Lighting in an apartment or a private house performs not only its practical function, but also acts as a good element of decor. And this applies to any room. For example, the light in the hallway deserves a competent approach to implementation, because it is an integral part of any home! In addition, this particular room has two roles:
- Firstly, this is the place where a person cleans himself before going out.
- Secondly, the entrance hall can be considered a kind of "portal" that connects the bustling outside world with the abode of the inner space, where a special atmosphere of comfort and coziness reigns.
In this regard, it is important not only to take into account the functionality of the room, but also to provide a comfortable environment here, as in other rooms. This can be done in many ways, but consider how in this case it will be possible to beat the room with light.
Corridor specifics and requirements
Organizing the light in the hallway is not as easy as it might seem at first glance. Especiallyif the room has a complex architecture. Nevertheless, no matter how specific the room is, there is always the right solution, the main thing is to take into account all the details.
The main feature of this room is the lack of access to natural light - it simply cannot penetrate here. Therefore, the only way out is the use of lamps. Hence the first requirement is to provide enough light. Only a small lamp, contrary to popular belief, will clearly be missed.
The fact is that a sharp transition from a well-lit room to a dark area causes temporary disorientation. And here the second requirement is already formed - the emitted light in the hallway should partially spread to other rooms. This will ensure a smooth transition from one room to another. That is, there should not be sharp transitions between the hallway and adjoining rooms.
A number of other important details
It's harder to navigate in a dimly lit hallway. Among other requirements, the following important points can be distinguished:
- In addition to light sources with a dim spectrum, too bright lamps should also be avoided. Otherwise, such light will hurt the eyes, which causes severe discomfort.
- A good option is diffused light, while the stream can be directed to the ceiling, and soft lighting will fall on the walls and floor.
- If the corridor is used frequently, then in this case it is optimal to opt for energy-saving or LED lamps. Only in the lastcase, you should carefully consider the choice of a light switch in the hallway. If it is backlit, then the lamp will be on all the time, which can sometimes even be annoying. Therefore, it is better to give preference to ordinary switches without a light bulb.
- It is better to choose lamps in accordance with the general interior of the home.
When choosing lighting for the corridor, the dimensions of this room should also be taken into account. It is often either long and narrow or modest in size.
It is necessary to disguise this feature as much as possible in order to visually balance the entire space.
Ways to organize lighting in the corridor
If the main lamp is usually used in the rooms, then it is optimal to use several lighting options for the corridor:
- General - in any case, you can’t do without it, because without it it’s simply impossible to move around without accidentally breaking something. Yes, and injury is easy to get in a dimly lit room. Therefore, here you should give preference to ceiling chandeliers or spotlights.
- Local - an indispensable part of the whole system, especially in relation to hallways with complex architecture. Here you can focus on various elements of the room. This can be done by installing sconces, floor lamps, lamps with clothespins. Lamps with a directional stream of light will also be useful.
- Additional - this is no longer a mandatory element, as we say in the case of local lighting. More like a decorative elementwhich will accentuate the entire space of the room. With the help of built-in lamps, spotlights, LED, and neon strips, you can create a unique atmosphere endowed with a special charm.
Still, from a professional interior design standpoint, it's best to use all three types of lighting, making for a pretty profitable and successful combination. That is, combine the ceiling lamp in the hallway with other types. Many designers do this in their projects. As a result, an ordinary corridor is transformed into a spacious and comfortable entrance hall.
Main light
There is hardly a room that is lit by natural light during the daytime. In a private house, this is a rarity, but in terms of apartments, this is generally a hoax!
In this regard, you have to use lamps, and almost around the clock. But how to organize all this? This can be accomplished by using a variety of lights.
Popular
The ceiling lamp in the hallway is the most common option among all other analogues. Only specifically for this room, you should choose models without hanging elements - this is more typical for living rooms (bedroom, living room, kitchen). Because of such a lamp, an already small room will become visually even cramped. Moreover, such a chandelier will inevitably create interference when you need to open a tall cabinet or door.
And meanwhile, where, if not in the hallway, clothes are stored,shoes, hats and other necessary things? Therefore, you should pay attention to compact models
Spotlights
This is the best option for creating light in a small hallway. A distinctive feature of these lamps is that they can be partially or completely buried in the ceiling. This saves space and evenly illuminates the entire room.
Only here there is one caveat - as you can understand, such lamps are relevant only for suspended or stretch ceilings. As for their location, it is not necessary to form strictly straight rows from them. Professional designers recommend using a chaotic order. As a last resort, you can surround the main chandelier with them, or create any pattern or pattern instead.
Spots
This is an intermediate option between a ceiling chandelier and a spotlight. The main advantage is the ability to install fixtures on a wall or ceiling. Moreover, they are equipped with several shades that can be directed in different directions, which allows you to play with the light, as your soul desires. As an option - direct the light flux to different angles or concentrate them all in one desired zone.
It is optimal to place 2 or 3 spots with three lamps on the ceiling, pointing them in different directions. But this option is closer to small corridors. If the room is narrow, but long, then it is advisable to choose a string for the entire length of the ceiling and also turn the shades inopposite sides. Moreover, this rule is relevant not only to the ceiling surface, but also to the walls.
Local lighting
With the main fixtures everything is more or less clear, but what about local lighting? It has already been mentioned earlier that their role is to place accents in relation to some objects or objects in the room. In this case, it is ideal to dwell on the zoning of the room, depending on its size. That is, you can beat the design in the hallway with light by highlighting those objects that are in the corridor:
- Paintings, drawings, photographs, sculpture, painted vases, aquariums and other valuable items - all this will look good and even look a bit like museum exhibits.
- If there is a closet in the corridor, then local lamps will provide the necessary lighting.
- In a private house, usually the corridors can be spacious and include a sofa, armchair or any other piece of furniture. In such a large hallway, you can equip a good seating area.
Wall-mounted sconces, floor lamps, ribbons using LED or neon technology, as well as spots are suitable for implementing these ideas. The last to optimally illuminate the cabinet, for which it is worth placing the lamps on the wall opposite its doors.
In this case, local lighting can be made brighter than the main one. But you should avoid a sharp contrast at the border of two light streams.
Additional sources
With the help of these lamps, you can noticeably transform the hallway, making it even more comfortable and bringing a bit of zest. ATIn this case, you can get away from direct functionality, which is even recommended. Instead, you should imagine that you are solving the problem of designing decorative lighting.
This is easy to beat in the following ways:
- Cover the ceiling lights with a translucent pendant structure.
- LED strips along ceiling or floor cornices. In the latter case, it will be a duty lighting, which will increase the safety of movement.
- The easiest idea to implement in the hallway is to build the backlight into the fillets. This is the best option for corridors with low ceilings, which are not suitable for suspended structures.
- Instead of the tape mentioned above, you can place spotlights with matte shades so as not to blind anyone.
- False windows - a win-win option for those owners who do not have enough daylight. Its implementation is not so complicated: a niche is created where lamps emit light that is as close as possible to the natural spectrum. Further, all devices are closed with a special window design.
But exactly how many fixtures do you need to use to create high-quality lighting in a hallway with stretch ceilings or a regular surface? It is impossible to give an unambiguous answer here, since everything depends on the size of the hallway and the architectural complexity. Therefore, one should rely on these factors, and then even the narrowest and cramped space can be made cozy by turning it into a real work of art.art!
Required attribute
Practically in any hallway there is a mirror, in front of which it is convenient to put yourself in order, going to work or a walk. And in order to look comfortable in it, it also needs the right lighting.
To this end, it is worth considering a number of important points regarding the placement of fixtures:
- The light source can be placed on the wall in close proximity to the mirror or on it.
- It is advisable to choose fixtures with a simple shape that create a soft diffused light.
- By providing the area with a mirror with enough light, you can examine your reflection in detail.
- Positioning the lamp on top, you can achieve maximum comfort for the eyes.
- Original sconces with a reflective background will allow you to scatter the light flux throughout the corridor.
And yet, among all sources, swivel models or luminaires with flexible arms will serve as a profitable solution for illuminating a reflective surface. Only in this case it should be taken into account that the light above the mirror in the hallway should not serve as a replacement for the main stream, but only be its complement, nothing more.
L-shaped layout
In most cases, corridors in apartments or houses have a standard shape - a long rectangle or square in section. However, there are other options, as in this case, which can cause certain difficulties. However, there is a way out - the entire space of the hallway in the form of the letter "G" is optimally divided intoseveral functional areas by grouping fixtures.
At the same time, they must be positioned in such a way as to illuminate all corners of the room. In the center of the hallway, it is optimal to hang a chandelier as the main fixture, and let additional lamps illuminate the existing objects in the hallway, including the mirror.
Technical points
Wiring should be done by a person who understands all the intricacies of working with electricity. Without the appropriate skills and abilities, it is better not to take risks by abandoning any experiments, because we are talking about a voltage of 220 volts, and this is life-threatening. At the very least, you can try to hang the sconce on the wall in the hallway on your own without involving a specialist. There is no longer such a serious threat, but even in this case, caution will not hurt.
During the wiring, it is advisable to make a supply of wires in case you need to add a couple more other fixtures. This applies not only to lamps, but also to switches. If the corridor is quite long, then it is possible to provide the opportunity to turn the lighting on and off from two places. This can be done by mounting walk-through switches.
But it is more convenient to connect the lamps to the motion sensor. In this case, the light will turn on every time you enter the corridor and turn off when the sensor stops registering movements around the room.
Common mistakes
When organizing lighting in the hallway of an apartment or a private house, some loversfrills and sophistication make a number of mistakes:
- Insufficient room lighting.
- Mounting too many fixtures.
- The selection of fixtures was done incorrectly - a large chandelier for a small hallway, or the opposite phenomenon - installing a sconce too small in a spacious corridor.
- Installation of light sources in the wrong place.
Such errors lead to the fact that the room visually seems smaller. In addition, the interior design itself deteriorates significantly. For this reason, the choice of fixtures should be taken more carefully. The same applies to where they are installed.
