The kitchen is the place where the whole family gathers at a common table, and the hostess also spends a lot of time in the process of cooking and cleaning the room. For a more comfortable stay in it, the lighting should be of high quality. Lighting for the kitchen requires a lot of attention: choosing the right type of light bulbs and lighting fixtures, their number and installation location, as well as many other points. When designing, it is important to familiarize yourself with the requirements of SNiP.
Principles and Requirements
The entire space of the kitchen, as a rule, is divided into two main areas - dining and working. The requirements for their coverage have many differences and features. For the dining area, it is more advisable to install comfortable and soft lighting. For the purpose of safety and comfort, the work area should be well lit so that all processes are visible.
Basic requirements for kitchen lighting:
- They make light bright, but there must be a measure in everything. The glow should not irritate the eyes and blind. The backlight may be slightly more intense than the main light source.
- If a single light source is provided - a chandelier, then even in a small room a sufficient volume will not be provided. They mount it, as a rule, in the center of the room, therefore, the hostess will turn off the light while cooking by herself.
- At the design stage, it is important to place the fixtures so that they do not create shadows from objects.
- The bulbs built into the hood illuminate only the stove, this is not enough for comfortable and safe operation.
- When choosing lighting products for the working area, it is important that they are combined with other interior elements in the room.
- The calculation of the required number of fixtures should be carried out in advance.
- It is recommended to give preference to energy-saving lamps.
- Choosing the brightness and shade of the glow of the lamps, it is also necessary to analyze the color of the kitchen set and walls.
The working area includes a sink, so it is important to consider that the optimal distance between the light source and water should be at least 50 cm.
Lighting Rules
The perception of the environment depends on the quality of lighting. A separate lighting line is required for the working area - the convenience and appropriateness of this approach can be assessed during operation. A separate switch is displayed for the line. The market offers a wide range of stylish models. To select the lamps, the following standards are taken into account:
- diode lamps - for 1 square meter 4 W;
- halogen lamps - for 1 sq.m 30 W;
- incandescent lamps - for 1 sq.m 9 W;
- luminescent lamps - on 1 sq.m 26 W.
It is also important to take into account some of the features of light.
- Daylight, it is white light, distorts the color of ready-made food and food.
- For headsets made of wood, it is preferable to use warm light, and for modern design solutions - daylight.
- The color illumination set for the working area is used only for decorative purposes, it is very inconvenient to work with it.
It is important to take care of the ability to adjust the light intensity.
At the stage of designing the lighting of the backlight in the kitchen, you need to decide how many lighting devices you need to install, and also determine their power. The task at first may seem difficult, but you should turn to the standards. The optimal amount of lighting for the kitchen is at least 150 lux per 1 sq. M.
It is impractical to count in Watts, because in most modern bulbs the light output per unit of power is not at all the same as for incandescent lamps.
For calculations, it is enough to multiply the area of the room by the norm. However, experts advise to additionally multiply the resulting number by a factor of 1.5.
When zoning a room, most of the lighting fixtures should be installed in the working area.
Ways and places for interior lighting in the kitchen
When organizing lighting in the kitchen, you need to take care not only about zoning, but also the traditional general lighting. You can implement it in several ways.
- The classic way that was common in Soviet times. The bottom line is hanging to the center of the ceiling of the chandelier. The method is practical, but has a significant drawback - the uneven distribution of lighting in the room.
- Spot lighting is a fairly modern method that quickly gained popularity. In stores you can find a large assortment of spotlights. The choice depends primarily on the material from which the ceiling is made: drywall, canvas, wood, concrete.
- Combined lighting combines the installation of a chandelier and spotlights in a variety of configurations.
When it comes to standard ceilings, it is recommended to give preference to conventional overhead lights.
Work area lighting
Illumination of the working area is the most crucial moment, since insufficient lighting negatively affects the eyesight of the hostess, and also increases the likelihood of injury.
When choosing lighting fixtures, the most important criteria are the type and shape of the lamps used. It is better to give preference to LED. Today, this type of lighting is considered the most reliable and durable.
LED lamps can be in the form of tubes. Mount them on special clips - plates that are mounted directly on the furniture. Luminous tubes are inserted into them. Some can be mounted on magnets. Plates made of metal are attached using double-sided tape to furniture, and lighting fixtures are simply attracted to them.
When designing, it is necessary to form such a distribution of light flux so that the illumination of the countertops in the kitchen is uniform. Often they organize lighting with spotlights. This method has one advantage over LED strips - lamp replaceability with new ones and maintainability.
| The number of lighting devices per linear meter | |||||||
|
Type of lighting
|
Power
|
Light flow
|
Mounting height | ||||
| 0,4 | 0,45 | 0,5 | 0,55 | 0,6 | |||
|
Spotlight
|
5 watts | 350 lm | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 6 watts | 400 lm | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | |
| 10 watts | 750 lm | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
Apron backlight
Aprons are usually illuminated with LED strip. Such lighting devices in this case play not only a decorative function, but also add light streams to the working surface. It is worth noting a few important points:
- Installation is carried out in a special plinth. The luminous flux is preferably done directed along the working surface.
- It is recommended to use a matte screen in the baseboard, otherwise glare may appear that is unpleasant to the eye.
- The tape must be moisture resistant, protection class not less than IP65.
Illumination of cabinets inside
Lighting for a kitchen set can be not only external, but also internal. The lighting inside the cabinets is convenient when you need to find something in them, not including the main light. She can also play a decorative role.
For the installation of fixtures inside use special moisture-proof fixtures, the degree of protection is not less than IP65.LED backlighting also remains a priority, since the analogs become very hot, which can cause the headset to spontaneously burn out or damage the surface.
Dining area lights
The lighting of the dining area is divided into two main types: wall and ceiling. They also implement it by several methods:
- track lighting devices;
- cardan lamps that are able to change the angle of incidence of light;
- chandelier with a lampshade and variable height of the suspension.
The listed methods relate to the general ceiling lighting, but if you wish, you can emphasize the dining table with the help of wall lamps. This can be done using a sconce, but only if the dining table is near the wall.
LED strip for the kitchen
Led tapes are a relatively new lighting fixture, so many potential buyers of lighting are skeptical. However, LED lighting for the kitchen has many advantages.
- The most significant advantage is energy-efficient consumption, due to which it will be possible to significantly reduce utility bills.
- Lighting sources are compact in size, practically do not occupy places, but they are able to illuminate fairly large areas.
- They are characterized by low heat transfer, which ensures a high degree of safety during operation.
- A wide variety of colors allows you to choose the most suitable option in a particular case.
If we compare ice lamps with fluorescent lamps, despite the fact that they are characterized by equally good qualities, the first are more functional and have a longer service life.
The main disadvantage of LED lighting is its high cost.
A ribbon with LEDs can immediately be attached to all surfaces, since its reverse side has an adhesive layer. However, it is noted that it is not always reliable enough, therefore, it is additionally fixed with a stapler or double adhesive tape. If the tape will be installed on a kitchen set, the first one should be equipped with a protection class of at least IP-44. But it is better to give preference to models sealed in a tube.
When choosing an LED strip, it is recommended to pay attention to the size of the crystals and their brightness. The optimal size is 50 * 50 or 50 * 75, it is recommended to place them in two rows.
For safety reasons, lighting fixtures can be mounted in special profiles. They are made, as a rule, of aluminum.
How to choose a power supply
Power supplies come in different capacities and sizes. Before buying, you need to calculate the best option so that there is enough stock, but not too much.
To calculate the required power of the power supply for the tape 5 meters in length with a power of 12 W can be as follows: 12 W * 5 m = 60 W. For the margin, a coefficient is added: 1.25 * 60 = 75, therefore, the optimal power of the power supply is 75 watts.
What is required for installation
To install the backlight in the kitchen from an LED strip, you will need the following working equipment:
- LED modules or tape;
- electrical tape, which is required to isolate the joints;
- adapter - power supply for the lighting device;
- sharp scissors for cutting LED strips;
- connecting cord with a cross-sectional area of approximately 0.6 mm.kv;
- double-sided tape for good fixation of parts;
- to connect a wire with a plug to the outlet.
You can do the work yourself, just purchase all the necessary equipment at an affordable cost.
Expert Advice
It is simply impossible to independently understand all the nuances of organizing lighting in the kitchen. Expert Advice:
- If the working area is located near the window, you should make sure that the lighting comes at an angle, otherwise glare and shadow from objects will inevitably form. The direction of light radiation is towards the countertop.
- The lighting design should be in harmony with the design of the room. Therefore, it is recommended to immediately select devices for decorative, main and working lighting.
- It is recommended that the minimum distance between the countertop and the hanging cabinets is maintained. It is most advisable to use rotary lamps that can be fixed on the ceiling.
- Lighting devices with shades and a large number of various decorative elements are not suitable for illuminating the working space. As experience shows, fat and dirt only accumulate on them, and putting them in order is difficult.
Neglecting quality lighting in the kitchen is a big mistake. Cooking in the dark negatively affects the emotional state, and also increases the likelihood of injury.
