How to Cover Ugly Fluorescent Lighting

by Kristine Lofgren Google
Fluorescent lighting can be an eyesore.

Fluorescent lighting can be an eyesore.

Fluorescent lighting is an efficient source of light commonly seen in both homes and businesses. In fact, an 18-watt fluorescent bulb produces the same amount of light as a standard 60-watt incandescent bulb. But all of that efficiency can sometimes come at a cost: ugly fixtures. Instead of sacrificing beauty for efficiency, hide those ugly fluorescent fixtures to create a space that is visually pleasing.


The most common method for covering fluorescent lighting is the soffit, which is a ledge that acts as a dropped portion of ceiling to create a hidden slot for lighting. This usually blends in with the wall or ceiling and can be built around your existing lighting. Soffits are often built around the edges of a room to highlight the border of the ceiling, but they can also be floated in the center of the room or used to define a space within a room. A soffit is usually built out of drywall and wood framing, but they can also be a temporary solution made out of plastic or lightweight wood and a metal frame that screws into the ceiling.

Diffusers or Reflectors

Sometimes the best option for hiding a fluorescent fixture is to simply place a cover over it. Hanging diffusers, which are sheets of translucent material that hang below a fixture from a chain, allow light to filter through but hide the bulbs inside a fixture or the entire fixture itself. Suspended diffusers hang below the fixture and attach to the ceiling, acting like a large lampshade for a ceiling light. Another alternative is to use a reflector. Reflectors work like suspended diffusers in that they hang below the fixture and attach to the ceiling, but instead of filtering light through, they reflect light back up to the ceiling to create soft lighting. You can buy a diffuser or reflector or create your own by hanging a solid piece of metal, wood with a fire-retardant surface, glass or even flame-retardant fabric in a frame from chains attached to the ceiling.

Box It In

Light boxes are made of translucent material that allows light to filter out in multiple directions. The fluorescent light box is a familiar sight in kitchens built during the 1980s, but modern light boxes don’t have to look dated or out of place with current design. Modern light boxes can be made of lightweight, sleek materials and come in a wide variety of shapes and colors. These boxes hide fluorescent fixtures to give you an updated look in any room.

Rice Paper

For a more temporary solution, rice paper can be fashioned into a cover for any fluorescent light, essentially acting as a lamp shade. Affix rice paper to a frame made out of wood or wire to cover the fixture. This can be attached to the ceiling, wall or even to the fixture itself, depending on what best suits your needs. A rice paper shade gives you more flexibility than a diffuser because it can be used on wall lights and table lights and can be molded to hide a light from any direction, while diffusers only hide the light from below.

References (1)

  • Lighting Design Basics; Mark Karlen

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