You hung it with care. Now let it come alive.

After dark, the pieces you love fade. Let them shine.

Picture lights, track and adjustable recessed — supplied, hardwired and aimed by our own licensed electricians.

You chose the piece. You paid for it, found the right wall and hung it at the right height. And then at five o'clock it disappears into the wall.

That's not your fault. Almost nobody plans art lighting during a remodel, and builders never do it. The ceiling light in the middle of the room lights the floor and the furniture — it was never pointed at your walls.

A gallery doesn't light the room. It lights the work. That's the entire difference, and it's a smaller job than you think.

Call (858) 292-9244 · Text or WhatsApp (858) 229-4772 · Shop picture lights →

You don't have to figure out the lighting.

That's our job. Every member of our showroom team is a Lighting Specialist certified by the American Lighting Association. Bring a photo of the piece, or we'll come see it, and we'll help you choose what makes it shine. Here's what we look for:

• A fixture aimed at roughly 30 degrees from the ceiling to the center of the piece — steeper causes glare, shallower leaves the bottom dark
• High color rendering, so the colors the artist chose are the colors you see
• LED rather than halogen, which means far less heat and UV near anything on paper or canvas
• Hardwired, so there is no cord running down your wall
• Dimmable, so the piece can be bright at a party and quiet on a Tuesday

The part nobody tells you

The fixture is the cheap part. Where it sits, what angle it hits, and whether the wiring is hidden — that is the job, and that is the difference between a lit painting and a lamp pointed at a painting.

Picture lights in stock

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What it costs

• Homes: picture light installation, labor starting at $295. The light itself is extra.
• Businesses: restaurants, resorts, offices and galleries are quoted after a walkthrough.
• Lifetime labor warranty on everything we install.

Bundle & Save 15%. Buy it from Fan Diego, have our licensed electricians install it, and take 15% off the product. Through November 30, 2026. Installation labor isn't discounted. Excludes Big Ass Fans.

Estimates for electrical work are free. Want help choosing? Book a design consultation: an ALA-certified lighting specialist comes to you for $195, and $145 goes toward your installation when you book within 60 days.

For restaurants, offices and galleries

Every business was built for a purpose, and the art and the walls that tell that story deserve to be seen. Guests notice when a piece is lit with a clip light on a board. They also notice when the light disappears and the work comes forward.

An ALA-certified lighting specialist walks the space with you, and our licensed electricians (Specialty Electric, CSLB #1113915) do the work around your hours. Commercial jobs are quoted after the walkthrough.

Schedule a commercial walkthrough — (858) 292-9244

Visit the San Diego showroom

8020 Clairemont Mesa Blvd, San Diego, CA 92111
(858) 292-9244

Winter hours (through April)
Monday to Friday: 9:30 am to 5:30 pm
Saturday: 10 am to 5 pm
Sunday: Closed

Showroom details and directions →

Hi, I'm John with Specialty Electric. I'm a licensed electrician and second-generation owner of Fan Diego — and a Lighting Specialist certified by the American Lighting Association, like every member of our showroom team. We've been lighting and cooling San Diego homes since 1982, and the walls are the part almost everyone forgets.

Because comfort IS luxury.

Art lighting questions

How do you light a painting?

Aim the light at the work, not the room. A fixture aimed at roughly 30 degrees from the ceiling to the center of the piece, with high color rendering, LED rather than halogen, hardwired so there's no cord, and dimmable.

What angle should a picture light be?

Roughly 30 degrees from the ceiling to the center of the piece. Steeper causes glare; shallower leaves the bottom dark.

What is CRI, and how does it affect how I see my paintings?

CRI stands for color rendering index. It is a 0-to-100 scale that measures how accurately a light source shows the true colors of an object, compared with a reference light of the same color temperature, such as daylight. The higher the number, the closer the colors look to how they really are. A low-CRI light dulls or shifts the colors in a painting; a high-CRI light shows the colors the artist chose.

Will light damage my art?

Any light can fade sensitive work over time; how much depends on how bright it is and for how long. A U.S. Department of Energy report on museum lighting cites Getty Conservation Institute research finding no worse damage from warm-white LEDs than from halogen at the same light exposure. We use LED and put it on a dimmer.

How much does art lighting cost in San Diego?

In a home, picture light installation starts at $295 for labor; the light is extra. Several pieces, new circuits or commercial spaces are quoted after we see them. Estimates for electrical work are free. Lifetime labor warranty on everything we install.