2023 Author: Philip Bishop | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-24 22:24
- Types of luminaires for stretch ceilings
- Lighting options for different rooms
- Living room
- Bedroom
- Children
- Kitchen
- Hallway
- Bathroom
- Lighting calculation
When deciding which lighting is best for a stretch ceiling in an apartment, it is necessary to take into account the purpose for which the lamps are installed. They can not only actually give light, but also be used for zoning a room, visually increasing the space or raising the ceiling. The correct choice of lighting can be a good design solution. How to choose stretch ceiling fixtures in different rooms?
Types of luminaires for stretch ceilings
People are often afraid to experiment and try to create beautiful lighting for stretch ceilings due to the peculiarities of these structures - the ceiling is quite thin and can melt from a too powerful light source. Therefore, first of all, you need to choose the distance at which the light bulb will be from the ceiling surface.
The distance depends on what type of light source is used. Any light bulbs can be used with some nuances:
- incandescent lamps - they get very hot, so they can be placed at a distance of at least 30 cm from the canvas;
- halogen - less powerful, but nevertheless very hot;
- energy-saving - best suited for recessed lighting of a stretch ceiling located close to the canvas;
- LED - the most efficient (a 3 W diode shines like a 40-watt incandescent lamp), durable and cold.
In addition, LED lamps can be used to create spot lighting on a stretch ceiling - this is a rather original way of decorating a room's interior.
There are several ways to create lighting:
- a chandelier on a leg or on a chain - necessary when using incandescent lamps, but requires a large ceiling height;
- a common luminaire with one flat shade - it is closely pressed against the ceiling, therefore it is necessary to use lamps of "cold" light with it;
- recessed spotlights - have a variety of shapes, are cheap and easy to install;
- lighting for stretch ceilings with LED strips - they fit in niches around the perimeter of the room and illuminate the entire surface of the ceiling;
- fiber-optic point lighting - allows you to create an imitation of the starry sky on a stretch canvas, can be used in wet rooms.
Recessed spotlights are additionally divided into two types - with and without a side. Models without this detail create bright reflections on the ceiling surface, which can complement the lighting design of stretch ceilings. Flange models hide heat shrink rings in the mounting holes. The sideboard can be equipped with a light reflector. Spotlights can be used as the main light source only in small rooms - they do not shine very brightly. It is better to use them for zoning or accentuating individual interior elements.
When installing an LED strip, it is important to achieve uniform light diffusion so that an ugly bright strip with dots of focused diode glow is not created. The easiest way to achieve the desired effect is if this type of lighting is used at a ceiling height of 2.7 m. In order not to be mistaken, you should carefully consider examples of lighting stretch ceilings with LED strip.
Lighting options for different rooms
When choosing a stretch ceiling lighting for a room, it is necessary to take into account the functional features of the room. In this case, you need to use the basics of design - with the correct selection of lighting, you can visually increase the height of the ceiling, make the room more spacious, highlight important parts of the design, and much more. Let's look at different lighting examples.
Living room
The easiest way to choose lighting for stretch ceilings in the living room is the classic combined scheme: a powerful chandelier turns on when general lighting is needed, and in other cases spotlights are used. They can be placed around the perimeter of the room, in corners or above certain areas - depending on how the living room is planned. It is important to consider that usually a TV is placed in the living room - the light should not be directed at the screen, especially if it is glossy.
If a multi-level ceiling is mounted in the living room, you can use LED lighting options in a room with a stretch ceiling. A shelf is made along the perimeter of the extreme level, to which an LED strip is glued. The voltage transformer and other equipment needed to operate the light bulbs can be easily hidden inside the ceiling structure. Soft LED light is ideal for relaxing in the evening or for family gatherings.
Bedroom
In the bedroom, as a rule, bright light is not required, so you can choose lighting options in a bedroom with stretch ceilings without using a chandelier. If a glossy canvas is used, the use of hidden lighting will be an effective solution. Spotlights can be hidden in niches or behind curtains by letting diffused light across the ceiling - it will be evenly illuminated, while the light will flow as if from nowhere. For the reflection to be bright enough, the ceiling must have a light shade.
Children
In a children's room, as in a bedroom, a stretch ceiling with lighting without a chandelier is best suited. The environment in this room should be as calm and pleasant for the child as possible, so you should choose dim lamps. This is where it is worth creating an imitation of the starry sky.
This idea can be realized in two ways:
- install conventional LED lamps under the main ceiling, and then make a stretch ceiling using a canvas with a large number of small holes;
- use fiber optic lights - pieces of thin glowing cables connected to a common microprocessor that regulates the degree of illumination.
To make such lighting look the most effective, you will have to use a black stretch ceiling. So that because of this it is not too gloomy in the nursery, it is worth turning into the sky only a small area in the center of the room, making a second, bright level around the perimeter with LED spot lighting.
Such original lighting of stretch ceilings can be made cognitive if you try to embody a part of the real sky with real constellations.
Kitchen
Three types of lighting should be used in the kitchen:
- point or LED - for the working area;
- dim light for the dining area;
- general lighting - a chandelier.
If the kitchen is small, a set of spotlights will suffice, which can be supplemented with sconces above the dining table. In a large room, which can be divided into separate zones, different options for lighting a kitchen with a stretch ceiling are used.
The work area needs the bright light that LEDs can provide. At the same time, during cooking, it is not at all necessary to illuminate the entire kitchen, so it is worth installing separate LED strips. They can also be used for soft lighting of the dining area if the stretch ceiling has several levels. Separate spotlights can illuminate the bar counter.
Hallway
An important task of lighting in an apartment with stretch ceilings is the visual expansion of a small hallway. This can be achieved in several ways:
- by letting in a strip of LED light along the edge of the ceiling, along the entire perimeter of the corridor;
- directing diffused light along the wall, hiding spotlights in the ceiling niches;
- using a light glossy canvas, brightly lit by longitudinally mounted lamps.
It is best to combine these options - to make the stretch ceiling light and install spotlights with reflectors around the perimeter of the hallway. If the brightness of the light is not enough, you can additionally install the sconces by directing them to the ceiling.
Bathroom
In the bathroom, it is important to use waterproof types of stretch ceiling lighting. The air in this room is very humid, so the technical characteristics of the luminaires will be more important than their aesthetic side.
Open lamps in the bathroom cannot be used. The best option would be spotlights with diode bulbs - they are best protected from moisture. The main thing is to choose models marked with special markings, indicating a sufficient degree of protection. Details on the choice of lighting in the bathroom.
Lighting calculation
When calculating the required number of lamps, several room parameters are taken into account:
- ceiling height;
- room area;
- the presence or absence of a central chandelier;
- type of additional light sources.
It is important to keep in mind that the optimal lighting power for a residential apartment is 20 W per 1 m 2. The number of luminaires is easy to obtain knowing this number and the wattage of the luminaires. So, if standard point energy-saving lamps with a power of 9 W are installed in a room with an area of 20 m 2, the calculation of the lighting of stretch ceilings is carried out as follows:
- We multiply 20 m 2 by 20 W - we get the required total power of the lamps, equal to 400 W.
- We divide 400 W by 45 W (light power from one 9-watt lamp) - you will need about 9 lamps.
Lamp power calculator
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Calculators from wpcalc.com
If there is a chandelier, the calculation of additional lamps will be different - you need to take into account that the spot lighting will be auxiliary, so its power should be less than optimal. Energy saving lamps may be too bright - this also needs to be taken into account when choosing the type of lighting.
