Beautiful room lighting. Different lamps in one room: learning to break the rules. How to regulate natural light

Can you imagine how people lived before when there was no electricity? Dinner by candlelight is very romantic, but not every evening. Now we have the opportunity to make home lighting sufficient, comfortable and varied. There are different scenarios for each room, and a separate type of lamp will best cope with each task. We recommend reading the article “This different lighting and "to better understand what kind of lighting generally happens and not get confused in terms.

Bedroom and dressing room

The bedroom is a place to relax and sleep. In this room you can do without a top at all. general light, replacing it wall sconces. If you still need overhead light, it will be much more convenient for you if the lamps are equipped with a dimmer - a light brightness control. An additional overhead light switch located by the bed also surprisingly increases comfort.

The main characters in the bedroom will be bedside lamps with soft light. Ideally, the light in them is directed downwards and upwards, and the light bulb is hidden by a lampshade so as not to blind the eyes. If you like to read in bed, bedside lamps can be replaced with floor lamps, sconces or spots (remember, a sconce is a fixed lamp, while a spot flexible base or rotating elements).

A good addition to the bedroom would be a night light or backlight to create a romantic atmosphere.

If the dressing room is combined with the bedroom, for example, in the bedroom there is Big cupboard, you need to think about lighting in the mirror area. It should be directional, bright and turn on separately from the rest of the light. Spot lighting above or inside the cabinet will significantly add convenience.

In a separate dressing room, bright ceiling spots will reign, which will not leave unlit areas and will be directed in the right direction.

In special cases, if available in the bedroom dressing table or a desk, you need to provide this area with local light. For a dressing table, circular lighting around the mirror or two bright sconces above it would be ideal, and for a desk there is nothing better than a table lamp.

Living room

The living room implies two lighting scenarios - one is bright and general, the second is local and intimate. Chandelier or hanging lamp high on the ceiling or several spotlights built into the ceiling can evenly illuminate the center of the room or the entire space. If you have a tradition of putting together puzzles, playing Board games with the whole family or gathering for dinner in the living room, it is good if there is a pendant lamp with height adjustment above the table area.

The chamber version is created by using sconces or wall lamps aimed at the ceiling. In the reading area there can be a downward-facing sconce or a floor lamp. Do not place bright sconces on the wall where the TV is located - their light will irritate the eyes and distract from the screen.

Pictures or other wall decor, which you want to pay attention to, can be highlighted with small spots. The same role will be played by the illumination of the shelves of a rack or display cabinet. Hidden lighting will also add to the atmosphere: the most popular places to place it are in the TV area or under the sofa.

Kitchen and dining room

The functional tasks of the kitchen clearly define the lighting scenarios. For comfortable cooking, you need lighting on the countertop and a light for the stove built into the hood.

Illumination will add convenience and aesthetic pleasure drawers or deep cabinets, which turns on when the door is opened. Indoor and outdoor lighting wall cabinets, a buffet, a display case with dishes or open shelves will add charm and comfort to the kitchen.

Multi-shade spots work great as overhead light - the light can be partially directed towards the kitchen, partially downwards or towards the least lit corner. They will fit best into a loft or modern styles. Built-in Spotlights more stylistically neutral and will create an even overall light.

The place for a hanging lamp is in the dining area - exactly above the dining table. It is better if it hangs low, and even better if it is equipped with a lowering and raising mechanism. Above big table You may need two or three such lamps.

Photos: mydecorative.com, andrearazzauti.com, hgtv.com, lightadvices.com, bioix.com, homedit.com, decobizz.com, designbump.com

A large chandelier under the ceiling, several bedside or wall lamps - a traditional lighting scheme, typical for most apartments. For some reason, illumination is almost the last thing people think about. And in vain. After all, a non-standard lighting scheme can transform even the most ordinary interior. Let's share original ideas placement lighting fixtures, which will radically change the atmosphere in the house.

1. Shelves where it’s easy to find what you need even in the dark

Illuminated shelves can replace conventional ones Wall lights. They will be especially appropriate in the bathroom or kitchen.

2. Light horizontally

Fluorescent lamps With a white or multi-colored glow in the interior, apartments look very original. They can be hung on the wall strictly perpendicular to the floor or in a chaotic manner.

3. Sleek mini spotlights

The so-called string lamps look much more elegant than similar loft-style models. Therefore, they will fit into almost any interior.

4. Clusters of... lamps

Several laconic lamps, collected together, will decorate any interior. Additionally, the wires can be decorated with plastic or wooden elements.

5. Ilyich's light bulb

As paradoxical as it may seem, a single incandescent lamp on a long wire can also successfully enliven the interior. This lamp attracts attention due to its brevity.

6. Floating furniture

An LED strip attached to the bottom of the furniture along its perimeter creates the effect of floating above the floor. It’s up to you to illuminate the space near the bed, armchair or sofa in this way.

7. Volumetric light

Assortment of 3D panels from various materials quite wide. Therefore, choosing the one under which it will be possible to place lighting sources is quite realistic.

8. Extravagant excesses

Who said there should only be one chandelier in a room? Instead of one bright lighting fixture, hang several smaller and less powerful ones. An impressive effect is guaranteed!

9. Light Through the Looking Glass

Most often in the bathroom you can see lamps hanging above the mirror or located along its outer perimeter. But the LED strip between the mirror and the wall looks much more original.

10. Attention to art

A backlit painting can become a real highlight of the interior. But in order for the colors not to fade due to the direction directed at them luminous flux, you need to choose special LED lamps.

11. Glowing cabinets

When the upper level lighting is turned off, luminous cabinets can easily replace it. In addition, such lamps in the kitchen will help draw attention to beautiful dishes standing on the shelves.

12. Either a chandelier or a floor lamp

One of the common and popular models of lamps is a large lampshade on a curved leg, as if bending over the floor. Thanks to your large sizes it may well replace not only floor lamp, but also a chandelier.

13. Holiday every day

You can significantly diversify the lighting scheme in your home with festive garlands. Their tangible advantage over other lighting devices is their versatility in terms of placement. The garland can be hung on the wall or head of the bed, or wrapped around a large vase.

14. Light panels

Light panels are made to order in many advertising agencies. The principle of their operation is similar to advertising lightboxes, which can be seen almost everywhere. The image for the panel is chosen by the customer.

Lighting in the interior is important, but in order for the room to make a truly bright impression, it is necessary to take care of other components. For example, think about

Designer Ekaterina Malaya helped The Village figure out why lighting design is needed, what tiers and lighting scenarios are, and why, already at the electrical planning stage, you need to know exactly where your favorite figurine will stand.

Ekaterina Malaya

designer

Even if you found “that” shade for the walls, spent money on wooden floors, brought back a Moroccan carpet from a trip and ordered furniture from the latest collection of a successful brand in Milan, the result may be disappointing. All your six-month efforts can be crossed out by one single mistake - illiterate lighting. This happens when electrical wiring is installed at random at the planning stage. And not from a lack of diligence, but simply because they haven’t yet decided where the sofa will be, how long the dining table will be, and haven’t thought about accessories at all.

Rule one

Start electrical planning when a detailed furniture arrangement plan is ready

At least this is how you will do yours new house convenient for life. Switches are usually located at a distance of 15 centimeters from the edge doorway, on the side where the door handle is: you must be sure of the door opening pattern. For overhead lights in the bedroom, I always recommend a pass-through switch to my customers so that they can turn the same overhead light on or off both at the door and at the bed. This is also convenient for a long corridor leading from the hallway to the bedrooms. But try to avoid too many switches. If on the way from front door to get to the kitchen you will have to turn on the light more than twice, then the circuit is bad: you simply will not use it to its full potential.

Rule two

The light should be different

The space we live in is three-dimensional, and building lighting in tiers will help emphasize depth and volume, which is impossible to do with a single light source. Designers distinguish four tiers of lighting: upper ( ceiling lamps, chandeliers, built-in spotlights), the first middle (wall lamps, sconces, floor lamps), the second middle (bedside lamps, lamps on low window sills and coffee tables) and lower (lights built into the plinth and floor, floor light sculptures).

The lower the light source, the more intimate the atmosphere it creates, and vice versa. With the overhead light on (even if it is a stunningly romantic chandelier with candles and crystal pendants), it is impossible to achieve the effect of a cozy room. The two lower levels of lighting are best suited for this purpose - candles in decorative fireplace or a real fire in the hearth also includes them.

Rule three

Don't insist on sconces

Wall lamps (first middle tier) are not currently used independently. 150 years ago these were candles on the wall that were easy to reach, while chandeliers were lit only on special occasions. In modern classic interiors The sconces remained by inertia, as an accessory. They turn on rarely, and always together with the chandelier. Many of my customers ask me to plan a sconce above the bed. But it's not functional. Ideal for the sleeping area is a combination of a lamp with soft diffused light on the bedside table and a small lamp with a flexible leg for reading, which can be mounted on the wall or at the head. This way you will be able to see the text clearly without tiring your eyes. The sconce only illuminates the wall or the top of your head.

Rule four

Think about unusual lamps in advance

Another type of wall lamps: located at the same height as classic sconces (140-170 centimeters from the floor), they look more like a sculpture or installation and can become central element in the interior. It is better not to put off the appearance of such objects in the apartment until the last minute. This is the very stove from which you should dance, thinking over the covering of the walls, the configuration of the furniture and even the proportions of the room. If you simply put a free cable on the wall in order to then pick up something here to illuminate a dark corner, you will be disappointed: such lamps do not produce much more light than a night light, and most likely they will look out of place.

Rule five

Avoid mistakes when planning spot lighting

Built-in, or spotlights, came to us along with the European-quality renovation. Multi-level ceiling with halogen lamps was intended to replace the bourgeois chandelier. 20 years have passed, but many of us still have no idea that we can use this tool in any other way. It is useful to know that each spotlight has a specific beam width. If we place a series of narrow beam spotlights very close to the wall, we will create a rhythmic light pattern on the surface of the wall, built-in wardrobe or upholstered high headboard. In addition, this is the most effective way to emphasize an unusual texture - fake diamond, brickwork, relief tiles.

Built-in lamps can be fixed or rotating. The latter are especially useful for accent lighting of art objects or accessories. If you are going to put it on the console or mantelpiece grandfather's collectible sailboat, take care of a pair of spotlights built into the ceiling, the rays of which can be directed crosswise at the object, like spotlights on a stage. Beam width for accent lighting also plays a big role. 40–50 degrees is optimal for illuminating large paintings. Small sculptures in such a stream of light will get lost and merge with the wall; they require a narrow beam 10 degrees wide.

A common mistake is using flat surfaces for spot illumination. LED lamps. The light source must be located in the recess, otherwise it will draw attention not to the object, but to itself, and, even worse, simply blind the eyes. The same rule applies to backlighting. work surface in the kitchen, especially if the kitchen is combined with the dining room. The eyes of a person sitting at the table are below the level of the lighting mounted under the wall kitchen cabinets. And if the lamps are not recessed into the bottom of the cabinets, the bright light hits the eyes and causes discomfort. Therefore, high-quality modern kitchens have a thickened bottom with built-in lighting. If your budget does not allow you to spend money on such a model, at the kitchen planning stage do not forget to add a special baseboard for upper cabinets and install the lighting strictly behind it.

Rule six

Experiment

If the capabilities of built-in lamps are constantly used in interiors on the ceiling tier, then the lower tier is completely undeservedly ignored, while integrating a spotlight into the floor is no more difficult. Such lamps are often waterproof and equipped with diffusers. Taking into account the fact that rare repairs are done without leveling the floor, the required centimeters for the lamp from the ceiling to the surface flooring there will always be, and as a result you get additional volume and depth of the room. If you are the lucky owner of deep window sills, build a couple of miniature spotlights into each of them near the slopes. So, firstly, you will emphasize the beauty architectural feature your apartment, and secondly, get another soft light source on the middle tier.

Rule seven

Be careful when choosing light for your bathroom

Light in the bathroom is often undeservedly left unattended. But he is capable of changing a room beyond recognition. Apply tiered lighting, build in LED strip into the recess in the bath screen (you will get the effect of a “floating bath”) and under the sink, frame the ledge with the lamps built into the floor wall hung toilet And doorway. Use moisture-proof bidirectional lamps in a wet area: the sheaves of light will make your mosaic on the wall sparkle.

The mirror area deserves special attention. Remember that the angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection, and use this rule to get the most out of your face. A common mistake is to place a wall lamp on a leg above the mirror, the bright light of which is directed downward. Your reflection in such lighting will appear 15 years older, your complexion will look lifeless, deep folds will appear on it, and bags will appear under your eyes. The same thing will happen to the face as to textured wall, which was emphasized with built-in lamps: its relief will be greatly enhanced due to hard shadows. Choose a rotating lamp and direct the beam or use diffused circular lighting of the mirror. A good alternative would be two wall lamps on either side of the mirror: their cross light will remove unnecessary shadows.

Rule eight

Don't overdo it with light in the kitchen

It is commonly believed that there is no such thing as too much light in the kitchen. As a rule, apologists of this principle place a large number of light bulbs on the ceiling, creating a grid of spotlights. Nothing but harsh shadows, unnatural faces and an operating room atmosphere can be achieved this way. Meanwhile, the main thing in the kitchen is lighting working area and proper lighting dining table, which determines the atmosphere and duration of family dinners.

The lamp above the table must have a long suspension. If it is located above 150 centimeters from the floor, then, again, it casts shadows on faces and does not illuminate the table enough. Choose a lamp with a wide lampshade made of dense material: perfect shape for a round and square table - a large inverted bowl. The dimensions of the table must be known in advance, otherwise you will not be able to avoid moving the lamp. A suspended ceiling in the dining area there is no room for error at all.

You can complement the lighting scheme in the kitchen with built-in lighting on the lower tier: for example, install an LED strip in the bottom of the lower cabinets or spotlights in the kitchen plinth.

Rule nine

The most important thing is lighting scenarios

Evening with family, children's birthday, home party, work from home, romantic dinner - it is obvious that in different situations you will need different light. For large apartments and complex circuits perfect solution- installation of the system smart House", which will control not only lighting, but also sound system, electric curtains and warm floors. The lighting scenario in this case is programmable and can be changed according to your wishes.

If you need to once and for all think through the groups for switching on lighting fixtures and assign them to switches, be guided by imaginary situations. If you go to the toilet at night, you don't need bright light at all. This means that one key should turn on all the soft lighting - the lower tier, the illumination of niches, and the second key, on which the flood light is turned on, you will use while cleaning or in the morning to wake up.

The middle tier in the living room is conveniently connected to one switch. Have you ever noticed how the heroes of American films come home and turn on everything with one click? desk lamp and floor lamps? This is the so-called evening lighting scenario, ideal in a situation where you have returned after a long day of work and dream of one thing - throwing yourself on the sofa. But you should not group lamps solely according to the principle of tiers. Don’t be afraid to show your imagination: for example, a soft evening scenario for a corridor may include lower lighting and an illuminated wall niche at a dead end. All this is your script and your dramaturgy.

PHOTOS: cover - shutterstock.com / Ventura, 1 - shutterstock.com / Yarik, 2 - shutterstock.com /ER_09, 3 - shutterstock.com / AnnaTamila, 4 - archiproducts, 5 - shutterstock.com / ShortPhotos, 6 - shutterstock.com / ARZTSAMUI, 7 - shutterstock.com / Photographee.eu, 8 - shutterstock.com / Henrik Winther Andersen, 9 - shutterstock.com / Jacek_Kadaj

When developing any design project, you need to think about techniques that can advantageously highlight the advantages of the room and hide the shortcomings. And one of these effects is light. Thanks to properly selected lighting, you can create a certain atmosphere in every corner of the apartment.

In addition, it has long been known that light affects a person’s emotional state and vision, so you need to try to ensure that the lighting design of the room and the entire home as a whole is not only original, but also complies with all the rules, because health depends on it.

Another reason why you should first think about how the room will be lit is the wiring. After all, it needs to be done even before the walls and ceiling are finished. Once the renovation is complete, it will be virtually impossible to redo anything without breaking something.

Features of residential lighting

In his home, every person performs certain repetitive actions every day, and this is what makes it easy to develop an apartment lighting design.

Moreover, most often, people are at home in the morning, evening and at night, when a minimum of natural light enters the apartment, so artificial light must be positioned in such a way that all corners of the home are illuminated.

But there are subtleties here, because somewhere you need more light, somewhere less, and in some rooms it is necessary that in one part there be bright lighting, and in the other - twilight remained. To achieve proper lighting you need to understand its types.

Types of lighting and their functions

There are several types of lighting and a huge number of light sources. But each person can easily determine what kind of light he needs in this or that part of the apartment.

You need to know the types of lighting mainly to explain to electrical salespeople or workers who will do the repairs what should happen in the end.

So, in every living space there is general lighting, accent, working and combined. Some of these species have several subtypes.

Features of general lighting

The name of this type of lighting speaks for itself. Its function is to illuminate the room as a whole. Every apartment has such light, regardless of interior design. An example of a source of such general light is a chandelier that hangs on the ceiling. It illuminates the entire room evenly at once.

There are several types of general lighting:

• Most often seen directional general lighting. In this case, the light “flows out” from the lamp in one spot. To achieve this effect, you need to purchase chandeliers with open shades; their shape resembles a ball cut off on both sides. But sometimes there are other models: cone-shaped, rectangular, and sometimes even trapezoidal.

Light is a kind of marker of the quality of a design project, as well as one of the simplest and cheapest tools for improving the aesthetic and ergonomic characteristics of a home. Lighting sets the mood and helps set accents and highlight the style of the home. Without correct placement light sources, some nuances of the architectural project, and local decorative elements may not play or even fall out of context, while the optimal lighting solution is like a well-played orchestra, in which the composition, levels, direction and intensity of sound are important.

If the lighting in your home is limited to one light source, it's time to expand your horizons. Use overhead, spot and task lights to create a comfortable atmosphere, reduce eye strain and highlight interesting interior details.

In the photo: room lighting from several sources

1. Should non-standard light sources be used?

Lighting is not only a way to combat darkness, but also an opportunity to highlight the style of a home or give a special mood to a room. Consider adding additional creative light sources, such as a chandelier in the bathroom or a hanging lantern over your reading chair.

A fresh idea for a place to install lighting fixtures: Consider installing lighting in wall and bedside niches or multi-level suspended ceilings to create emphasis on lines and planes. The photo above shows original way top lighting of the fireplace.

Colored LEDs make it possible to use light as a colored marker, outlining rows of cabinets or the perimeter of a kitchen island.

In this living room, LEDs are hidden in suspended ceiling and at the top of the wall. With their help, the designers outlined the perimeter high ceiling and added extra texture to the stonework. In such cases, an LED cord is usually used.

Light is the decoration of a home, a diamond set in its design. The placement of light accents in atypical points gives the design of the house originality and sophistication.

Another example: the relief of the facades of kitchen cabinets is emphasized by hidden lighting along the bottom and top panel. Such diffused light is one of the most fashionable trends in interior design. For these purposes, strip lighting with xenon lamps is most often used, which give a soft glow and are cheaper than LED lamps.

2. What is layered lighting?

The optimal lighting scheme for a room consists of three layers: top light, task light and spot lighting. Using the example of this bedroom, you can see the combination of all three types of lighting: a chandelier is responsible for the overhead light, bedside reading lamps are an example of task lighting, and spotlights place accents on the head of the bed and paintings on the wall.

A fresh idea for multi-level lighting: Each light source can have not only a practical, but also a decorative function. For example, in this hallway, wall lights are not task lights, but they play a role decorative element, while a chandelier provides the main light, and table lamps provide working light.

An example of multi-level kitchen lighting: the general light source is spotlights embedded in the false ceiling, large single lamps suspended above the kitchen island provide task lighting, and lamps built into kitchen cabinets, I give the kitchen a fashionable designer chic.

3. Do the lamps match the style of the kitchen and fashion trends?

Perhaps the easiest way to update your interior is to replace the existing lighting equipment with a more modern and stylish one. For example, ceiling fans with lamps in modern interiors They look old-fashioned and a little ridiculous.

Fresh idea for a fashionable lamp: Replace ceiling fan chandelier with fashionable shades and total capacity lamps from 150 to 300 watts.

Don't be afraid to mix lamps from different collections in one interior. They do not have to be from the same manufacturer and can even be made in different styles. As an example, appreciate the combination of a cosmic design in a high-tech chandelier and classic bedside lamps in this sophisticated bedroom.

Crystal chandeliers have not gone out of fashion for decades, perhaps because they fit perfectly into the most different styles interior design. In this bathroom Crystal Chandelier harmoniously combines with the interior in the Art Nouveau style, effectively highlighting the multi-level false ceiling.

The choice of lighting fixtures can be determined by the transitional style (in the classical sense - from Rococo to Neoclassical) with its clean lines and unobtrusive decor. This is explained by the fact that at some point complex solutions begin to seem redundant, and simple, laconic lamps are perceived as a lighter decorative element.

4. Is the light directed correctly?

The concept of “lighting design” comes down to the strategic positioning of light sources and the selection of optimal lighting fixtures for each specific task. Directional light makes work easier, while diffused light adds volume and emphasizes the texture of objects.

A fresh idea regarding the direction of light: Identify the elements of the room that you would like to highlight and shine the light directly on them. Wall sconces do an excellent job of spotlighting paintings and provide optimal room illumination in an area located at eye level. The asking price usually does not exceed $100 for the decoration of one room.

To create comfortable lighting, you need to understand some symbols in the labeling of lamps. So, if you are trying to achieve lighting that is as close to daylight as possible, buy lamps marked K 4000 and higher. K is short for “Kelvin”, this indicator describes the warmth of the glow, and the higher it is, the cooler (tone from white to blue) the light will be.

Another important indicator is the Color Rendering Index (CRI), the color rendering index, and the higher it is, the better. 100 CRI corresponds to natural light and in at its best highlights the shades of fabrics and natural color skin. Compact fluorescent lamps and LED fixtures have a CRI value of 80 or lower.

The chandelier in the dining room should be hung so that its lower edge is located 80-100 cm above the table, and its diameter should be at least half the width of the tabletop.

Recessed ceiling lights and halogen track lights are the ideal solution for economical directional lighting.

Translucent glass shades and hanging lights reduce glare, which is a real benefit for the kitchen. As with the chandelier, bottom edge The lamp should be raised to a height of 80 cm to a meter from the working surface of the kitchen island or cutting table. To create a pleasant atmosphere, it is recommended to use lamps with a moderate color temperature (lamps labeled 2700K produce a slight reddish tint of light).

Halogen track lamps are used in home environments in high activity areas as a work light source. The ability to move lamps along the bus is especially convenient for placing lighting fixtures strictly in the work area.

High color temperature halogen lamps that emit a bluish glow are also used as work light above desks or in the craft corner.