The document discusses two lighting techniques - wall washing and wall grazing. Wall washing lights the entire wall from top to bottom at a wide angle, creating a smooth, flat appearance. Wall grazing lights the wall at a narrow angle using closer lights, accentuating texture through shadows. The techniques allow controlling how walls and spaces are perceived. Wall washing highlights smooth surfaces while wall grazing enhances textures like brick and stone.

1. www.IESLightLogic.org
Light Logic aims to help
consumers learn about
residential lighting best practices,
design, energy efficiency and all
topics regarding lighting a home.
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2. Lighting Design 101: Wall Grazing And
Washing
What You’ll Learn Here:
•Wall washing and grazing call attention
to walls
•Wall washing lights the wall at a wider
angle, washing out details
•Wall washing is ideal for creating a
visually smooth, flat surface
•Grazing lights the wall at a narrow
angle, accentuating details through
shadows
•Grazing is ideal for creating a textured
surface for surfaces such as brick and
stone
Frontal smooth washing of a wall, without scalloping.
Photo: Michael Spillers Photography
Read the full article at
IESLightLogic.org

3. Add Visual Punch!
Add Visual Punch To Your Walls
Want to add a visual punch to a wall without painting it or hanging
art? Try lighting it instead. Wall washing and grazing are two
techniques that can add character to your room’s walls.
Each method addresses a different type of wall. The first (Wall A) is
white-painted drywall that we want to see as a smooth, blank
surface. The second (Wall B) is natural stone, which we want to see
as roughly textured.

4. Wall Washing
Technique: Wall Washing
We can light Wall A using a technique called
wall washing. This technique entails uniformly
lighting a wall from top to booth in a smooth
graded wash, hiding any imperfections and
blemishes by eliminating their shadows. The
wall appears bright and draws attention to the
architecture as a luminous background for
people and furniture. By emphasizing the
architecture, the lighting makes the room
appear larger and more spacious.

5. Wall Washing
The Details Of Wall Washing
Wall washing is typically produced by lights
mounted at or above the ceiling that
effectively wash up to 8-9 feet of vertical wall
space. The wall-wash lights should be
mounted at a sufficient distance from the wall
so that light falls on the wall at a wider angle;
in some spaces, 2.5-3 feet might be suitable.
In the picture: The wall-wash lights must be
mounted at a sufficient distance from the wall to
ensure a smooth graded wash of light. Drawing by
Bruce Yarnell, IALD, MIES, LC

6. Wall Washing Cons
Wall Washing May Also Lead To Small Problems
While wall washing reveals the smooth surface of Wall A, it would
wash out the rich stone texture of Wall B. Alternately, we can light
Wall B using a technique called grazing.

7. Wall Grazing
Technique: Wall Grazing
Grazing is similar to wall washing in practice
but the lights are located closer to the wall.
The beam of light strikes the wall at a
narrower angle, producing shadowing that
reveals and accentuates texture.
In the picture: A natural stone wall is grazed.
Photo: Michael Spillers Photography

8. How Wall Grazing Works
The Details Of Wall Grazing
By moving the lights closer or farther away from the wall, we can
adjust the angle of light to make the shadowing more or less
pronounced. Either way, the wall is presented as a point of visual
interest in the space.
Grazing is produced by lights mounted at or above the ceiling. The
lights can even be mounted under the floor or ground for an
interesting uplight grazing effect. (Take care not to mount uplights in
places where viewers typically stand so as to avoid causing direct
glare.) Besides walls, grazing can also be effective for lighting
carvings and statues.

9. Controlling Perception With Lighting
Techniques
The Two Lighting Techniques
Lighting walls can make spaces
appear brighter and more spacious,
and, in some cases, reveal beauty
by highlighting texture. Wall washing
and grazing are two techniques for
controlling how these surfaces, and
the spaces they enclose, are
perceived.

10. Lighting Design 101: Wall Grazing And
Washing
Key Takeaways:
•Wall washing and grazing call attention
to walls
•Wall washing lights the wall at a wider
angle, washing out details
•Wall washing is ideal for creating a
visually smooth, flat surface
•Grazing lights the wall at a narrow
angle, accentuating details through
shadows
•Grazing is ideal for creating a textured
surface for surfaces such as brick and
stone
Read the full article at
IESLightLogic.org

11. www.IESLightLogic.org
Light Logic aims to help
consumers learn about
residential lighting best practices,
design, energy efficiency and all
topics regarding lighting a home.
Visit Light Logic at:
www.IESLightLogic.org