TV car restorer kits out new studio with Ovia lighting products

He recently acquired new studio premises for a new car restoration TV show and when it came to fitting it out with lighting products, Tim Shaw opted for solutions from Ovia lighting. A range of products have been installed in the two-floor studio which has been specifically designed by the TV presenter and will be where certain episodes of his show are filmed.

In the new show Tim will be doing what he is most well-known for – restoring classic cars.  However, this time it will be with the help of their owners.

The studio has been kitted out with the very best equipment in the automotive industry and according to Tim, the Scolmore Group products were on a parr – with their exceptional quality, high performance and reliability noted.  It was also the speed and ease of installation of the products that impressed Tim.  Having originally quoted for the time it would take to do the whole installation job, the electricians involved were able to complete the work in a third less time, thus providing a saving not only in time but costs – vital on any job.

For Tim, it is all about the aesthetics and using the Ovia lighting products in an unusual way that works particularly well for TV.

Standing in the middle of the studio gives a view of the range of lighting that has been installed and Tim has adopted an unusual approach to fitting the Inceptor U-Lite slimline linear LED luminaires.  Normally hanging from the ceiling, he has opted to install the Inceptor U-Lites in an upright position on the walls, which he says adds a sense of scale but also enhances the lighting when working on the cars and has really helped with a specific task of identifying dents in the cars.  He was also impressed with how easy they were to install – “even I could fit those,” he said.

The U-Lite was designed and developed as the ideal retrofit replacement for single and twin-lamp fluorescent fittings.   There are 24 variants in the range, and they come in a range of lengths and in standard, microwave sensor and emergency models.  The transparent frosted polycarbonate cover dispenses light outward with an even spread of light.  As Tim discovered, wiring and installation of the U-Lite is quick and easy using the piano type 5-pole push fit terminals.   By integrating the diffuser and gear tray and anchoring them to the base, the U-Lite ensures a hassle free installation without the need to fully disassemble the product to mount and wire it.

A number of Inceptor Slate backlit panels have also been fitted unconventionally, hanging from cable trays rather than as panels fitted into the ceiling.  Again, Tim was keen to make a feature of the lighting products rather than just to provide a solution.  A couple of electricians who have been helping in the studio hardly noticed the luxury cars and high-tech equipment but were drawn to the Inceptor Slate panels and the way there were installed.  They were keen to photograph them as an ideal option for some industrial settings they were working on.  These TP(a) rated backlit panels have a low, <19 UGR diffuser, which produces a spread of light that is natural and warm and helps to reduce shadows, an important consideration when filming is taking place.   Its pre-wired push-fit 3-Pole Flow connector also make for quick and easy installation.

When it comes to the Flow lighting management systems, most people will tend to hide these away in cable trays or in ceiling voids.  Tim has opted to mount them on the wall, with one or two of these systems per floor of the studio.  “Using the light distribution box and the flow connectors, means you can’t get it wrong, it’s so easy to do, with as many lights as you want plugged into one board, it makes cabling and the whole job much easier.”

With the ground floor of the studio complete and already being used for filming, work has now commenced on duplicating the facilities on the second floor.  Tim is keen to reiterate his key reasons for selecting products from across the group:

“I’ve worked with Scolmore and a variety of products over the years and have always considered the company to have its finger on the pulse when it comes to innovation.  They continue to come up with new and improved products that make the whole installation process as simple and speedy as possible and that in turns means reduced outlay.  With such a vast array of products from under one roof, it really is a one stop shop for everything you need in electrical accessories.  Everything looks good and performs superbly and for me, it’s been great to fuse the functionality of the products with my keenness on the overall aesthetics and achieve a look that works brilliantly for TV.”