print |
| With the light off | A lamp | Your painting, with a fixture above it | A minimalist color-field artwork |
| With the light on | Light for the room or for reading | Your painting, lit up | A warm, even glow through the art that lights the room softly |
| Best for | Reading and task light | Showing off paintings and prints you already have | Mood lighting and wall decor in one piece |
Our art lamps
Two designs, each in two square sizes: 800 × 800 mm and 550 × 550 mm.
Lamp off by day, lamp on at night
The same piece, photographed with the lamp off and with the lamp on.
Questions
What is an art lamp?
An art lamp is a lamp designed to be the artwork. Aliwalas Home's art lamps are framed acrylic panels with a soft color gradient, lit from within by LEDs. With the light off they hang like minimalist wall art; with it on they glow warm and light the room softly.
Are acrylic lamps good for a living room?
Yes, as mood and accent lighting. An acrylic art lamp hangs on the wall, so it doesn't take up table or floor space, and it looks like art when it's off. Pair it with a ceiling light or reading lamp for when you need bright light.
Can an art lamp light up a whole room?
It gives a warm, ambient glow that's enough for a relaxed evening, but it isn't meant to replace a ceiling light. Think of it as the soft layer of your living room lighting.
Are black lamps a good choice for a living room?
Matte black lamps work well in contemporary, minimalist and industrial living rooms, and against dark walls. Our Siklab art lamp has a matte black aluminum frame. For a warmer, natural look, Takipsilim comes in a woodgrain aluminum frame.
Is an art lamp the same as a picture light?
No. A picture light is a fixture that shines onto a painting you already own. An art lamp is the artwork itself, lit from within. If you want to light an existing painting, get a picture light; if you want art that glows, get an art lamp.
Can I adjust the brightness or use it as a night lamp?
Yes. A knob at the bottom of the frame adjusts the brightness, so you can turn it up for a full glow or down low as a soft night lamp.
What does the lamp look like when it's off?
Like a framed, minimalist color-field print: a soft gradient on acrylic in a matte black or woodgrain aluminum frame. The photos on this page show each piece with the lamp off and on.
What size art lamp should I get for above a sofa?
The 800 × 800 mm size, hung about 20 to 25 cm above the sofa back. The 550 × 550 mm size suits hallways, desk walls and smaller rooms, or hang two side by side above a wide sofa.
Where can I buy art lamps in the Philippines?
Aliwalas Home sells acrylic art lamps online in the Philippines, with prices in pesos, free delivery within Metro Manila and shipping to the provinces quoted after you order. You pay by GCash, Maya or bank transfer.
Free delivery within Metro Manila. Provincial shipping is quoted after you order. Pay by GCash, Maya or bank transfer.
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