Lighting Infrastructure Study - The Doll's House, The Beatrix Potter Museum, Hill Top

Lighting Infrastructure
Case Study

The Doll's House, The Beatrix Potter Museum, Hill Top

Luxam recently had a site visit to the conservation centre at Knole House for a lighting infrastructure test with the National Trust Property Curator at Hill Top, Katy Canales, and Lighting Coordinator and National Conservator, Dom Wierzbowski.

8th November 2024, Knole House

As the Doll’s House is a tricky object to illuminate due to the separating walls and multiple items within a small space causing masking issues, it was important to undertake an onsite test. Using a bespoke rig to emulate the proposed lighting infrastructure, we were able to test and measure the most beneficial positions for the lighting towers. This way we were able to try multiple options, finding the optimal positions for the lighting infrastructure, this positioning ultimately changed due to exhibition space and display cabinet design factors, but having an optimal starting point and knowing that increased variance from this point would diminish the function of the lighting is valuable knowledge for conservation teams, display-case manufacturers and lighting designers during the design and build process.

Attending a group space with the lighting designer and curator of the gallery enabled a first hand experience of the physical product, introducing the equipment to the object, experiencing the visual impact and function of the equipment, allowing for greater understanding of the process and capabilities of the lighting, thus making all parties more informed regarding time needed and what integration the lighting allows. For in this instance we are using an interactive DMX illuminator (15-122 / 20W), allowing the exhibition visitors to use a button interface to change lighting states within the Doll’s House.

11th February 2025 Hill Top, Beatrix Potter Museum

The illumination of Beatrix Potter’s Doll’s House, referenced in the Two Bad Mice story

As part of a wider regeneration of the Doll’s House, which included cleaning and restoring both the house and all its contents, the design of the gallery space and the specific exhibiting of the Doll’s House was being rejuvenated. Luxam Lighting worked alongside the Curator at Hill Top, and Lighting Coordinator and National Conservator at the National Trust to achieve a dramatic and functional lighting solution for this renewed gallery space.

It has been screened on the BBC (available in the UK only)

Featured on more local news…

And on national television as part of the Hidden Treasures of the National Trust series, the episode featuring Hill Top and the Dolls’ House now has a confirmed broadcast date – Hill Top is in Episode 1 and will be on at 9pm Friday 16th May BBC2. The episode will also be available on iPlayer from the 16th, along with the rest of the series.

Why consider modern lighting for existing Museum Showcases?

At Luxam, we believe that museums are where artifacts come back to life, and lighting is
an essential tool to achieve this goal. Lighting assists artifacts in telling their stories.
Incorporating in-case lighting into existing showcases is a cost-effective solution that
significantly enhances collections. Visitors are now able to better admire the details of the collection, all whilst preserving the historical significance of the Knole House.