How to plan lighting in an apartment so that it is pleasant to relax and comfortable to work

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Think over the scenarios for using the room and take into account important nuances.

Light helps you concentrate or relax. It emphasizes the decoration and corrects the imperfections of the room: low ceiling, small size, irregular shape. To make the interior beautiful and comfortable, lighting should be taken very seriously. And it is important to decide on the location of the fixtures before the start of the repair: alterations will be expensive. Here's what to consider.

Lighting types

It can be general, directional and decorative.

• General useful to compensate for the lack of natural light - for example, if you need to brightly illuminate a room in the evening. In this capacity, a chandelier in the center of the ceiling or a grid of built-in lamps can act.
• Directional lighting also called a worker. This category includes table lamps, floor lamps, pendant lamps. It is needed to illuminate a small area: dining table, workplace, mirror.
• Decorative sets accents in the interior. This includes illumination of paintings and niches, built-in lamps in the floor and along the walls. If the luminaire casts complex shadows, accentuates the finish or decor and does not fulfill a practical function, it is decorative.

Usually all types of lighting are used in the interior. In some rooms, you can do with one or two options: the bedroom will be comfortable without a chandelier, and the toilet is unlikely to need a complex lighting or floor lamp. The purpose and number of luminaires depends on how the room is used.

Lighting scenarios

Luminaires are chosen and positioned based on how they will use the room. There are no universal solutions. The scenarios depend on the functional areas, lifestyle and the requirements of the apartment owners.

• In the living room they usually relax, watch TV, read. As a rule, bright general light is not needed here: it invigorates, not relaxes. But still, the lighting should be solemn: in this room they celebrate holidays, receive guests. Therefore, as a rule, it is decorated more elegantly than other rooms. Recessed or pendant lights provide soft general lighting. Decorative is also needed: it will decorate the interior and create the necessary mood.
• In the bedroom relaxing, reading, watching TV, changing clothes. This is an intimate part of the apartment; comfort and harmony in the interior are important here. You can place dim lamps by the bed, spots or soffits - by the closet, illuminate the mirrors. The bright ambient light helps wake up in the morning, so it's worth adding too. Decorative lighting - optional.
• In the nursery there must be a lot of light. Be sure to need general lighting, work - in areas for recreation, study and games. Decorative - optional: garlands and bedside lamps will make the room more comfortable.
• In the kitchen illuminate the work surface and dining area. General lighting is not necessary, especially if the kitchen is small: there are enough built-in lamps along the furniture, lighting above the countertop and a pendant or wall lamp above the table.
• In the hall the lighting should be bright: there are rarely windows, so you need to compensate for the lack of sunlight. Built-in lamps are chosen as general lighting. They can be supplemented with a chandelier in the center of the ceiling if the room is large. Work lighting is also needed: sconces or lamps near the mirror, cabinet lighting.
• In the bathroom you need general lighting and directional (near the mirror). Sometimes built-in shelving is illuminated for beauty.
• In the toilet only general lighting is needed. Directional is unlikely to come in handy, decorative is optional.

Sophisticated scenarios help determine the number and location of luminaires. They are marked on the plan of the future interior right after the furniture: this is how each light bulb will find its place.

Let's consider lighting scenarios using the example of a studio apartment. There is only one room here, but it is divided into zones: bedroom, living room, kitchen, dining room, study. The apartment also has a dressing room, an entrance hall and a bathroom.

The role of general lighting went to the track structure on the ceiling in the center of the room. The luminaires can be directed where more light is needed - for example, at the workplace.

Each zone has directional lighting: in the kitchen there is a lighting above the countertop, in the bedroom there is a sconce, over the dining table and sofa there are pendant lamps, and a floor lamp near the work table. They are included as needed.

Decorative lamps were provided near the bed. They provide soft, subdued lighting. Convenient if you want to watch TV before going to bed.

Only general lighting was left in the hallway and dressing room. These are small rooms where too much light is not needed. In the bathroom, they decided to assemble a multi-level ceiling and integrate lamps into it. Provided a mirror with built-in illumination.

It turns out that for every action of the apartment owners there is a lighting scenario: you can read in bed, dine in the cozy light of a lamp, watch TV comfortably, apply makeup or shave in front of the bathroom mirror. The work areas are sufficiently lit to make them comfortable to use. The light is adjustable to suit the mood: bright for receiving guests, dim for a relaxing environment.

Nuances to consider

We decided on the scenarios, looked after the chandeliers and lamps - more than half of the work was done. It remains to think over the details.

1. Color temperature of light

Basically, lamps are used in the interior that give white light. It can be warm, neutral, or cold. The color temperature of the light sets the mood in the room.

It is measured in degrees on the Kelvin (K) scale. Warm white - below 3,500 K, neutral white - 3,500–5,300 K, cold - above 5,300 K. The color temperature of the light bulb is written on the package.

Warm white makes the room feel cozy. It is suitable for living room and bedroom. Neutral light is used in the hallway, kitchen, for general lighting of the nursery. Cold white is a rarity in apartments, it is more often used in offices. At home, it is only suitable for a working lamp.

It is desirable that the color temperature of all lamps in the room coincide: then the lighting is even. But this is not necessary: the lighting temperature can be selected based on the purpose of the lamp. Or to emphasize the surface texture, design idea.

2. Color rendering of lamps

Sometimes lighting visually changes the colors of furniture and finishes. To choose bulbs that will not distort colors, they are guided by the color rendering index Ra: it must be higher than 90. Lamps with Ra equal to 100 do not distort colors at all.

3. Illumination

Bulbs for lighting fixtures should be bought so that there is enough light in the rooms. When I order lamps, I ask the store to make a calculation and recommend lamps for them. Usually this service is provided to customers free of charge.

If you don't want to go to the store, you can use programs for calculating the illumination - for example, the company "Lighting Technologies" or the DIALux application. They take into account several parameters, so the result is more accurate than with simplified manual calculations.

4. Location of lamps

Lamps are not placed at eye level or directly above the sleeping area, otherwise they will dazzle. Thoughtful lighting does not draw attention to itself: the light source should not be too noticeable. If it is needed to emphasize the shape, color, texture, or to become the king of the interior on a holiday, two modes are provided: bright solemn and calm everyday.

5. Additional sockets and switches

Some lamps require sockets - they are marked on the plan. It is better to foresee 2-3 at once, they are not superfluous.

It's good when the lights turn on and off in multiple places. Switches for general light in the bedroom are placed at the door and next to the bed, in the living room they add a switch near the sofa.

6. Shadows

Harsh shadows are an effective design technique: they emphasize the texture of the finish and interesting details. But directional and general light should not create them, otherwise the impression of the room will be unpleasant. For example, a lamp above a mirror in a bathroom will visually age a person for several years, so it is better to replace it with sconces on the sides or buy a mirror with soft illumination along the edge.

7. Decorative lighting in the floor and window sills

It is no more difficult to build bulbs into the floor or windowsill than into the ceiling, and the interior will become more voluminous and more interesting. Decorative lighting should not be neglected: this is the case when a couple of details are enough to make the room “play”.

conclusions

Lighting in the apartment is planned when they have already decided on the arrangement of furniture, decoration and decor. But you still have to place lamps, switches and sockets on the drawing before repair: the wiring is mounted during the rough finish. If you want to place a sconce or lighting in a room where you have already pasted wallpaper and installed a stretch ceiling, it will be expensive.

Lighting is planned in five stages:

1. Defined with scripts. They depend on how the premises will be used.
2. Choose the type and location of the fixtures.
3. Think over the placement of sockets and switches.
4. Move lights, sockets and switches to the plan.
5. The plan is given to the foreman before starting work. Perhaps he will give a couple of tips based on his experience. To listen or not is up to you.

It is possible to competently plan lighting in an apartment without the help of a designer. True, you have to spend time and make an effort. If a complex solution is required, it is still better to contact a specialist: he will offer non-standard options and think over the lighting to the smallest detail.