Extra light in the kitchen. Stylish lighting in the kitchen: from classic to avant-garde

Spotlights can complement or even replace the central ceiling chandelier because:

The main plus is that they allow you to make the lighting in the kitchen uniform, diffused, soft, both separately and in combination with a chandelier or LED lighting. An ordinary ceiling lamp without additional lighting creates shadows and visually narrows the space;

Lighting on LED and halogen lamps is very economical, and the installation of spotlights with the ability to turn on in parts, that is, only where needed in this moment, for example, in the work area when you are cooking, greatly saves energy;
Swivel spots and ceiling-wall lamps can direct the light where you want, thanks to which you can profitably beat the advantages and disadvantages of space - visually lift low ceilings, expand, zone, etc. How to do this will be described below;
In addition, you can use single-color or colored light bulbs, forming an unusual lighting design, dividing zones and placing accents.

The disadvantages of spotlights include:

More complex installation compared to a chandelier;
The need to think over the placement of light sources on the ceiling even at the repair stage, and the placement of spotlights built into the kitchen set at the assembly stage;
Not everyone likes this modern type of ceiling lighting in the kitchen; for some, it may resemble an “office” backlight. But this is a big misconception, today spot lighting can be organically fit even into a traditional kitchen interior, as in the photo below. The main thing is to choose the right lighting design.

Types of spotlights for installation are divided into: mortise, overhead, pendant. If mortise can only be built into suspended ceilings (, etc.), then overhead (external) lamps can also be installed on a regular concrete ceiling, since there is a special mounting plate for screws on the base of the body of such a spot;
Recessed models are the most popular type in the category of spotlights, so they are presented in a very wide range of colors, designs and sizes;
Mortise lamps can be completely recessed into the base and then they are practically invisible, or they can, on the contrary, decorate the ceiling, protruding above its surface with a beautiful decorative diffuser;

Spotlights can create local, basic and decorative lighting;
Each of the installed devices is able to illuminate no more than two square meters of the room;
Modern appliances are fireproof, and therefore can be used in combination with any finish. And their body is made of moisture-proof material, which makes it easy to withstand high humidity;
There are designs with an internal or external location of the light bulb, which provides directional or diffused light, respectively.

Adviсe:

The simpler the design of the spots, the easier it is to take care of them - to wash off greasy deposits, dust, etc.;
For stretch ceilings, it is better to choose round or rounded lamps;
For a more economical and rational consumption of electricity, install a dimmer, which is also called a rheostat or dimmer.

Types of lamps

Lamps are: LED, halogen or incandescent.

LED lamps enjoy well-deserved popularity. They are economical and consume very little electricity, and practically do not heat up. Therefore, LED devices can be used in combination with a wide variety of finishes - their location, even near flammable materials, will not lead to fire.

LED recessed luminaires are swivel and non-swivel. Swivel lamps allow you to change the direction of light.

Appliances with incandescent lamps installed give a bright, pleasant light familiar to everyone, but they are much larger in size, so they require installation with a large margin, in addition, they have a short service life.

In terms of durability and energy consumption, halogen lamps are beneficial, but they are also considered the most expensive. They give bright, close to natural lighting, but have one drawback - the lamps get very hot, so choose lamps with a metal frame, glass diffuser and ceramic cartridge.

Keep in mind that halogen spotlights require a transformer that converts the usual 220 watts into the required 12 watts. The power of the transformer should slightly exceed the total power of all halogen bulbs.

Installation of spotlights in the kitchen with stretch ceilings implies a limitation on the power of the installed lamps. So, the power of halogen devices should not exceed 35 watts, and the power of incandescent lamps - 60 watts. This is due to the properties of the material, which can melt from too much high temperatures.

Placement of fixtures and the rules of "playing with light"

To create the main lighting in the kitchen, ceiling spotlights should be placed at a distance of at least 30-40 cm from each other. A distance of at least 20 cm is maintained from the corner of the wall. Experts advise setting one point per 1.5 square meters. m or follow the following recommendation - for every 1 sq.m of the ceiling there should be a lamp of 20 watts. If you want to install fixtures with a power of more than 20 W or plan to combine them with a chandelier, then their number can be reduced.

Using the correct location of spotlights, you can easily change the whole perception of space.

You can visually expand a small, narrow or elongated kitchen if you install a group of several lamps along the center and on both sides of the ceiling of a narrow or elongated kitchen. That is, the main goal is to fill the space as evenly as possible with soft, diffused light without shadows.

In lighting large spaces, the main task is to arrange light sources so that they perfectly illuminate all functional areas, but at the same time create coziness, intimacy and a pleasant atmosphere. Most often, the lamps are arranged as in the photo below: there are spots around the perimeter of the kitchen, and hanging chandeliers in the center above the table or island.

The most versatile option for placing spotlights in the kitchen is as follows: in the center of the kitchen, above a table or bar counter, you can hang ceiling lights or a chandelier, and install spots only above the work area right above the kitchen set.

But if the kitchen has low ceilings, then it is better to choose rotary models and direct their light up to the ceiling, as well as install lamps on the visor of the kitchen cabinets. It is better not to hang a chandelier in a low kitchen.

In addition, spotlights allow you to perfectly zone the room, highlighting each of the functional areas. As a rule, in the joint spaces - in the studio apartment, kitchen-dining room, kitchen-living room, the work area, the kitchen area or the adjacent hallway is highlighted with spot lighting, and the recreation or dining area is illuminated by a chandelier and pendant lights.

Spotlights are simply created to decorate and illuminate two-level ceilings. In this case, as a rule, embedded models are used. You can highlight everything or only one level as in the next photo on the right.

How to properly mount spotlights

Installation of spotlights requires the preparation of certain tools and fixtures:

Terminals for connection;
Screwdriver with a flat end;
Crowns for wood or metal (the latter will be required to work with a slatted ceiling);
Mounting knife for stripping wires;
Drill;
wire cutters;
pliers;
Ladder.

Connecting spotlights is impossible without creating the appropriate electrical wiring. At the first stage, a lighting box is installed - it is mounted in such a way that it has free access to it all the time. This means that it is not worth putting the box behind the skin. After that, a separate wire is laid from the box to each lamp. Wires must be placed in a corrugated pipe, necessary for protection.

If it is planned to place it in a plasterboard ceiling, then the work is carried out in the following sequence:

The location of each device on the ceiling is precisely marked, while the location of the guides must be taken into account, the lamps should not be attached to them;
A hole of the appropriate size is cut out on a drill with a crown, and for square devices, a hole is made with a jigsaw;
The previously laid cable is taken out through the hole. Of course, during the work, the wire must be de-energized. In order to get the cable out of a small hole for sure, a wire hook is used;
The wire brought out to the outside is connected in accordance with the colors through the terminals. If you use LED fixtures with screw terminals for the wire, then the terminals are not required;
This is followed by the location of the lamp in the hole, as a result of which it is fixed with special clamps-springs;
A lamp is screwed into the device, and after that a decorative ring is put on;
Perform a system performance test.

Do you know that the illumination of a dwelling is regulated by SNIPs? Unfortunately, in most cases it is less than necessary by 20-30%. If we talk about the working area of \u200b\u200bthe kitchen, even more. But illumination affects our health: vision, nervous system, fatigue, concentration, mood.

Work area lighting in the kitchen

It has been established that the optimal illumination of the kitchen countertop should be at least 40-50 W/m2. This is true for fluorescent and halogen lamps. For lamps based on LEDs, it requires about 10 times less. Since the led backlight consumes about 10 times less power with the same luminous flux.

Fig.1.

Backlight working area kitchens must have a certain direction of radiation. For comfortable work, all the light should be concentrated on the countertop, and it should not be spread towards the eyes.

Fig.2.

Where should lighting be installed? It is necessary where cooking, cutting food and washing dishes is carried out. Above the stove, the light source is usually built into the hood and does not need to be supplemented. The lighting of the countertop in the kitchen in the cutting area and above the sink is very important, since in these areas our attention is most concentrated, and, therefore, the load on vision is maximum.

Fig.3.

Kitchen lighting options

There are several options for kitchen countertop lighting. All of them serve to create comfortable conditions for cooking. The combination of options will make the kitchen set not only convenient, but also beautiful.

How to make LED lighting in the kitchen

Recently, led tape has gained great popularity due to the ease of installation, as well as the large gamut of the radiation spectrum. This allows you to have not only functional lighting, but also decorative. At the same time, switch modes as you wish. In addition, LEDs can have a warm (yellow) and cool (white) glow, so the choice is huge.

How to install LED strip in the kitchen? The easiest installation option is to stick it on double-sided tape on the underside of the cabinets. Depending on the power of the LEDs, it will carry the function of the main (with a power of more than 7W/m) or auxiliary (less than 7W/m) lighting.

Fig.4.

How to connect LED strip in the kitchen? A special driver (power supply) is required to connect to the network. The tape is connected using two wires to the IP in compliance with the polarity, and the IP to the 220 V network.

The disadvantage of this approach lies in the discreteness of the light sources, and as a result, the illumination is not uniform. In addition, only expensive ice tapes are protected from moisture and pollution.

Fig.5.

There are two ways to solve these problems.

Especially for the LED strip, boxes with a diffuser are produced. They can be built-in, i.e. for them it is necessary to specially prepare a groove in the furniture, by analogy with built-in lamps. Or be overhead, for this type no special training is required.

Fig.6.

Another more expensive way to purchase ready-made LED kitchen fixtures. They often already have a driver in their design and they just need to be mounted on furniture.

Fig.7.

LED illumination of the working area

Fig.8.

Fig.9.

Fig.10.

Fig.11.

Connecting the LED strip

Fig.12.

Fig.13.

Fig.14.

Fluorescent lamps for the kitchen

Fluorescent lighting is also very common due to ease of installation, low cost and availability, as well as low power consumption and long service life.

There are two options: fixtures for kitchen wall cabinets or installation of fluorescent light sources.

Fig.15.

The most affordable second option. To implement it, you will need fluorescent lamps. They can be purchased at any store. As a rule, fasteners are included with them, with which they can be fixed to the bottom of the cabinets.

Fig.16.

However, this approach has one drawback. To hide the lamps, it is necessary to provide an additional bar on the kitchen set, which is not always possible.

To get around this shortcoming, you can go the other way. Buy lamps not for general purpose, but designed specifically for furniture. Illumination under kitchen cabinets in this way will have a more attractive appearance and will fit well into the interior.

Fig.17.

The great advantage of fluorescent lamps is the absence of the need for additional electrical parts, such as transformers. All you need to do is plug them into an outlet.

Spot light in the kitchen

Spotlights with halogen lamps have become widespread due to the radiation spectrum most corresponding to the sun. TS for furniture have many different design options. They can be divided into two groups: embedded and overhead.

Fig.18.

How to arrange spotlights in the kitchen? To achieve optimal illumination, they are installed at a distance of 50 cm from each other along the entire countertop. Considering that their power does not exceed 20 W, such a distance will provide 40 W / m2.

Built-in kitchen lighting is not often used, since for its installation it is necessary to make a recess in the bottom of the cabinet with a depth of at least 20 mm. This means that either a double bottom must be installed or a thicker slab must be used. Therefore, TS are usually used in a canopy, as general lighting for a kitchen set.

Fig.19.

Overhead lamps are more convenient. They do not require special recesses. They are mounted on the bottom of kitchen cabinets. Given the variety of designs of luminaire housings, choosing the best design option is not difficult.

Fig.20.

Halogen lighting is connected to the mains in the traditional way using a 12V transformer, the power of which is chosen a little more than required.

Fig.21.

LED lamps can be used to illuminate the kitchen. Thus, you can significantly save on electricity.

Modern kitchens simply cannot do without professional, thoughtful lighting. This is not surprising, because a dark kitchen is by no means conducive to high-quality cooking, and good appetite. Each housewife spends quite a lot of time in the kitchen, so light (lamps) is very important, especially for the work area or surface, because the lion's share of working time in the kitchen falls on the dark.

Light in the work area

Light in the kitchen is one of the most important conditions that ensure comfortable work. When thinking, you should always take into account the location of the fixtures, the angle of the light beam and its intensity. And if necessary, add the desired zone.
The latest standards require the presence of several lighting fixtures, whose number directly depends on the footage of the room and the proposed individual zones: table; and, of course, from the individual design of the room. Read how to bring design ideas to life in your kitchen at.

Separately, a lighting system for working surfaces is built, divided into:

stove(except when a hood with built-in lighting is installed above it);
sink;
surface intended for processing products.

Types of lighting: primary and secondary

The main problem of organizing lighting in the kitchen is the need for a uniform and high-quality distribution of light, which involves the choice of lamps. different type and power.

Daylight and fluorescent lamps

Introduced back in the 40s of the last century, fluorescent lamps are the optimal replacement for natural daylight, which makes them incredibly popular in everyday life. These low pressure, low discharge discharge lamps produce ultraviolet light visible to the human eye due to the phosphor coating.

Such lamps are pleasing to the eye, convenient to use and economical, and also fully comply with all consumer standards.

Point

Spotlights are gaining more and more popularity due to both efficiency and convenience, because such devices can be installed in any chosen place and switched on selectively as needed.

Spotlights can be used as - modern models mounted on walls are able to change the direction of light, highlighting and emphasizing the advantages of the interior, hiding imperfections in the form small space or low ceilings.

The installation of most spotlights is planned at the stage of developing the wiring system in the room or assembling kitchen furniture, which allows you to carefully consider their harmonious fit into the overall interior.

The choice of lamps is large, so it will not be difficult to choose the one that suits the general style, but it is worth remembering that it will illuminate no more than 2 meters of area.

Spotlights are:

mortise- built into suspended ceilings or plasterboard design structures;
invoices- fixed to any chosen place;
modular- decorative lamps that do not require a network connection.

Spotlights can be completely recessed into the base of the ceiling or covered with special decorative diffusers of various shapes and shades.

As a mobile lighting option, you can use the latest design developments, such as, for example, clothespin lamps that are fixed on shelves or brackets.

LED lights

LED backlighting is very economical, but if one lamp fails, you have to change the entire lamp.

An interesting lighting option will be LED strip. In addition to the undoubted lighting advantages, it is also an excellent design element, because its colors can be very diverse, and installation is extremely simple. The eye-pleasing matte luminous tape is applied on a sticky base that can be stuck to almost any surface. Suitable for .

The LED strip is not afraid of humidity and elevated temperatures, which makes it an ideal luminaire for "wet" kitchen areas.

color

Bringing a pleasant variety to kitchen lighting is easy with the help of decorative colored lighting. These are multi-colored neon tubes, soft duralight with several pulsation modes and, of course, colored LED strips. Often it is color illumination that is used for.

It is best to use two-level ceilings for the location of such lighting, both suspended and made of drywall, with the condition that the lamps themselves are not noticeable - only an even light is visible.

LED panels

A relatively new invention in the field of kitchen design is LED interior lighting. Combining a design art object and a lamp, this one has become a frequent guest in modern kitchens. In fact, these are two pieces of high-tempered glass with an image printed at the customer's choice and lighting panels, which sometimes act as LED strips.

The special arrangement of light sources gives an even distribution over the entire glass area, giving the room a sophisticated and bright look.

Location options

A kitchen lighting option using LED strip in our video. See how easy it is to do:

Lighting fixtures have three areas of application:

general,
local,
decorative.

Embedded in furniture

It is very easy to mount small lamps in furniture.

In this case, the lighting devices can be:

low-voltage spotlights;
oblong fluorescent lamps;
LED strips.

The side that protects the eyes gives the effect of an even diffused glow without a pronounced source.

On the wall

When placing lamps on the walls, you can stop on flexible or movable brackets that allow you to adjust the direction of the incident light. Wall lamps will be convenient if you have above in your work area.

They are also pleasant to use as a backlight to highlight design elements: decorative columns, porcelain or glass collections.

Directional light lamps above the surface, countertop, table

An interesting solution would be ceiling mini-spotlights, whose direction changes at the request of the owners (manually or with the help of special equipment).

How to install in the kitchen

Installing additional lighting in the kitchen is not difficult

You should start by calculating the number of fixtures. The kitchen needs brighter lighting than all other rooms in the house, so experts recommend spreading lamps at a rate of 45–50 W per m2. This will not only help you get a good view of the products at the time of cooking or cleaning, but also will not turn the kitchen into an operating room, in which excess light burns out the eyes.
If the repair is in the rough stage (and even better to do it at the stage), the future should be noted in advance, as well as the fixtures, by installing the wires after the walls are shredded and before installing the stretch ceilings and countertops, which will help to avoid problems with randomly lying wires.
In the event that a lack of lighting was revealed after the repair was completed, you can close them with decorative ones or lay them along the bottom of hanging cabinets, hiding additional sockets behind their sides. The best solution would be LED strip, whose flexibility will be very appropriate for any complex relief of walls or kitchen cabinets.

How to make the illumination of the working area with your own hands, see our water:

Terms of use and care

Modern electrical appliances are fireproof and practically do not heat up, respectively, they can be installed on a surface with any finish. You can not be afraid of excessive moisture or steam, as their case is usually waterproof.

When choosing a design, special attention should be paid to ease of maintenance - grease, fumes and dust are much easier to remove from diffusers simple shapes, and fixtures with rounded edges will be easy to change without fear of breaking the tension descendant.

To save and control power consumption, experts advise installing a dimmer, also known as a rheostat or dimmer.

In order to avoid any problems with lighting in the kitchen, it should be planned already at the stage of rough repair in order to be able to make hidden electrical wiring to the lamp in each area of the kitchen. This will allow you to carefully consider the overall concept of the design and decor of the kitchen, choose the right fixtures and spend a minimum of money and effort, avoiding possible endless alterations. And you can read the pros and cons in the article. We also recommend that you read our articles that will prompt and talk about.

Lighting - the topic is not as simple as it seems. Especially in the kitchen, where clear functionality dictates its own rules, and you also want to create an atmosphere. To figure out what kind of light should be in the kitchen, we turned to David Markov, CEO of KingDavid lighting company.

- Entrepreneur, lighting designer, philanthropist. Graduated from MIHM, teaches at the British high school design in Moscow and at the "Details" school. As the head of KingDavid, he was responsible for the implementation of projects of the Skolkovo business school, the Grunfus plant, the Lotte Plaza hotel, Sheremetyevo-3 airport, and the Russian Foreign Ministry. Today the company carries out lighting design at all levels: from private interiors and exteriors to urban federal facilities.

What you should pay attention to?

Let's start with the fact that the lighting in the kitchen is divided into zones: the times when the only chandelier in the center of the ceiling reigned in this room are long gone. The following groups of lamps can be distinguished:

general lighting;
lighting of the working area;
lighting of the dining area;
additional functional/decorative lighting.

David advises to pay attention to such important indicator like the warmth of light. Light bulbs come in cold, neutral and warm colors, we talked about this in detail in the article "". In our latitude there is not enough sun, so the warm tone of light is more pleasant and familiar to us: it “warms” the space, makes it more comfortable. A neutral tone of light can be used above the work area, and it is better to refuse a cold one altogether. However, David noted important point: all light bulbs in one room and even in neighboring ones, if they are visible from the room, should be of the same tone.

If you want to make the lighting in your kitchen perfect, David advises not to lose sight of the CRI - the color rendering index of light bulbs: the higher this indicator, the closer to reality the color you see will be. If you have chosen facades of a very interesting shade, it will be a shame when, under artificial lighting with low CRI bulbs, all the halftones disappear.

General lighting

You cannot do without general light in the kitchen, but it is better to abandon a centralized light source in favor of several built-in or overhead lights that will give a more uniform light.

For the greatest comfort, built-in and overhead ceiling lights should be equipped with a diffuser. However, such luminaires, as a rule, lack the function of turning, therefore they require accurate and professional placement of light: the result cannot be corrected simply by redirecting the luminaire.

Alternatively, you can use track or string lights (several shades on a rail or string system). Their advantage is that they can be moved and rotated as needed in a particular kitchen. Just swivel shades will work too.

If you're aiming light at upper kitchen cabinets to enhance their beauty, pay attention to the material they're made from. Highlighting glossy and mirrored facades without creating glare and without causing discomfort to the eyes is not an easy task. Here's what experts think about this: "". With matte and embossed surfaces, everything is much simpler.

Work area lighting

The main principles of lighting in the working area of the kitchen are comfort and functionality. The table top can be illuminated with:

LED strip, necessarily put in a special box;
linear overhead luminaires, the light sources of which must be covered with a diffuser;
built-in furniture lamps.

When it comes to recessed luminaires, it is necessary to take into account their location and, based on it, decide on the need for a diffuser. When placed directly above the countertop and other work surfaces made of matte material, it is permissible not to use a diffuser, since there will be no glare from the countertop, and the light source itself is hidden in the furniture. If the surface of the working area is glossy, then the light needs to be softened and diffused.

Dining area lighting

The dining/dining area of the kitchen is one of the most difficult areas to light, as it is essentially the heart of the entire home. However, there are also various lighting scenarios here that can be implemented with almost any budget.

The lighting of the dining area, according to David, obeys three laws: bright, intimate and comfortable. And these three mutually exclusive concepts should and can be combined within one kitchen and one table. Here's what will provide brightness without sacrificing comfort:

When choosing a lamp, one should give preference to a model with a ceiling if the tabletop is matte, or supplemented with a diffuser if it is glossy. Open, directed in different directions light sources are still prohibited here, as they will immediately lead to glare and glare. It is better that the lamp is directed down to the table or kitchen island.

The atmosphere suitable for dinner can be created with the help of the light control function, which no longer surprises anyone. Now there are many models on the market that allow you to change the brightness and color of the lamp from a smartphone or a manual dimmer. Of course, for the same purpose, you can hang additional sconces with dim light bulbs or, even better, put candles on the table.

Additional lighting

Illumination inside cabinets

Such lighting in closed cabinets and drawers can be purely functional - it will help you see the contents better. In cabinets with glass doors, such lighting acquires an atmospheric character, providing a mysterious, unobtrusive twilight when other light sources are turned off.

Based on current trends, it is possible to organize the internal lighting of cabinets with switching on according to two scenarios: binding to a motion sensor when the light turns on when the door is opened, or turning on / off from an additional switch or control panel when using common system light control.

Light over stove

The backlight of the countertop does not extend to the area above the stove, and highlighting it is also important. Here, the simplest solution would be a lamp built into the hood. If there is no hood above the stove, then it is better to deploy a ceiling lamp with directional light on the stove, as the sconces or a separate light on the wall above the stove will heat up with steam and quickly get dirty.

Decorative lighting above/under furniture

Decorative lighting can be in your kitchen if such a solution provides for design. I just want to make two points:

Lighting under furniture can feel unsteady, so it's best to choose a top light or use the bottom light only in party mode.
The color of the backlight can affect your appetite and the appearance of food, so it's best to stay close to the usual shades of LEDs.

Photos: einteriors.design, bhg.com, wightmanconstruction.com, braeled.com, decor-ideas.info, design-homes.ru