What is lighting lighting design?

The beauty and comfort of the interior largely depends on its correct lighting. Any design project begins with the stage of choosing lighting devices and working out their location, since it will be difficult to fix these details in the process of decorating an apartment..

The concept of “light design” is much more complex and multifaceted than it might seem at first glance. He should put in a favorable light the dignity of the room and hide its shortcomings, make it cozy and comfortable, emphasize the individuality of the owner.

Lighting design is usually divided into three components, each of which has a special role in creating stylish and harmonious interior lighting..

• General design – is the background, which should be based on when working out the location of other light sources.
• Light architecture – subdivided into interior, exterior and interior. Defines the general style, makes lighting design more individual and expressive.
• Lighting design is everything that can be swapped and moved. The most flexible lighting element that expresses the individuality of the owner.

Usually a competent project includes all three elements, because only their skillful combination can create an interesting and stylish interior.

Beautiful design depends a lot on lighting

You need to be careful about lighting design.

Using light, you can highlight or hide interior elements

What kind of lighting is

There are several types of lighting, each of which has its own functions and implementation rules:

View	Function	Requirement
Background	Complex lighting of the space, creating the background	Maximum covered area, minimum shadows
Local	Emphasizes details	Suitable spectrum of light
Working	Spot lighting of areas where light is especially needed	Optimal light for human perception
Decorative	Aesthetic	Harmlessness
Background illumination	Makes what is happening in the room inaccessible to prying eyes	Must be opaque from the outside

The right lighting can change the interior beyond recognition.

There are several types of lighting

Effect of lighting on emotional state

The choice of lamps depends not only on the appearance of your apartment, but also on the mental and emotional state of its inhabitants. Scientists have found that lighting that affects us has many properties that can be both beneficial and harmful..

• Yellow light is a classic option that people are unlikely to ever give up. This color creates an atmosphere of comfort and is good for the eyes..

• Due to white lighting, a person’s working capacity is increased. But if the sharpness of such light is too high, it quickly gets tired..

• Red energizes and vigor, increases blood pressure.

• Orange color provokes an improvement in appetite and an increase in heart rate.

• The blue glow is relaxing and the pressure is lowered.

• Green lighting is used in bedrooms and children’s rooms. It soothes and relaxes and is very comfortable on the eyes..

• Purple and blue light is not used for living spaces and long-stay rooms. These colors are depressing and irritating..

Blue light will help you relax

Each color has its own effect on a person.

Lighting can affect emotional state

How to regulate natural light

When passing through glass and reflecting from mirrors, natural light becomes too harsh and harsh. You can smooth out this light effect with the help of translucent and openwork obstacles – tulle and organza. By diffusing light, they make natural light smooth and comfortable..

Another way to control the light flow from the windows is vertical blinds. They make it less rigid, and at a certain turn, they give it the necessary direction. With their help, the level of illumination of the room is regulated by just a few hand movements..

Light can highlight the necessary items in the interior

In some cases, you can do without natural light.

Artificial lighting principles

The illumination of any space is subject to many sanitary and hygienic requirements, determined by various GOSTs and norms. You can study them for a long time and persistently, but it will be more convenient to get acquainted only with the most important of them..

Indicators	Bedrooms and living rooms	Kitchens and dining rooms	GYM’s	Children’s rooms	Workrooms	Hallways	Toilets	Bathrooms	Pools
Illumination, lx	150	150	150	200	300	50	50	100	100
KEO	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.7	1.0	Do not regulate	Do not regulate	Do not regulate	0.5
UGR	0	0	60	0	0	0	Do not regulate	Do not regulate	60

All values ​​in this table are only the required minimum, no norms set the upper limit values..

Not every reader is familiar with the concepts of KEO and UGR. Let’s try to figure out what it is and how they differ from each other..

In the bedroom, you can do without strong light sources. A few lamps will be enough

For each design, the lighting should be selected individually

There are some norms for lighting different rooms.

KEO

The Daylight Ratio is the ratio of natural light to total light. The parameter determines the proportion of natural light that enters the space of the room. Let’s give the simplest example.

Suppose we measured the illumination in the middle of the living room, and it was 300 lux. Let’s go to the open balcony adjacent to this room, and measure the level of illumination there. Let’s say it was 500 lux. Then KEO will be calculated as 300/500 = 0.6. Comparing this indicator with the table value, we come to the conclusion that the light corresponds to the norm.

UGR

The discomfort factor is determined by international standards and serves as a measure of the hardness of the light. It is measured in the range from 1 to 100 and is determined by polarization, coherence and spectrum of the luminous flux..

In simple terms, this value shows how soft and favorable the light in the room is for the human eye..

Lighting can highlight some objects in the interior.

If the room has a lot of natural light, you can get by with a chandelier.

Fundamental rules

Having dealt with the norms, it is worth talking about the basic rules, which are no longer responsible for the absence of harm to human health, but for the harmonious aesthetic design of the interior.

1. Lighting design must be consistent with the color of the interior.

2. The flow of light visually stretches the room, lengthening it in the direction of its direction.

3. Light rooms illuminate evenly, made in dark colors – each zone separately.

4. In the work area, the ideal light is white.

5. It is better to illuminate light objects with colored light, and for bright details choose bright local lighting.

6. Intense shadows and lack of light in certain areas are best avoided..

The flow of light visually stretches the room, lengthening it in the direction of its direction

In the bedroom, you can get by with a chandelier and several lamps

The lighting solution must necessarily be combined with the interior of the room.

Pros and cons of chandeliers

The most common type of lamps that are used in the interior of any room and style are pendant and ceiling chandeliers. They use different types of lamps, they differ in style and design, but the most important parameter when choosing is the material from which the chandelier is made.

Material	pros	Minuses
Metal	Strength, durability Easy to clean	Due to the large mass, the chandelier requires a more durable fixing to the ceiling. High price
Glass	Variety of shapes and colors No deformation Ease of cleaning	Fragility
Wood	Environmental friendliness Harmonious combination with wooden furniture	Demanding care Impervious to moisture Exposure to light Fragility
Crystal	Luxurious presentable look Creating a play of light	High price Fragility
Plastic	Minimum cost Ease	Tends to fade in the light
Textile	Originality Reasonable price	Fragility Soiling Immunity to fire

Chandeliers unambiguously look quite stylish and play up the general stylistic idea of ​​the interior, creating an atmosphere of warmth and comfort around them, but they also have disadvantages:

• Difficult installation.
• Difficulty cleaning. In order to clean the chandelier well, you first have to unscrew the shades, and then screw them into place.
• High cost compared to conventional luminaires.
• Not suitable for rooms with low ceilings.
• Markingness. Decorative chandeliers located under the ceiling collect a lot of dust due to the abundance of hanging elements.

Despite their beauty, they are very difficult to install and maintain.

Chandeliers always look very stylish

Pros and cons of fixtures

The latest generation of luminaires, which are extremely popular, are LED or LED luminaires. Their success in the market is due to the many advantages of such lighting:

• Durability. Service life over 50 thousand hours.

• Energy saving.

• Profitability.

• High efficiency.

• Ability to change color, brightness and temperature of lighting.

• Compact and flexible modules that allow you to implement a variety of design ideas.

• Strength.

• Environmental friendliness.

• Security. These luminaires have an extremely low risk of fire..

Regarding the disadvantages of LED lighting, it is worth saying the following:

• The high cost can be scary at first, but it is fully compensated for by the long service life and economy of such devices..

• LED driver is required to provide power to the device.

• LEDs tend to lose brightness and their light becomes dimmer.

• Replacing a burnt out LED can be problematic.

Using luminaires, you can highlight specific areas

At the moment, LED lamps are very popular.

Sometimes lamps are used as a decorative element.

Street lighting

Outdoor lighting of the house is performed for decorative, security or functional purposes..

It is customary to pay special attention to functional lighting in the project, since it is she who is responsible for safe movement in the yard. The main objects are garden paths, steps and a porch, and the most popular solution is small lamps with short legs. They will perfectly fit into any landscape design and will not take up much space, and in the dark they will perfectly cope with their task..

Advice for the most economical owners is to use solar-powered lamps, their choice is also huge.

To save money, you can use solar-powered lamps

Outdoor lighting of the house is performed for decorative, security or functional purposes.

Decorative lighting is designed to highlight the most attractive details of your garden with light. It can be installed by a fountain, pond, recreation area or garden sculpture.

Properly organized light interior design is able to work miracles, transforming the space, changing the direction of the flow of light and having a beneficial effect on the human psyche. The main thing in pursuit of a stylish and modern interior design is to follow the lighting rules and not forget about your own comfort and health..

Video: Light design of the apartment

 50 photos of interior lighting design ideas: