It is impossible to imagine a modern interior without additional lighting. Furniture lamps have firmly entered the world of design and open up more and more new possibilities. Now it is an indispensable attribute of almost any room, not only performing its main function (as a lighting device), but also being an important design element.
Functions and purpose
Lamps built into furniture are the main trend in modern interior design. Foreign furniture makers no longer think of new models without additional lighting. Russian designers are not yet ready for big expenses, but in Russian collections you can increasingly see cabinets and shelves with lighting.
Spot lighting is designed to create accents, highlight the beauty and illuminate the necessary places in your room. Furniture can be called not only those lighting fixtures that are in interior items, but also additional spotlights in arches, niches and on ceilings.
Spotlights can play the role of both main and additional lighting. If furniture lamps are used as additional ones, they usually soften the harsh shadows that appear during the operation of the main chandelier.
It should be understood that only furniture lamps should be used exclusively in small rooms. In large rooms, they can be used to provide zoning - for example, to separate the work area from the resting area.
Installation methods
It makes sense to choose a place for highlighting furniture already at the time of creating furniture design and the entire interior as a whole. It is necessary to determine in advance what you want to emphasize and highlight in the interior of a particular room. You can create a romantic atmosphere in the bedroom or additionally illuminate the workspace of the kitchen or nursery.
According to the installation method, the following spotlights can be distinguished:
- Mortise or built-in. They are distinguished by their versatility and are used both for lighting facades and for lighting inside cabinets and drawers. They are not as easy to install as overhead, but they usually look more aesthetically pleasing. Most often, such lamps are initially already built into the required set of furniture, and they are installed during assembly.
- Overhead. Such lamps are easily attached using double-sided tape or several self-tapping screws. Modern overhead lamps can be very thin, in terms of beauty and ergonomics, such devices are absolutely not inferior to built-in ones. In addition, it is easier and more convenient to attach them. Surface-mounted luminaires have swivel mechanisms, which allows you to more accurately adjust the direction of illumination.
- LED strips. They are often used for interior lighting in cabinets and glass shelves.
It is better to entrust the installation of these electrical devices to professionals. If you are going to install yourself, remember that the installation is carried out only with the power supply disconnected.
Which bulbs to choose?
Different types of lamps are used in modern lighting fixtures. It is necessary to clearly understand the difference between the two in order to select the appropriate and safe type of lighting. To do this, consider the possible options in more detail.
Familiar to everyone incandescent lamps, which were previously used everywhere, have recently been losing ground. One of the advantages of such devices is that they give more natural light than other types of lamps. But there are clearly more disadvantages: such products are expensive, fire hazardous and consume a large amount of electricity.
There are also fluorescent lamps … This type of luminaire is not recommended to be installed in residential premises - because of the increased danger (due to the content of mercury vapor). Any damage to such a lamp can have dire consequences. In addition, special disposal conditions are required.
Xenon lamps are distinguished by high light intensity, which can be both a plus and a minus. Such a bright light is not always appropriate in a room.
Of the pluses halogen lamps long service life, bright luminous flux and low power consumption can be distinguished. Minus - they get very hot. The body of such lamps should be very heat-resistant, but it is still not recommended to install such lamps in chipboard. When using such lamps, a transformer is required, which is important to consider.
LED or LED luminaires … Most often used as spot lighting. Such devices do not flicker, there are no harmful substances from them, they are durable and consume little electricity.
Based on all of the above, it is safe to say that LED lamps are more suitable for spot lighting.
Their only drawback is that they are quite expensive. They are often replaced with cheaper halogen lamps.
However, if you think that the service life of an LED lamp is about ten years, and halogen sources burn out much more often, then we can come to the conclusion that even in a financial perspective, diode lamps are much more economical. A fluorescent lamp works well for creating a luminous drawer bottom.
Control options
Modern light sources can be wired or do without this rather strongly interfering element, operate on a battery. Wireless luminaires are easier to install, but the lack of a constant power supply makes its own adjustments to the use of lighting.
Rechargeable batteries need recharging, and it is most convenient to do it when you do not have to remove the lighting fixture from its place. When choosing a wired or wireless connection type, be guided first of all by the convenience and availability of a particular power mode.
In addition, there are lighting options that imply the presence of a switch that is located next to the light source. The luminaires can be equipped with a motion sensor or triggered when the door is opened or the cabinet is pulled out, which is more economical than when the luminaire is on all the time, and more convenient than a rocker switch. There is also such an option as remote control through the remote control, which is very convenient when you need to turn on the light in another part of the room without moving there.
It is possible to make a point light with the ability to dim or enhance the backlight. This will help you adjust the light intensity as well as save energy when bright light is not needed.
Design and style directions
Modern manufacturers offer a large number of different options for furniture lamps, which, with the right approach, will perfectly fit into any interior. An interesting device will highlight the most daring design. Italian lamps (point light) are distinguished by a special variety.
To create a unique interior, it is necessary to use light of different color spectra (warmer, colder).
For example, it will be more convenient to cook or clean in the kitchen if the light is cold, but it is more pleasant to dine in a "warm" place. It's the same in the bedroom. Folding or packing the bed is more convenient when the light is cold, and reading before bed is more convenient when it is warm. When planning to install lamps, think for what purpose you need light in a particular place.
In the style of high-tech, cool lamps accentuate chrome and gray-steel interior elements. Warm light will fit better into the loft style. It is necessary to think in advance which lamps you need - based not only on the needs, but also on the style.
With the help of lighting, you can set accents in the interior. For example, you can highlight what you would like to highlight, what seems to be the most successful, and leave not the most successful solutions in the dark.
Surface-mounted luminaires come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes: triangular, square or round. You can choose any options - depending on your needs and style. In addition, metal fittings can be made in silver, bronze or gold. Therefore, any (even the most demanding) consumer can choose the right lamps.
Use in different furniture
Furniture lights can be attached to any surface and any part - be it a cabinet door or a work surface. For a wardrobe, it is advisable to place lamps on the inner walls of the cabinet or in the upper part of it in order to illuminate things hanging on hangers.
On a writing desk, it is best to install the lamp above the work surface so that the light does not create harsh shadows when writing, and the eyes are comfortable. You can also install the LED strip in the desk drawers, inside, so that, if necessary, you can easily find any item you need, be it a pen, a stapler or paper clips.
Most often spotlights are used in the kitchen. They illuminate the kitchen work surface, illuminate the stove, usually being in the hood. It is very convenient to place the light bulb above the sink by placing it under the dish drainer. With this backlight, it will be convenient to wash dishes and vegetables. Kitchen cabinets are illuminated on the outside or in the area of the handles, but such appliances are more decorative.
The uniqueness of the furniture fixtures lies in the fact that you can install them on any surface. It all depends only on your imagination, capabilities and needs.
Interior placement ideas
Spotlights can be both primary and secondary lighting in the interior. To fully illuminate a room, you need to understand that one lamp in a stretch ceiling cannot illuminate more than one square meter of a room. You can calculate how many points of light you need to illuminate one room. Such lighting perfectly divides the room into several parts - you can play on this when decorating the interior.
Spotlights perform not only the main, but also a decorative function. By correctly placing additional light sources, you can place accents in such a way as to highlight all the pros and hide the minuses of the interior. For example, you can add light to a niche that has shelves with cute knickknacks.
Using colored light bulbs, you can “play” with the space however you like. You can emphasize the color scheme available in the interior, or you can add colors to a plain room, placing the accents correctly.
The most advantageous lighting looks in the interior of kitchens. The illumination under the wall cabinets near the work surface itself is capable of most efficiently, without shadows, illuminating the cutting tables, which makes cooking more convenient and enjoyable.
You can also illuminate the work surface with an LED strip. It's nice and comfortable. It is best to choose white light for such a backlight. He creates the most work environment. You can very well separate the working area from the dining area with the help of light: above the dining area - warm light, above the working area - cold.
The possibilities of placing furniture lamps in the kitchen do not end with the illumination of the working surface. For example, luminaires aimed at the ceiling will create the illusion of high ceilings, and a tape attached to the bottom surface of floor cabinets will create the illusion of floating furniture. If you have glossy furniture in your kitchen, then the backlighting of the facades will create the illusion of more space than it really is.
These luminaires require power supply, additional holes and wires. So that these nuances do not spoil your interior, they should be thought out in advance.
It must be remembered: if you want to illuminate the kitchen with spotlights, you should look for a place for them already at the planning stage for the placement of kitchen furniture. However, this fact applies not only to the kitchen, but also to any other room where the installation of lighting is planned.
In the bedroom, the illumination of the podium, on which the bed is installed, looks very good. It is convenient to illuminate the mirror with furniture lamps. Such a lamp should be located exactly in the middle of the mirror (above it).
Spot LED illumination shows itself well in children's rooms. With its help, you can draw the baby's attention to various developmental elements of the room, living corners, aquariums and more. At night, such a backlight can be used to make the child lose the fear of the dark.
If this is a teenager's room, then using spot lighting, you can also divide the room into zones - work, play and sleeping.
Furniture lights can be used in any other room. For example, in the bathroom, they can be used to enhance the illumination of the bath itself and enhance the light near the mirror. In the living room, you can create several zones where the light will turn on only where it is needed now.
Furniture lamps are the perfect addition to your interior. They will help create the atmosphere in your home that you yourself want. With their help, you can create a unique interior in a completely ordinary apartment, the main thing is to correctly approach their use. A wide variety of models and options will help you choose the only lighting scheme that suits your interior. She will make him unique, unique.
In this video, you will see a quick and easy installation of an LED strip on a kitchen cabinet.