The Domus BF is a raw ceramic wall uplight made in Italy,180mm wide, 165mm high and 165mm deep, taking a singleG9 lamp and designed to be painted to match the wall.

The “10W” in this product’s name is a globe recommendation, not thefitting’s rating.

Its datasheet and our record both give 60W for the fitting, requiring one G9.The 10W in the title reads as a suggested LED globe which is sensible advice, but stated asthe product wattage it looks like a specification.

In practice the advice is good. A 10W LED G9 is a bright globe for a ceramicuplight; though 4W is the more usual choice, giving roughly what a 40Whalogen did and running cooler inside a ceramic shell.

Treat 60W as the ceiling and 410W as the sensible range and see below, because 60W on a single-lamp ceramic is the least reliable figure in this range.

Why the 60W figure is worth treating with caution

• The same 60W appears on the range’s two-lamp fittings. Both cannot be right for asingle holder and a pair.
• Across seven BF ceramics a pattern has emerged: the two-lamp modelsread 60W consistently; the single-lamp models do not agree with each other.
• So on a single-G9 ceramic like this one, the wattage is the least reliable figure in therange. Ask us before running near it 60W in one G9 is a great dealof heat inside a ceramic shell.
• An LED G9 removes the question entirely.

“Not dimmable” is not right on a lamp-holder fitting

• Our record says dimmable = No. On a fitting with a replaceable lampholder and no driver, the dimming depends on the globe.
• Fit a dimmable LED G9 and a compatible dimmer and it dims.
• But a single G9 is a very small load 4W will often sit below atrailing-edge dimmer’s minimum, and even 10W may. Tell us the dimmer and how many fittingsare on the circuit and we will say.

A square profile, and what it means on a wall

• 180mm wide, 165mm high, 165mm deep. It is nearly square insection the other BF ceramics are shallower wedges at 70100mm deep.
• 165mm of projection is substantial. That is more than most wall lights andenough to catch a shoulder in a corridor. Check it before specifying it on a narrowcirculation route.
• The depth is what makes the uplight work a deeper shell holds the lampfurther from the wall and throws a broader, softer wash upward, rather than a narrow scallop.
• On a broad wall in a room with space, the depth is an advantage; in a hallway, one ofthe shallower ceramics suits better.

It is meant to disappear

• Raw ceramic is supplied unpainted and takes any water-based paint,so it finishes in the exact colour of the wall.
• Paint it before it goes up, at the same time as the wall.
• Ceramic chips handle it before painting, not after and at165mm deep this one projects far enough to be knocked.

Choosing the lamp

• An LED G9 at 410W. 4W for a hallway or a bedroom; 10W wherethe wash needs to carry across a taller wall.
• High CRI if the wall is a colour a cheap G9 flattens a painted wall.
• 3000K in a living space; 2700K if the room is warmer.
• If you repeat these along a wall, use identical globes.

Where it works

• Broad walls in rooms with space, where 165mm of projection is not in the way.
• Living rooms and bedrooms as ambient light alongside something else.
• Walls being painted anyway.
• Not a narrow corridor 165mm deep is enough to catch a shoulder.
• Not bathrooms or outdoors raw ceramic, indoor rated.
• Ask us before running near 60W in a single G9.

Specifying it

Raw ceramic wall uplight, made in Italy.180mm wide 165mm high 165mm deep.Requires 1 G9 lamp not included. Supplied unpainted,finishable with any water-based paint. 240V AC, indoor.50,000hrs fitting life. Warranty 1 year.

The “10W” in this product’s name is a globe recommendation, not the fitting’s rating the datasheet and our record both give 60W. And 60W on asingle-lamp ceramic is the least reliable figure in this range, because the same number appearson the two-lamp fittings. Ask us before running near it. Our record says “not dimmable”; on a lamp-holder fitting the dimming depends on theglobe.

Supplied and supported by Lights For You.

Questions

Is it a 10 W fitting?

No the 10W in the name is a globe recommendation rather than the fitting’s rating. Its datasheet and our record both give 60W for the fitting, requiring one G9. The advice itself is sensible: a 10W LED G9 is a bright globe for a ceramic uplight, though 4W is the more usual choice and runs cooler inside a ceramic shell.

How big a lamp can I actually put in it?

Treat 60W as the ceiling and 4 to 10W as the sensible range and treat the 60W with caution. The same figure appears on this range’s two-lamp fittings, and both cannot be right for a single holder and a pair; across seven BF ceramics the two-lamp models read consistently and the single-lamp ones do not. 60W in one G9 is a great deal of heat inside a ceramic shell. Ask us before running near it.

Can I dim it?

That depends on the globe, not the fitting our record’s “not dimmable” is not right on a fitting with a replaceable lamp holder and no driver. Fit a dimmable LED G9 and a compatible dimmer and it dims. The catch is load: a single G9 at 4W will often sit below a trailing-edge dimmer’s minimum and even 10W may. Tell us the dimmer and how many fittings are on the circuit.

How far does it stick out from the wall?

165mm, which is substantial the other BF ceramics are shallower wedges at 70 to 100mm. That is more than most wall lights and enough to catch a shoulder in a corridor, so check it before specifying it on a narrow circulation route. On a broad wall in a room with space it is not an issue.

Why is it so deep?

The depth is what makes the uplight work. A deeper shell holds the lamp further from the wall and throws a broader, softer wash upward rather than a narrow scallop so on a broad wall the projection is an advantage. In a hallway, one of the shallower ceramics in this range suits better.

Do I have to paint it?

Not strictly, but it is designed for it. Raw ceramic is supplied unpainted and takes any water-based paint, so it finishes in the exact colour of the wall and reads as a lit recess. Paint it before it goes up, at the same time as the wall so the sheen matches and handle it carefully, because ceramic chips and at 165mm deep this one projects far enough to be knocked.

Which globe should I use?

An LED G9 at 4 to 10W 4W for a hallway or bedroom, 10W where the wash needs to carry across a taller wall. Choose a high-CRI globe if the wall is a colour, because a cheap G9 flattens a painted wall. 3000K in a living space, 2700K if the room is warmer, and use identical globes if you repeat the fitting along a wall.