How to properly position the lamps on a stretch ceiling

Proper arrangement of fixtures on a stretch ceiling will not only make the room cozy, but also create comfortable conditions for rest and work. Due to a well-chosen scheme, you can provide good coverage of the desired areas or highlight individual elements of the interior. To choose the optimal solution, you need to take into account several recommendations.

Spotlights in the stretch ceiling look spectacular.

Recommendations for the placement of fixtures

There is no regulation that regulates the rules for placing spotlights in a stretch ceiling. On the one hand, this does not limit your preferences, on the other hand, you can make a number of mistakes and the result will not be the best. General advice - consider the purpose of the room. If this is a place of rest, subdued light is better, if it is a work area, you need high-quality lighting that is close to natural.

Placement rules

If you take into account simple recommendations, then choosing the right lighting is easy. The main thing is not to rush and think through every little thing well so as not to miss a single important aspect. Remember the following:

1. When placing luminaires symmetrically, it is worth carefully checking their location so that there are no displacements. If the equipment is crooked, the appearance of the ceiling and the illumination will be disturbed.
   Keep the minimum distance.
2. For each zone it is better to put a separate switch. If there are a lot of spot elements, it is better to think about how to separate them so that only the part that is needed at a certain moment is included. This will not only reduce electricity consumption, but also allow you to illuminate only one area.
3. If a transformer is included, position it so that it is easily accessible. Most often, it is this element that burns out, so you should think in advance where to install it, so that if necessary, replace it without any problems.
4. pick up body size under the features of the ceiling. You need to know exactly the distance from the canvas to the ceiling in order to choose the right model and it does not rest on the ceiling. The minimum distance must be 5 cm.
5. You can arrange equipment in lines, a semicircle, a snake, etc. There are no restrictions, but you need to select an option in advance and apply labels to make sure the result looks attractive.
6. For the working area, make bright lighting, for the recreation area, muffled. Consider the presence of other light sources (chandeliers, sconces), as they also give an effect.

You can even combine different types of built-in lights.

Advice! If you need to shift the accents of lighting or adjust the direction of the light, it is better to put rotary lights.

Take into account the lighting standards for different rooms. They are installed in accordance with sanitary standards per square meter. The first indicator in the list is for incandescent lamps, the second one is for luminescent options, the third - for LEDs:

1. In the hallway - 10, 6 and 2.5 watts.
2. For the bathroom - 20-22, 14 and from 5.2 to 5.4.
3. In the nursery 60, 36, 6.8.
4. For the kitchen 26, 15-16 and 6.8.
5. Bedroom - from 12 to 15, from 8 to 10, from 2.7 to 3.4.
6. Hall or living room - 20-22, from 13 to 14, 5.2-5.4.

If you follow the rules, it will not be difficult to determine the number of lamps by adding their total power and dividing by the area of ​​​​the room.

For the hallway, you can use only this option, the chandelier is not needed.

Recommendations for choosing fixtures

Given a few simple tips, choosing a lamp is easy. If you know the placement of points and the arrangement of furniture in the room, there will be no problems with calculating the power. But there are a number of other criteria that should not be forgotten:

1. Degree of moisture protection. For a bathroom, bathroom or kitchen, it is better to choose models with increased moisture protection, which are marked IP44.
2. The type of light bulb used. It is better not to buy options with a traditional incandescent lamp, as they get very hot, which is undesirable for a stretch ceiling. Fluorescent and halogen are also not the best fit. The ideal solution is LEDs, they consume little energy and do not get very hot during operation.
3. Appearance. The spotlight should be combined with the light of the ceiling and fit into the interior.
4. If you need to shift the focus of lighting, it is better to choose rotary options.

Advice! Do not buy the cheapest models, their quality usually leaves much to be desired, and the service life is short.

A spotlight is a complete element of interior design.

At choice of fixtures take into account the type of cartridge and simplicity lamp replacementthe easier it is to do it, the better. Options with LEDs come without lamps, in this case, if they fail, you will have to buy new ones or disassemble and solder the diodes, which is not very simple.

Distance between luminaires, basic norms

In order for the room to be well lit, and the ceiling to look beautiful, you need to follow a few rules for the location of the lamps. Everything is simple here:

1. There should be at least 20 cm from the wall to the edge of the spotlight. If you place it closer, then the main part of the light will go to the wall, which can only be useful if you need to highlight a picture, sculpture or something else. It is better to retreat from the wall by 25-30 cm, but in small rooms use the minimum rate.
2. The distance between spotlights must be no less than 30 cm. This is the minimum allowable value, which should be measured from the edge of the housing, and not from the center. But it is better to put the equipment in 40-50 cm, so you can provide good light and at the same time the ceiling will look neat. But it is not worth placing spotlights at a distance of more than a meter.
3. If there are seams on the stretch ceiling, the equipment must not be placed closer than 20 cm from them. From this, the reliability of the web is reduced and the risk of rupture increases significantly. If possible, retreat from the seams by 25-30 cm, plan the position of the lamps so that there is no empty space near the joint.

If on the packaging or in the instructions for the lamp there are norms for its installation with distances greater than those indicated, they must be observed.To roughly determine the location, it is worth making a simple diagram with a plan of all the lamps in the room.

Placement example for a square room

Popular layouts for different rooms

The location of spotlights depends on the room in which they are installed, its area and nature of use. Each room has its own rules that must be followed. Below are several options for placement both without a chandelier and with it.

The larger the room, the more options you can choose from.

Hallway and corridor

Most often, the room has an elongated shape, a small width, and there is no natural light in it. The exception is corridors and hallways in private homes. It is important to remember the following here:

1. With a width of more than one and a half meters, it is best to put spotlights around the perimeter. This is enough for normal lighting of the room. In narrow corridors, it is worth placing the equipment in one row in the middle.
2. To add light and volume, it is better to use light glossy ceilings and small built-in lights.
3. You can hang mirrors on the walls and place sconces around them to add light.
4. Select an area near the mirror, if any.

In this case, adjustable options are well suited. After installation, you can set the light so that the room is illuminated evenly over the entire area.

Illumination along the perimeter makes the lighting of the corridor spectacular.

Kitchen

It all depends on the size and shape of the room. The larger the area, the wider the possibilities for decoration. There are some general guidelines to keep in mind though:

1. For a small kitchen, you can make spotlights the main source of light. In this case, they should be staggered over the entire surface.
2. In medium and large rooms, built-in options and a chandelier in the middle are usually combined.
3. Spot lighting is very good for highlighting the dining area. There you can place several lamps and put on them a separate switch key.
4. The working area should be illuminated in this way only if there are no hanging cabinets in the kitchen.
5. It is better to use models with increased protection against moisture.

For a small kitchen, spotlights are enough.

Note! Retractable adjustable options are well suited, with their help it is easy to illuminate exactly the area that is needed.

Living room and hall

In these rooms, the location of the lamps on the ceiling can be anything. It all depends on the size of the room, the arrangement of furniture and the nuances of using a particular zone. Features are:

1. Usually one or two chandeliers take center stage. Built-in elements are used as an additional source of light, which has both practical and decorative value.
2. If the ceiling is made in the form of figures or has niches and ledges, the position of the spotlights is selected according to their configuration. In this case, you need to remember about the distance that should be observed.
3. You can select a separate zone if it is used for games or needlework. In this case, it is better to put a separate switch button on a group of fixtures.
4. For decorative use, highlighting some elements or illuminating paintings, you can put the equipment close to the wall or even place it in niches.

Diagonal line arrangement.

Here you can implement any projects, especially if the area is large. But we must remember that the more lamps in the ceiling, the more difficult wiring diagram and more installation costs.

Bedroom

In this room, most often they rest, so calm, subdued light, which is evenly distributed over the entire area, is better. But there are also some features:

1. You can light up the reading area by using recessed lights instead of traditional sconces.
2. The space around the wardrobe should be allocated especially. Here a person dresses and evaluates the appearance.
3. If the bedroom has a dressing table or work desk, this area should be lit separately to turn on bright light if necessary.

In this room, you can build in fixtures both in the stretch ceiling and in the closet, if it is large. If the area of ​​​​the room is small, it is realistic to do without a chandelier.

Stylish decoration of the ceiling in the bedroom.

Children's

In this room, focus on the quality of lighting. It should be close to natural daylight so that the child does not strain his eyesight. The rules are:

1. Place spotlights as an additional element. It is best to use LED models.
2. Highlight the playing area and the desktop so that there is perfect lighting.
3. You can install strip lighting around the perimeter so that at night there is a muted light that replaces the nightlight.

Use safe equipment. If possible, install lamps with at least a minimum possibility of adjustment in order to set the light well.

The original design of the stretch ceiling in the nursery with built-in lights.

Thematic video

Bathroom and bathroom

Most often these are small rooms, so they can be fully illuminated with built-in lights. The basic rules are:

1. If the bathroom is tiny, it is enough to put 2 elements in the middle to evenly illuminate the space.
2. For the bathroom, choose the location of the light sources so that the space in front of the mirror is well lit.
3. Use only moisture resistant models.
4. Choose a scheme according to the area and shape of the room. Most often, the lamps are placed along the walls, but you can add a few in the middle.

For a small bathroom area, two lamps are enough.

It is not difficult to choose the correct location of spotlights in a stretch ceiling if you use the recommendations from the review and take into account the characteristics of the room. It is worth observing the distance standards and taking into account the presence of other lighting equipment.