In a showroom, the rule is the opposite of a workshop: you don't light the room, you light what you're showing. The rest should remain in the background, otherwise the eye is distracted and nothing stands out.
The reference density is therefore lower than elsewhere — 0.50 hexagon per m² — but it is concentrated where the products are.
The principle: a ratio, not a level
What highlights a product is not the quantity of light it receives, but the difference between it and its environment. An object lit two to three times more than the background immediately catches the eye, even if the absolute level remains moderate.
Practical consequence: before adding panels above a product, ask yourself if you shouldn't rather remove some elsewhere.
How to distribute
- Above products: tight grid, up to 0.70 per m² in a main exhibition area.
- Circulation: 0.35 to 0.50 is sufficient. You should see where you're walking, not read a map.
- Window display: this is the most delicate area, judged from the outside. During the day, it competes with natural light; in the evening, it becomes the only argument. Plan it to be denser than the rest.
- Counter, checkout: bright light, where people read and sign.
The graphic grid as decor
A hexagonal ceiling does two things at once: it lights and it decorates. In an automotive showroom or a concept store, the grid becomes a visual signature, visible from the street, recognizable in photos.
Two ways to use it:
- Highlight an axis: the grid follows the vanishing line leading from the threshold to the flagship product.
- Define a zone: an island of hexagons marks the location of a product on the ceiling, like a rug would mark the floor.
Reflections: the showroom trap
Car bodies, display cases, glossy floors, screens: a showroom is full of surfaces that reflect light. A misplaced panel reflects directly into the visitor's line of sight and spoils the view of the product.
The check to make before drilling: stand where customers look at the product — usually the entrance — and identify what you see in the car body or display case. Shift the grid accordingly.
White or color?
Neutral white remains the base: it renders product colors faithfully, which is what you expect from a showroom. Color is used as a complement, on a background, an outline, a zone — to create an ambiance or an event, never to light the product itself, as this would distort its real shade.
The showroom table
| Area | Density | Objective |
|---|---|---|
| Flagship product | 0.70 hex/m² | Attract attention |
| General exhibition | 0.50 hex/m² | Show without overwhelming |
| Circulation | 0.35 to 0.50 | Guide |
| Window display | 0.70 and up | Compete with daylight, shine at night |
What to remember
- What highlights is the relationship between the product and the background.
- 0.50 hexagon per m² as a base, 0.70 in exhibition areas.
- Check reflections from the customer's point of view, not from the middle of the room.
- White for the product, color for the ambiance.
View RGB hexagonal LED kits for ambiance zones, or white kits for product lighting.
