A vertical surface is uniformly brightened by wall washing. Wall washing emphasizes the wall and can be used to highlight an entrance, a fireplace, or a piece of art. A space can appear brighter and have a softer, diffuser light thanks to the light that bounces off matte-surfaced walls. For maximum effectiveness, paint walls a light hue or white. Wall washing can give the appearance of more space in areas like corridors and small rooms. By putting fittings in, on, or on the floor at regular intervals, one can wash the walls. The brightness of the surface is determined by the distance between the fixtures and the wall. The spacing can be set to illuminate the wall uniformly or in a regular pattern to produce a scalloped look. If a room's ambient lighting comes from wall washing, either add extra lighting where it's needed for specific purposes, or place tasks that require high illumination, like reading, close to the walls. Install the fixtures close enough to the wall to prevent direct glare from hitting nearby sitting individuals.
Cautions
Avoid lighting up mirrors or windows since the light from the lamps and fixtures could reflect in them.
If dark surfaces need to appear to have been wall washed, more light should be focused on them because they reflect significantly less light than white surfaces.
On textured surfaces, fixtures set near to the wall produce a grazing effect. If the texture is appealing, this could be advantageous, but it should be avoided if the wall has surface flaws.
