Mood Lighting

bauderline

Does anyone know of a good web site to get information about mood lighting and how it actually works. I am thinking of the type that involves a border around the ceiling and provides different coloured backlights onto the ceiling.

I would be interested to know how it is done to see if I could build a similar system given the right components.

Thanks in advance !

Baud.

Stoner

baud,

I don't know any all singing all dancing web sites off hand worth recommending.

Typically I speak to suppliers about this type of thing.

Cold cathode lighting is used to great effect for this, but it is expensive, we have used the likes of Kemps lighting in the UK, we've installed it into hilton hotels etc and it looks great with good quality colour change.
Even kellihers electric have some decent stuff, you'd want to speak to someone in their lighting department though, they have some nice RGB LED options.
The LEDs lights need drivers to force the colour and dimming changes
AVL lighitng in ireland are also a good source, might be worth a call or meeting
you could try
www.loweleds.com for some colour changing fittings and they will give you good advice too.
Fantasy lighting in Dublin have some nice "flexi neon" stuff but regardless of the name it is super LED driven not neon but cost effective.

Are you talking about dimming or just colour change, I know you seem to be going for a new build. I don't know or want to know your budget but the sky is the limit here.

there are some nice 4 channel dimmers available with the MK accessory face plates for standard dimming if you were interested in that (not colour change).

It comes down to the size/level and budget IMO. To me colour change is going to get hickey soon, as is neon blue stuff. As an option you could install some coloured LED lamps in different circuits and arrange some scene settings on the 4 channel unit i mentioned above. Even some well hidden fluorescent tube fittings with either coloured lamps or coloured sleeves may work in your application.

that way if and when having a blue bar and a red wall become dated you can have some sort of low level control over changes. Otherwise the best options are cold cathode, that's what is used in the industry, LEDS is next as it is less expensive, there are alway cheaper domestic options available around but like I said it all depends on what you are after.