How should a private car collection be lit?

Light fades a collection slowly

Light fades paint, dyes, leather and fabric. It does so slowly, and it cannot be undone.

Daylight is the worst offender. That is one reason a gallery below ground suits a collection.

Insurers advise keeping stored cars out of direct sun. Below ground, that comes for free.

The aim is simple. Light the cars well when you visit. Keep them in the dark when you do not.

Damage is level multiplied by time

Conservators measure light damage as a dose. The dose is the light level multiplied by the hours.

The Canadian Conservation Institute gives an example. One hundred lux for 400 hours equals 50 lux for 800 hours.

So brightness alone does not tell you the risk. Low light left on all night can harm more than bright light used briefly.

That is why display light in a BELOW gallery runs on presence. It rises when you arrive. It falls when you leave.

How much light is enough

For about 60 years, museums have used 50 lux for sensitive objects. Colour science showed it was enough for full colour vision.

A car's body is less fragile than a painted canvas. Its interior is not.

Leather, carpet and fabric all fade. So we put more light on the bodywork than into open cabins.

Working scenes are brighter. They are used for short tasks, then switched off.

Remove ultraviolet

Ultraviolet adds nothing you can see. It does a large share of the harm.

Modern LED fittings emit very little of it. We still check every fitting's data before it is chosen.

Any glass that lets daylight in gets a filter. That includes a pavilion and any rooflight.

Colour must look true

Paint is judged by eye. The light must render colour faithfully, or a red can drift towards orange.

We test fittings against your own cars before ordering. A sample on the bonnet settles the choice.

Warmer white suits wood, leather and older paint. Cooler white suits silver and modern finishes.

Many galleries use both, by zone. The older cars sit in warmer light.

Reflections need a plan

A polished car is a mirror. A downlight over a bonnet appears as a hard white dot.

Long linear light, set at an angle, gives soft reflections. They follow the lines of the bodywork.

The floor plays its part. Honed stone takes light softly. A gloss floor repeats every fitting.

Scenes, not switches

A gallery is easier to use with scenes. Arrival, viewing, working, cleaning and away.

Arrival brings up the aisle first, then the walls, then each car in turn.

Away leaves only low light for safe movement and for the cameras.

Lighting links to the security system. An alarm brings every light to full.

That helps the cameras and deters an intruder. Our car gallery security guide explains the layers.

Light the room as well as the cars

A room lit only on the cars can feel like a tunnel. A soft wash on walls and ceiling gives it depth.

We often hide that light in a slot in the ceiling. It grazes stone or oak and shows the grain.

Joinery can carry light too. A lit case for helmets, books or trophies makes the room feel lived in.

Heat, escape and upkeep

Every fitting adds a little heat to a sealed room. We include the lighting in the air design.

That keeps humidity and temperature steady. Our air and climate guide covers that balance.

Escape routes need emergency lighting that works if the power fails. It sits in the same lines as the display light.

Drivers and controls sit where they can be reached. Every fitting is listed in the handover file, with its supplier.

Photographs and records

Many collectors photograph their cars for insurers and sale records. Good, even light makes that easy at home.

We plan a photography scene with flat light and no hot spots. It shows the true colour of each car.

The same scene helps a valuer or an inspector. Nobody has to move a car into daylight to see it.

Start with the collection

A lighting plan begins with a list of the cars. Their colours, their interiors and how often they move.

Use the consultation form below to begin. BELOW is part of NU Projects, whose designers light whole homes.