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The correct design of the ceiling allows you to create a harmonious design, but in addition to the flow itself, you need to properly organize the lighting. And this is an even more difficult task – you need to take into account the need for light, as well as choose the location of the lamps on the ceiling so that it all looks beautiful, organic and does not strain your eyes.
Some theory
In recent years, the lighting of rooms in houses and apartments usually consists of two components – a chandelier, as the main source of billing, and small spotlights that create a certain atmosphere or additionally illuminate certain areas in the room. In some cases, wall lamps and / or table lamps, floor lamps are also added. But the basis is usually ceiling lighting.
Traditionally, the location of the chandelier is strictly in the center of the ceiling. Very rarely deviate from this rule – then it is too difficult to create a harmonious design. An exception is the combined space in a studio apartment or kitchen-living room. In this case, a chandelier (usually one) is placed in the center of one of the zones, the rest are illuminated by spotlights or other light sources. In this case, it is necessary to choose the location of the fixtures on the ceiling, taking into account the design and geometry of the room. And it’s not that easy.
Rules for placing spotlights
The location of spotlights on the ceiling is a matter of imagination and taste, but you should not neglect the technical nuances. Firstly, they must be placed taking into account the required illumination of various parts of the room: more light is usually needed above the table, maybe above the seating area, etc. Although, if necessary, you can “get” the missing brightness using floor, desktop or wall options. Secondly, it is necessary to install spotlights taking into account safety requirements. This is especially true for stretch ceilings. They are made from materials that are sensitive to temperature, and since most lighting fixtures heat up, this must be taken into account.
Recessed spotlights are also called spots. This name is not so widespread, but also occurs.
Here are the rules for installing spotlights on the ceiling:
- When located along the wall, the minimum distance is 20 cm. If placed closer, the light is poorly scattered, and there is also a chance of “overheating” nearby walls.
- The minimum distance between two lamps is 30 cm, but in general, it depends on the design, type of installation, and the material from which the ceiling is made.
In general, these are all general restrictions. They relate to both plasterboard and ordinary – bleached or painted – ceiling. Only tension ones have their own characteristics. We will talk about this further.
Features of the use of recessed fixtures on stretch ceilings
The main nuances are due to the fact that the materials from which stretch ceilings are made do not tolerate strong heat. Therefore, there are restrictions on the maximum power of the lamps used:
- put on pvc film
- incandescent lamps up to 40 W;
- halogen – up to 20 W;
- on satin
- incandescent lamps up to 60 W;
- halogen – up to 35 watts.
Comparative characteristics of various lamps for recessed ceiling luminaires
Despite the fact that the power of the recommended lamps is different, the illumination will turn out to be almost the same, since halogen lights give more light.
Another type of lamp that is used to illuminate the stretch ceiling is LED. There are no restrictions on power here – they practically do not heat up. But there is another “but” – a special adapter is required to power such lamps, but it heats up. But the good news is that it can feed a fairly large number of light bulbs. Well, it is better to place it not on the ceiling, but in an accessible place – for easier repair or replacement.
What else can be used to illuminate the ceiling
The next type of lamps are fluorescent. They are used quite infrequently – they look, to put it mildly, “not quite”, and the dimensions are solid. It just spoils the view. They can be mounted behind the stretch ceiling on the walls. In this case, the effect is very interesting – the diffused illumination is more intense near the walls, gradually fading to a minimum in the center.
In addition to fluorescent, there are long LED lamps. They can also be used for hidden lighting. This option is even better. Firstly, because LEDs have a longer service life, secondly, they practically do not heat up, and thirdly, they give an even stream of light without flickering inherent in fluorescent light sources. There are two disadvantages of LED lighting. The first one has already been voiced – special power supplies are needed. The second is the high price of the lamps themselves and the power sources for them. But you can create very interesting compositions that are difficult to organize with other light sources.
There is also their subspecies – economy lamps. They have a base like conventional ones, with the same power consumption they give more light, but they have large dimensions and do not have the ability to focus the flow of light.
What else can be used to illuminate the ceiling – neon tubes and LED strips. It is quite difficult to work with tubes, but you can connect LED strips yourself. Thanks to their flexibility, interesting compositions can be created.
There is one more requirement for the location of the lamps on the ceiling of the film – the minimum distance from the light source to the seam is 15 cm. It is impossible to get closer, since the joint can open when heated.
How to calculate the required number of spotlights
When developing a circuit, the question always arises: how many fixtures are needed. In general, it is believed that 20 watts are needed to illuminate one square meter of floor space. When calculating, you need to take into account what lamp power you plan to use. If it is 30-35 W, then it turns out that one lamp can illuminate 1,5 squares (30 W / 20 W / m2 = 1,5 m2). Next, divide the area of u1,5buXNUMXbthe room by XNUMX, you get the number of fixtures that will need to be installed for normal illumination. In this case, the light will be enough for full illumination.
When drawing up the layout of the fixtures on the ceiling, this number can be slightly adjusted in both directions, adjusting to the type of room. For example, for a bedroom, the number can be reduced – it does not require too bright light, but for a living room, a corridor, you can increase it – it’s just better to have some surplus. True, in this case it is desirable that the lamps are turned on in parts – it is desirable to vary the degree of illumination. There should be at least two options: full and partial lighting. For this, the lamps – through one or according to some other scheme – are connected to two switches.
When using incandescent lamps in spotlights, you can install a dimmer that will allow you to smoothly change the brightness of the lighting by turning the knob. In general, there are many options. And we have not yet reached the layout of the spots on the ceiling.
The location of the fixtures on the ceiling
For each room, the placement of lamps is developed separately. It is necessary to take into account the geometry of the room, the location of windows, the needs of different zones in the room. And all this should look beautiful. In general, a rather difficult task and you can only pick up a specific place.
The main lighting placement options include the presence of a chandelier in the center. Spots are selected in the same style or neutral, not attracting attention.
In some interiors, chandeliers are not used (in small corridors, bathrooms, etc.). In this case, the number of necessary fixtures is calculated according to the above formula and can only be adjusted upwards, otherwise it will be dark. Some examples are shown schematically in the photo below.
As you understand, the process is creative, but there are certain recommendations for the location of fixtures on the ceiling for each of the rooms. These are not rules and, if desired, they can be broken, but they are formulated on the basis of experience, so there is a rational grain in them.
In the bedroom
In the bedroom, the atmosphere should be conducive to relaxation and bright light is usually useless here. It should be soft, unobtrusive, warm. Therefore, choose lamps that give light a slightly yellowish, but not bright white and not with a blue tint.
The location of the lamps on the ceiling in the bedroom is often done in the form of a circle or oval. Sometimes the spots are built in a straight line along the wall opposite the bed – if a TV is hanging on it. For a laconic design in a modern style, in the style of minimalism or hi-tech, a classic scheme is suitable – a chandelier in the center, spotlights are lined up along the long walls.
In the living room
The living room requires multi-variant lighting. At some moments it should be bright, at others – muffled, sometimes, in general, twilight is required. All this can be realized with the help of built-in or overhead spotlights. As already mentioned, they are divided into groups and connected to different switch keys. In other situations, they put a dimmer that changes the brightness of the lamps.
If the living room has two zones, their separation can be emphasized with different lighting. You can choose not only luminaire installation schemes of different shapes, but the devices themselves can be different, give streams of light of different shapes.
If we talk about how to choose the location of the lamps on the ceiling, it is largely dictated by the general style of the interior design. For romantic styles, ovals, circles, sinuous lines are more appropriate, for more rigid ones – modern, hi-tech, minimalism – a linear arrangement is better, but along the walls, in the form of the letter X or something else – look at the situation.
One more piece of advice: in small rooms, you should not implement too complicated schemes for installing spots. They are good in a large and spacious room. In a small one, it is better to choose a simpler option. Visually raise the ceiling a little will help nested circles, ovals or squares. The effect will be enhanced if spotlights are used in the middle of a slightly smaller size than on the outer perimeter.
nursery
The nursery is a rather difficult room to design, since even more diverse lighting will be needed here. The child will need to be engaged and bright light is required in this area. There is also a play area, in which the illumination should also be sufficient, but a lot of light is not always needed. And the third degree of illumination – when the child will get ready for bed. At this time, subdued soft light is required. Here such a difficult task will have to be solved when choosing the location of the lamps on the ceiling for the children’s room.
If a ceiling is planned in two or more tiers, it is logical to place spotlights along the border of the two tiers. It looks quite organic. If the ceiling is flat, you will have to choose from existing schemes or come up with your own.
Kitchen
The location of the fixtures on the stretch ceiling in the kitchen is subject to the same rules – in some areas, the lighting should be brighter. In this case, an island of bright light is usually made above the table. Here you can hang a chandelier (or even several chandeliers) on long cords right above the table.
The second most common option is the installation line of spotlights on the ceiling following the contours of the kitchen set. Only in this case, the lamps should be moved 15-20 centimeters deep into the room from the edge of the furniture. Then the light will be scattered more evenly.
In general, the choice of the location of the lamps on the ceiling here again depends more on the style of the room as a whole and on the tastes of the owners. If you want to add softness and intimacy to the interior, choose more rounded schemes. If you like conciseness, geometric patterns are more suitable. You can also play around with the size and type of lamps. A few photos of interesting options for the location of spotlights for the kitchen for inspiration.
Bathroom
It is necessary to approach the choice of fixtures in the bathroom carefully: they must have a high degree of security – they should not be afraid of fumes and splashes. And the choice of location depends on what other light sources you plan to use.
In small-sized conventional bathrooms, even if they are combined, you can’t really accelerate – the area is too small. Then usually two or three lamps are installed above the bath or shower and several pieces on the rest of the ceiling area. So that such a scheme does not seem too simple, you can choose interesting fixtures or use two types that give beams of light with different patterns.
If the spotlights in the bathroom are installed evenly over the entire area, additional lighting will be needed in the area of uXNUMXbuXNUMXbthe mirror. Otherwise it will be too dark. Another option is to add a couple of light points in the right place. This should be enough, although for “fine” operations such as beating or “working” with a face, directional lighting on the wall is more suitable.
Corridor and hallway
Only some new buildings can boast of a really comfortable and good corridor. In most cases, the corridor is narrow, small and cramped or long and uncomfortable. It can be straight or in the form of the letter “G”, but it differs in that it is very difficult to come up with something intelligible for its normal design. In the corridors, the arrangement of lamps on the ceiling is usually linear – along the walls on one or two sides, in the form of the letter “X”. It is rare to see an S curve.
In square hallways, spots are usually mounted around the perimeter, sometimes complex shapes are made here. Still, in very small areas, simple shapes look better.