Many computer setups complete their dazzling looks with great lighting, like RGB light strips or light bars hidden behind monitors or under desks. And while lighting goes a long way towards setting moods and helping you see things, it’s not the whole story.
Another element that can make the most of lighting would be 3D wall panels. Full of raised surfaces, they catch the light and make a wall or other space come alive. Today’s featured setup uses 3D wall panels beautifully.
This post contains affiliate links. Cult of Mac may earn a commission when you use our links to buy items.
Wall panels transform MacBook Pro-based setup
Joshua Lowe, aka Redditor Resident-Ad-3606, showcased his striking setup in a post entitled, “My home office setup.”
In the setup, a MacBook Pro hovers on a ThingyPro laptop arm to the left of a 34-inch Viewsonic curved ultra-wide monitor. Like the laptop, the display appears to float because you can’t see the mount at all, or even whether it fastens to the wall or the desk.
The Viewsonic is a typical curved quad high-definition ultra-wide offering. It runs at a 100Hz refresh rate with 3440 x 1400 pixel resolution and includes HDR10 technology and USB-C connectivity.
But you can see in the photo how much richer the color looks on the MacBook Pro’s Liquid Retina XDR display than on the much paler-looking Viewsonic.
However, that’s not what we wanted to talk about.
It’s the wall behind the display you should look at
Check out how the wall behind the monitor picks up light. That’s because the wall is covered in 3D wall panels.
Whether there’s an extra source of light behind the display, like a light strip or light bar, is hard to say. The light could be coming from the laptop, external display and the item on the far right (that’s a Rode Rodecaster Pro podcasting console, by the way — a “podcast studio in the a box,” as the company calls it).
The wall panels are from a company called Art3d. It takes some work to mount the thin and light panels, made from PVC, but the results can be spectacular — as you can see in the photograph.
And apparently they’re not just for walls.
“Other than creating a stunning visual effect for wall, 3d wall panels can also be crafted into furniture designs, such as cabinet doors, bed headboard, bedroom wardrobe and kitchen cabinet,” the company said.
They take some work, but not too much
As far as the work involved goes, it’s not too taxing. You need to measure the space and plan out the design. Then you stick each tile on with an adhesive (the company recommends Tilebond). You may need to do some priming or painting (of the wall or tiles, depending on your design).
The product comes with 33 fire-resistant tiles that cover 32 square feet, according to Art3d.
Now if we just knew where that dynamic desktop wallpaper comes from …
Shop these items now:
Computer:
Display:
Other gear:
Decor:
If you would like to see your setup featured on Cult of Mac, send some high-res pictures to info+setups@cultofmac.com. Please provide a detailed list of your equipment. Tell us what you like or dislike about your setup, and fill us in on any special touches or challenges.
