Let There Be Light: Where To Buy Neon Artwork For Your Home

Have you ever wanted to transform a guest room into a projection room for cozy nights? Last year I emptied my spare bedroom and shower room into a poorly designed bid for lockdown home upgrades (sounds familiar to you?), And then, after turning my house upside down – underneath I found myself running out of time and have lived with the mess ever since.

My new toilet is still in the middle of my guest bedroom, but when the screening room finally takes place, the icing on the cake will be a funky neon sign.

So hats off to Yellowpop, who just launched their collection of eight street-cool neon lights to inspire me to continue – the Yellowpop x Keith Haring collection. The supplier of ready-made, bespoke LED panels has partnered with the late American artist’s Keith Haring Foundation (haring.com) to launch a range of eight of his most iconic designs. Even though I didn’t know Haring by name in the 80s, we spray painted the walls of our student house with his dancers and barking dogs. From New York clubs to the Royal Leamington Spa, his desire to bring art to the masses has really taken off.

Both a street performer and a pop artist, Haring (along with Scharf and Basquiat, whose work sold in 2017 for a staggering $ 110.5 million) were the darlings of New York’s New Wave scene. He worked fast and with the conviction that art was for everyone. He wasn’t afraid to risk diluting his value by selling Haring products in his Pop Shop in Manhattan’s Soho, so that, as he put it, “the kids from the Bronx could come.” In the spirit of accessibility, the new collection is not sold in ‘limited editions’, although it is only sold for six months (from £ 250).

Yellowpop has a number of artist collaborations in their books, but Haring is the most iconic. And it offers hundreds of plug-and-play designs for every room in your home.

If the power of words works for you (think of Tracey Emin’s many neon lights such as You Loved Me Like a Distant Star), Yellowpop’s custom designers can help you turn a favorite phrase or song into wall art, in your choice. of 15 fonts and 15 colors. “On air” is popular for your Zoom corner.

The collection has been designed to be light, using Perspex “jackets”, the housing in which the LEDs are located. The LEDs are available in white or warm white and the jackets are available in white or pastel, or can be colored for added impact (although they look like neon, they are not the heavier glass-filled versions. gas).

They should be installed approximately 2m from an outlet and the cable is available in black, white or transparent, with a dimmer. Use either the included wall brackets or if you are on rental, they are light enough to hang with 3m control strips. Or just put one on your kitchen counter.

Neons are big business. Neonpop.co.uk will waterproof your design for outdoor use. Happyneon.uk stocks real retro neon tubes and makes custom designs. Or some are inexpensive flat screens with a 3D effect, such as the ones available at dopeneons.com, that you might want to hang up for a party and then put away.

• The Yellowpop x Keith Haring collection of 8 LED neon signs costs £ 250- £ 850, exclusively at yellowpop.co.uk