apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

There's always rope lighting, too. This would distribute the light evenly without danger of fire.

My husband and I have done something similar, except rather than behind a screen, behind other furniture (the TV stand, backless bookshelves -- as long as the lights were still hidden when standing) to reflect off the wall and provide cool mood lighting. We used circular halogen lights -- bookshelf/storage or under-cabinet spotlights. I would use two or three evenly spaced, and you'd probably want to stand the lights on something other than a carpet.

There are wonderful can style floor lamps that focus light up - washing the wall. They turn off if tipped over (good for safety) and I think they are on dimmers - not certain. You should be able to find these a Home Depot for not too much (under $50). Last I checked in DC, I had to get them on line - they were not available in the stores.
Good luck!!

I would not place halogen so close to the paper screens, as I think the heat and paper being so close together would create a fire hazzard . Same can probably be said for any type of lamp, or fixture. I thing your best solution would be Matt's rope light idea.

well color me thrifty, but i would just use simple white-cord fairy lights (christmas lights) with white bulbs. you could stretch them back and forth for a symmetric organized look or just dangle them haphazardly for a more loose feeling. i did this with a large 4'x5' white canvas and stapled the lights around the inner perimeter. i then spray-mounted a silhouette to the back-side of the canvas to create a glowing landscape of the Taj Mahal.

I vote for rope lighting. It's cheap, it runs cool, and you can dim it. Halogen could get far too hot. I would also not lean the screens against the wall. I would instead mount them on the wall, spaced out a few inches. This will look much more dramatic I think, and will prevent warping over time. You'll also be able to reclaim some floor space.

Ikea has so many wonderful and cheap lighting options, including dimmers and strip lighting, like this trettioen light.

Though they are generally not pretty, this is a good opportunity to use fluorescent lamps. They stay cooler than incandescent. They are also easy on the electric bill. One year I strung holiday lights on the balcony and lit them every night for a month. There was a noticeable jump in the power bill!

I second the comment about halogens: too hot to have near paper. Fluorescents are the least hot, and safest. While some are pretty ugly, the compact fluorescents have come a long way. Be sure to get the warm-color ones, not the "sunlight" which are freakishly blue/cold. I'm afraid I don't know the brand name of a good one. Anyone else?

besides, they are energy efficient.

My only aesthetic concern about the rope light is whether it would be bright-enough or diffuse-enough (e.g. not appear stripey through the paper) to achieve a pleasing effect.

There might be various ropelight specifications to explore...
http://www.1000bulbs.com/category.php?category=7

fluorescent lights placed end to end will provde safe even light. be sure to ask for daylight bulbs, don't use cool unless you want that office cubicle look.

I would also second the rope light. I use it to backlight a wood panel for a flat-screent TV, and it gives a nice diffuse light onto the wall. You may need to double-up the rope until you get the amount of light you need. They run very cool, and you can put a dimmer on it.

The second choice would be a florescent fixture. The light can be kind of harsh so get a full-spectrum bulb and a diffuser. They run cool, and the fixture can be placed directly on the carpet. If you get the right ballast, it can also be dimmed.

Thanks for all the advice!

I think I am going to try rope lights with a dimmer first, since that seems to be the smallest investment, both in financial and effort terms. If that leaves something to be desired, I'll make a pass at a flourescent solution.

I have several lights from ikea that are square glass lights that would work here--they were, i believe, 4.99 each. They're kind of like up-lights. I'd definitely NOT use halogen.

Run the rope light on the back of the panels, from top to bottom, over the joints where the screens meet. That will give you enough yardage to glow, and hide the source. Small screw-on clips are available. Custom cut it to length, and wire it all together.

sorry but i think the screen looks weird slanted like that, too much space left on the top, but i would nail it on the wall and have 'lights' shining through behind it.

I agree with Max about mounting the screen a few inches from the wall - much more finished looking. I have spray painted white fairy lights (along with the cords too) with gold which softens their glow and gives off a really nice warm light. You could mount those to the back of the wood spine on the screen as well for an inexpensive option.

I think that two of the previous comments combined would be the ideal solution if it were my project to complete:

1. Use the Trettioen LED strip lights from Ikea (http://tinyurl.com/pzkmu) while not expensive, neither are they the cheapest solution. But they are cool, compact and extremely discrete.

2. Use some blocking to mount them to the wall. If you like the anlge, you can maintain that with the appropriate blocking. You might even consider separating the panels and mounting them at slightly different heights, depths, and angles from the wall. Maybe even overlap a few of them.

Whatever you do, be sure to post a picture so we see the result!

Cheers.