Decorate your fluorescent light panel or cover without replacing the panel

I know that I know. There are these huge, plain, and boring 24″ x 48″ fluorescent ceiling lights, right in the middle of your kitchen, conference room, or individualized office décor. An owner will always have the option to upgrade to a different type of lighting, possibly spending thousands of dollars, to demolish existing lighting, wire new fixtures, replace removed sheetrock, and locate new fixture locations. Shopping for replacement lighting fixtures will introduce you to a whole new world of options and price ranges. After all the tearing and installation, you are left with the textured ceiling combination, most often followed by a retexture of the entire ceiling, just for uniformity. It can be overwhelming for the DIYer and will strain the budget of many households to complete the task.

FYI, fluorescent lights, were installed in the 1970s and 1980s, in millions of homes and offices. They were an economical solution for providing all-round lighting in drop-ceiling offices and in domestic spaces that required more than a single bulb in the ceiling to avoid stubbing your toe on the corner of the bed. Today, there are tax credits for the use of ‘GREEN’ lighting fixtures, such as fluorescent lights. GO GREEN!

There are a limited number of companies that offer solutions to make existing fluorescent ceiling fixtures more attractive. When considering the type of lighting that is needed for your particular purpose, there is an option to enhance the aesthetics of your existing fluorescent lights.

There is a psychological benefit to using a calmer and more serene depiction of nature, in medical and dental practices, etc. Very often these spaces use additional lighting to assist with medical procedures. Public spaces such as waiting rooms, lobbies and casinos can use images such as sky and clouds, or green foliage, and even ‘Tiffany’ style panels. These replacement fluorescent panels will work well in these settings.

A few things should be considered when deciding on an option to decorate an existing fluorescent ceiling light. Will your space experience a loss of light after installing a decorative panel? Will you be happy if the replacement panel changes the color spectrum of the space to blue, green, or brown (Tiffany)? Will you appreciate the result, when you consider the cost, the effort of trimming a rigid panel to fit your light fixture, and the change made to the space, in terms of light loss and color shift?

There are very few options if you need your kitchen, office or other workspace to retain its light quality and color spectrum. Furthermore, the process required to resize a rigid plastic panel will often lead to the destruction of the panel. Many will be hesitant to attempt this feat, for fear of ruining the panel and losing a good deal of money on its purchase.

The option to decorate your existing fluorescent ceiling light is also available, without having to replace or resize a rigid plastic panel. A graphic overlay, reproduced on a heavy ‘Mylar’-like material, can be installed on top of your existing panel or cover. These overlays are literally flame retardant and have an ASTM fire rating that classifies them as ‘slow to self-extinguish’. A fluorescent tube light will only get hot to around 60 degrees.

These graphic overlays are inexpensive, easy to install, and won’t alter the quality of light or color spectrum in the room. Architectural patterns and wrought iron designs are available to complete your interior design theme. The low cost and ease of installation will reinforce your decision to keep your existing fluorescent ceiling fixtures and create a sense of pride that only a well-designed interior can produce.