2023 Author: Philip Bishop | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-24 22:24
- Lighting types
- Cold or warm? What color of lighting to choose for an apartment
- Features of the choice of lighting for an apartment
- Hallway
- Bathroom
- Kitchen
- Bedroom
- Living room
- Children
Comfortable, cozy atmosphere conducive to rest and relaxation - these are the qualities of the apartment, first of all, gives light. It helps to create a unique atmosphere for each of its corners, to emphasize the advantages of the interior and hide the flaws "in the shadow". At the same time, you should not focus only on the decorative component of the lamps, proper lighting in the apartment is necessary to maintain eye health, peace of mind, and emotional harmony.
Lighting types
In order to plan a lighting system in an apartment, you need to know what types of lighting exist and understand the features of each of them.
- General. Its task is to illuminate the entire room as a whole. Even if the repair is as simple as possible and is done without the involvement of designers, there is such lighting in any room. The simplest example is a chandelier hanging in the center of the room. General lighting can be directional, diffuse and mixed. A directional stream of light is created using lamps with a shade that has holes at the top and bottom. Diffused light is obtained from frosted glass, fabric or paper shades that completely cover the light source. Mixed general lighting in an apartment is obtained by using chandeliers with lampshades that have a hole at the top or bottom. They are made of materials that transmit light, due to which it penetrates in all directions and is reflected from the ceiling or walls.
- Accent or decorative lighting. It is used to focus attention on certain elements of the interior or parts of the room. Examples include sconces, floor lamps, cabinet lighting. The main function of this kind of lighting is to decorate and create comfort.
- Working. Its task is to help a person see small details without additional eye strain. It is necessary to illuminate work surfaces in the kitchen, an armchair or sofa for reading, a desk, a hob. Table lamps, built-in LED lamps or wall sconces on a flexible base can be used as a light source.
- Night lighting in the apartment. It is used for safe movement at night, for example, in the bathroom. Night lighting options can be luminous paths made of LEDs on the wall or on the floor in the hallway, lighting the ceiling around the perimeter in the bedroom, the use of various night lamps in the children's room.
Lighting by combining several of its types allows you to achieve optimal zoning of space and maximize the use of light in the interior of the apartment.
There are illuminance ratings for the most common light sources. Thus, for the filament lamp is 30 W / m2, for halogen lamps - 15 W / m2 for LEDs - 6 W / m 2.
Cold or warm? What color of lighting to choose for an apartment
Modern people spend a lot of time during the day at work behind the screens of laptops, computers, phones. For them, the question is, what color of lighting is better to choose for an apartment, so that their eyes can rest at least at home. If we talk about the effect of the color range of lamps on health, then it is absent. Neither white nor yellow colors will harm the eyes, but they can affect the psycho-emotional state of a person.
The color of the lamps depends on the color temperature, it is measured in Kelvin (K). There are three shades of glow:
- cold white - 6000-6400 K.
- natural white - 4200 K.
- warm white - 2700 K.
Warm white light is pleasant and comfortable to the eye, creating a cozy atmosphere. Recommended for:
- living rooms and bedrooms;
- dining area of the kitchen. Dishes illuminated by warm light are appetizing;
- bathroom. This light will help you relax.
But in order to avoid unpleasant surprises, it should be noted that the warm white glow can distort some colors. So, violet may appear red, cyan will take on a greenish tint, dark blue will become black.
Natural white light is great for:
- baby rooms;
- lighting the reading area;
- working area in the kitchen;
- illumination of mirrors.
Cool white light adjusts to the work atmosphere and helps to focus, which is why it is recommended for:
- offices;
- bathroom sink areas to make it easier to wake up in the morning;
- large areas, decorated in a minimalist or high-tech style.
Cold colors can also distort colors, turning red to purple, orange to brown, and yellow to greenish.
The color emitted by a lamp is influenced by the tone of the lamp shade or lamp shade, as well as the color of its bulb.
For a more correct calculation, use the online illumination calculator.
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Calculators from wpcalc.com
Features of the choice of lighting for an apartment
The lighting required for different rooms in an apartment depends on the function they perform. What works well for the kitchen area may be completely out of place in the nursery. There are certain recommendations that help to correctly plan the location of light sources and their number in accordance with the purpose of the room.
Hallway
As a rule, there are no sources of natural light in the hallway, so it is necessary to correctly think about what kind of lighting will be in this room. Lighting fixtures should be bright enough and create conditions that are comfortable for being in the hallway. It is here that we get from the street and if the room is dim, dim light, it is difficult for the eyes to readjust after natural light and the person experiences discomfort. The other extreme, too bright, blinding rays, should be avoided.
In addition, you need to remember that the first impression of the house from guests will be formed precisely in the hallway. A dark and uncomfortable room will lead them to think that the whole house is the same gloomy sight.
With the help of light, you can correct the unfortunate shape of the hallway, for example, if it is a long and elongated corridor. To do this, a large number of lamps are evenly distributed on the walls, directing the flow of light from them to the wall. Reflecting from the surface, it will "dissolve" it. It is recommended to mount light sources on the wall at a height of about two meters, this is a level comfortable for the eyes of most people. For the main lighting, the best choice would be as flat as possible lamps that do not hide the height of the room. If the owner of the apartment can boast of rather high ceilings, then the restrictions on the height of the lighting fixtures can be skipped.
Luminaires should not be reflected in mirrors hanging on the wall. Otherwise, the person looking in the mirror will be annoyed and dazzled by the reflected light.
Decorative, or additional, lighting can be represented by various wall sconces, built-in lighting for cabinets, mirrors, original ideas for decorating niches, paintings or the ceiling.
Bathroom
The most important requirement for a bathroom lighting system is safety. All lighting fixtures must be waterproof. A variety of LED spotlights are perfect for these purposes. They can be used in conjunction with a stretch ceiling without fear of heating the canvas, they are durable and consume little electricity.
Care should be taken to ensure that the bathroom mirror is well lit to ensure a comfortable shave for men and facilitate facials for women. You also need to carefully consider the choice of the shade of light. So, too cold light combined with tiles can create a hospital feel in a room.
In rooms where we spend little time, such as a hallway or bathroom, it is convenient to install motion sensors. They will turn the lights on and off automatically, saving energy.
Kitchen
The kitchen can rightfully be called the most living space in the apartment, since it is here that its inhabitants spend most of their time. In many families, this is a children's room, a dining room, and a living room at the same time. Therefore, lighting in the kitchen must be multifunctional and cope with different tasks.
The ideal option for illuminating the working area would be illumination with LED strip or lamps installed under the cabinets of the upper tier. This light does not hurt your eyes and allows you to provide the required illumination level for performing kitchen work.
The dining area can, for example, be highlighted with interesting lamps on long hangers hanging over the table. Or limit yourself to one common chandelier for the entire room.
If the kitchen plays the role of a living room, it is worth choosing decorative lighting elements: sconces, floor lamps that are suitable in style to the room, or think over the arrangement of ceiling lighting. The dimmed light will create a great backdrop for a friendly conversation or family TV viewing.
Bedroom
For the bedroom, it is recommended to install one lighting fixture that acts as the main light source. It can be an ice LED chandelier with a matte shade or a classic chandelier with a fabric shade. Accents are placed with sconces at the head of the bed or on the opposite wall, night lamps on the bedside tables. It is very convenient to use lamps with a control panel or "pass-through" switches in the bedroom. This makes it possible to control the lighting without getting out of bed. It is preferable to choose the color of light sources among its warm shades. Ice tape is widely used to illuminate the ceiling.
Living room
The type of lamps used and the lighting system in the living room depend, first of all, on its size. Large rooms require zoning and the creation of multi-level illumination, depending on the currently required lighting scenario. While in a small room you can limit yourself to a compact chandelier as the main source of light and a floor lamp or to illuminate the TV area with an LED strip as accent lighting. New chandeliers with LED lamps that look harmoniously in the interior of the apartment are gaining more and more popularity.
Good lighting in an apartment does not imply a lot of shadows. This is a very common mistake aspiring designers make.
Children
In the children's room, it is better to organize a combined type of lighting that will allow the child to play equally effectively, do homework and fall asleep. The main light is preferable to use lamps emitting a white natural glow. And decorative lighting can be warm in color. More precise zoning can be achieved using modern ice track lights. It is imperative to consider the lighting of the workplace. It's good if the luminaire in this area has the ability to tilt to illuminate the desired part of the desktop surface.
For kids who are afraid or do not fall asleep well in the dark, it is appropriate to provide a night illumination in the form of a night lamp on a table or an LED lamp on the wall.
It is not at all difficult to arrange the correct lighting in an apartment that meets the needs of the owner and creates an atmosphere of comfort and coziness. You just need to spend a little time studying the recommendations of specialists and choose among the many options for lamps and chandeliers available on the lighting market, ideally suited to your interior and meeting your tasks.
