Edge lit transparent Acrylic panels

This is a new product that we here at Starscape are very enthusiastic about. Certain grades of acrylic (Perspex) share some of the properties of internal reflectivity which make fibre optics work the way they do. Light introduced at one edge (using fibre optics or LEDs) will pass through the panel to emerge at the other end. However, just as with optical fibres, if you damage the surface of the panel, some of the light will "leak" out, and this effect can be manipulated to produce glowing images which appear to float in the clear acrylic panel.

Acrylic panel lit from underneath by rigid LED strips.

A combined illuminated panel and mirror adds a dramatic feature to this bathroom.

In this instance the panel is installed in a bathroom, using optical fibres to provide the illumination. The light source is located safely away from wet areas, up in the attic above, with a colour wheel fitted to produce changing colours in the design of bamboo stalks and Chinese ideographs.

A mirror was placed behind the acrylic panel, with the result that it doubles up as a decorative light and a mirror, but a plain or patterned background would also work well.

This is not something we're likely to offer as a standard product, but as bespoke pieces based on artwork of your preference, and to the size you want. For instance, we've made a 1.7 metre square panel for a hotel bar in the Middle East. By the same token, there's no reason why you couldn't use a series of smaller panels set in a group across a wall or across the front of a reception desk etc.