To me a wall scnoce is proably the best choice and it will require electrical unless you use a battery one I think a good multi head fixture hanging from the upper ceiling could do the job if the right on e is chosen or maybe some in step lighting . Hard to say without seeing the whole area

Thanks. Unfortunately we won't want to use battery or penetrate the wall. We need light to cast on the front of all objects on 'display' without blinding passers-by in the hall or stairs.

I'd consider...

(a) step lights embedded in the stair risers. Lumens (for example) has lots of different sizes and shapes. This CNBRIGHTER step light -- available with three apertures -- is rather attractive.

(b) assuming the underside of the upper stairs will be enclosed, I'd consider installing small gimble recessed lights (example, example, one above each double-height step.

You could just use LED battery operated lights with a remote and place them wherever you wanted them.

Creative lighting solutions for your unique staircase can include recessed LED strips under the overhang, hidden cove lighting along the soffit, or integrated step lights within the risers of the double step height section. These options provide even illumination, minimize glare, and can be dimmed or controlled by motion sensors for added functionality.

Thanks for the ideas, all.

Stairs will be finished in white oak, with box steps. Somewhat similar to what's seen in the sample images.

We are not considering any battery lights... we are putting in a lighting automation system, and all lighting needs to be on it. There isn't really an issue with power.

The real focus here is not lighting the walkway/steps, rather lighting the area that will have decorations, plants, etc. For that, the light will need to come from above, and generally in-front.

There are complexities with providing such light; specifically glare in eyes (someone coming down the stairs or walking down the hall), esp. when the lights are below 7' in that space. The other challenge is that all the lighting in the area below the upper flight should be on a single dimmer, and because the stairs converge, it is a challenge to get evenness of lighting (lumens).

My current best-bet is using a couple monopoints (or two-rail system) from above that use an MR16 bulb, by which those bulbs can be selected with varying wattages, beam widths, and possibly louvers such that the one covering the short space is wider angle, lower wattage and the higher one is narrower angle, higher wattage. Then cross my fingers they dim consistenly.

are you saying the stairs will be floating like in the sample?

wall washers might work on the underside but your still going to need to run wire through the wall you said you don't want to penetrate. not sure how you'll get wire lights without going through that wall.

back to add that they have both linear and spot grazing wall washing lights that you can manually adjust the angle on.

Now the OP says he's not interested in recommendations for lighting the steps, just the "double-steps". That's a simple project but the OP is way over-complicating it.

Suggest checking this out.

Fiber Optic Lighting | LED Lighting | UFO Lighting

Their lighting systems are designed to do exactly what you are looking for.

The OP never asked for help lighting the steps, only the area to the right of the steps. He's most concerned about lighting the platforms that will display items. The one misconception I think he has is that the closer of the light fixture gets the more it needs to be dimmed compared to the rest of the bulbs. A high quality, high CR light fixture and bulb won't need that type of individual adjustment in the space of only 6 feet in my experience of lighting art. If you are lighting chrome then that's a different story.

I would look into using 3 Nora deep baffle fixtures for sloped ceilings... maybe in 1000 lumens or as low as 600lm. Nora LED bulbs come with 3 different lens that control the spread of light and narrow the beam. Maybe if you use the 3 different lens, narrowing the beam as you get closer OR the other way around....will give you the control and spread of the light you are looking for. Good luck.

@wsea - no, the steps on the upper flight will not be floating... the actual framing is shown. If needed, the wall can be penetrated for a wire and be fire-sealed with a surface mount light, but I do not want to cut an outlet box into that drywall, if that makes sense.

@wdccruise - I appreciate the thoughts, and think you may not be understanding the challenges. Gimbaling light was the plan, but tested, there is tremendous glare for hall-passers-by due to the elevation of the light. If pointed back towards the recess from the edge of the stairs, then the person walking down the stairs is blinded.

@The Kitchen Abode Ltd. - Thanks for the recommendation. I looked briefly at their site, and think I ran across them when looking at lighting art previously. Are you referring to one of their light 'projectors', or a different product line?

@Paul F. - Thanks for your good understanding the request. Yes, I may have a misconception, though with the sample tests I had with a WAC lotus downlight, having lights placed just a few feed above the objects (back of the area next to the stairs), it was definitely a narrower spread and hotter near the center. Do you think that will change with a different fixture? Separation heights from 'ceiling' to step are 6'-3", 4'-3", and 2' (and that does not account for height of any decorations placed there).

I have some other Nora fixtures, and good to hear about the different lens options which may help. I'll checkout your recommendation - thank you.

• Nicor DLG2 2" Gimbal Recessed LED Downlight with "SP" spot optics* -OR-
• Nicor DQR2-AA 2” Adjustable Square LED Downlight with "SP" spot optics*

plus

• Nicor 12202R-LED-ICAT 2” LED Remodel Air Tight Housing

and

• Lutron LED+ Dimmer

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*20 degree beam angle