Concealed lighting: where it's worth considering

Many people think of concealed lighting as decoration, an extra that comes if there's budget left. Yet linear light is one of the best tools for ambient lighting: it lights large surfaces softly, without glare.

Where it works well

Linear light running around a ceiling shadow gap shines upward, and the ceiling reflects the light. This indirect ambient layer lifts the whole space, without a visible light source. With a white, matte ceiling, its efficiency is surprisingly good.

A strip along the underside of the upper kitchen cabinets provides task light over the counter, without shadows. Orientation lighting for stairs and hallways, recessed shelving and the bathroom mirror also belong here. Used as a wall washer, it can light an entire wall surface, bringing out the texture of the material.

What to watch out for

Strip quality matters: a densely populated strip above CRI 90 doesn't draw dots but gives a continuous line. COB-type strips do this even better.

The profile isn't an aesthetic question but a matter of cooling: without an aluminum profile the strip overheats, its light output drops quickly and it doesn't last as long. The depth of the gap has to be chosen so the light source can't be seen from any viewpoint; a 4-5 cm gap is usually enough.

The technical details

Here, too, the power supply and the dimming method have to be decided before the finishes go on. For long runs, you need to account for voltage drop: a 24-volt run longer than five meters has to be fed from both ends or from the middle, otherwise it will be visibly dimmer at the far end.

If you choose a CCT-adjustable strip, the controller also needs a place, and it's worth staying within a single manufacturer's system throughout the home.