How to choose a lamp for the kitchen?
The modern lighting market offers thousands of models from dozens of manufacturers around the world. The buyer has the opportunity to choose ceiling, pendant, recessed point models. There are no restrictions - choose, pay. But wait, hide the money. You will need them much later, when you learn all the intricacies of choosing lighting fixtures, the formula for calculating the required power, the "pitfalls" of using light bulbs of one kind or another. To start the selection process by sorting models by price is completely wrong. Because, as always, you can find a lamp that will be the perfect addition to the kitchen, but the cost of which is 50 or 200 euros higher than the upper price level you set. Agree, overpaying even 300 euros for the ideal option is better than making a compromise in order to save this amount.
So where do you start choosing a light source for your kitchen? Buyers, as a rule, when choosing a model, are guided by the following factors:
- style
- dimensions
- color
- type
- power
- specifications
- construction
- type of lamps
- price
For some, the style of the luminaire may be the most important factor, for others, dimensions are of paramount importance, and the third most important is the total power of the model. Nevertheless, it is imperative to know all the selection factors. Therefore, we will describe each of them in detail. Buyers are also concerned about the quality and safety of lighting fixtures, but they are protected by certificates, brand warranties, the reputation of the manufacturer and the selling company.
Now let's look at each item separately.
Style
If an ordinary buyer is asked the question “what interior styles do you know?”, Most will name classics, hi-tech, modern, oriental and some others. In fact, "classic" is the general name for traditional design trends, while hi-tech, modern and oriental are just separate styles of modern, modern and ethnic trends.
Below, we'll cover each of them to help you develop an understanding of basic stylistic concepts. This is extremely important, since without understanding the framework of individual styles, without knowing their characteristic features, it will be problematic to choose a lamp or chandelier model that suits the interior.
Modern direction
In addition to the already mentioned high-tech, modern trends include:
- minimalism
- constructivism
- loft
- futurism
- abstractionism
- bauhaus
In this style, preference is given to geometric shapes, simple lines, and the functionality of the product is brought to the same level with decorativeness. Modern style is metal, glass, plastic, sometimes wood. This is a limitless choice of colors - from snow-white with a cold shade to warm hot red, from restrained gray to "mouth-watering" salad.
Nothing superfluous, convenience and conciseness is the motto of modern lamps.
Stylish direction
This trend is most clearly represented by three styles - Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Art Nouveau. They are a transitional link from modernity to classic design concepts. Rich silhouettes, expensive materials, sophisticated decor, "deep" colors - these are the distinctive features of modern lamps. Such models will complement rich interiors with expensive finishes, luxurious furniture and ornaments.
Traditional styles
It is customary to call traditional styles that have arisen in Europe since about the 9th century AD:
- romanesque
- gothic style
- baroque
- rococo
- epire style
- classicism
If you have a lamp in front of you that you can easily imagine in the interior of a palace, castle or manor, you should know: this model is made in traditional style.
The "classics" are characterized by: rich noble colors, complex shapes, luxury, gloss, chic. These are the styles of the European nobility, which means that such a lighting device should be selected only for the corresponding large-area kitchen, with luxurious furniture decorated with classic decorative elements.
When choosing a lamp for the kitchen, make sure that the materials, colors, shapes in the interior are in harmony with the design of the model. Only then will the lighting fixture be the logical crown of the interior.
The size
The size or dimensions of the luminaire is a factor that cannot be neglected. An incorrectly selected model in width will look too massive, it will visually "crush". And the wrong choice in height will corny interfere with free passage.
To correctly select the device, you need to know a few simple formulas.
The width of the luminaire (the distance between the two extreme points of its structure) should not exceed 1/3 of the width of the room. In this case, the width of the room refers to the distance between the two nearest walls. The distance occupied by the built-in kitchen units is not taken into account.
The height of the luminaire from the base (ceiling) to the lowest point should not exceed 1/4 of the room height.
Thus, a lamp for a kitchen with sides of 4 x 5 meters and a ceiling height of 3.5 meters must have dimensions of no more than 1.33 meters in width and no more than 0.87 meters in height.
Color
It is a mistake to consider it simple to match the color of the lamp. For almost any room, choosing the color of a lighting fixture consists in finding a shade that is already used in the interior. For example, bright red shades complement the red upholstery of the dining area chairs well. Or snow-white lampshades are "in tune" with white furniture. In the kitchen, the color of the lamp must be in harmony with the surrounding objects and finishes visually, and psychologically with people!
According to modern psychology, the colors of the surrounding objects have a direct impact not only on the emotional and psychological background of a person, but also on his appetite! Of course, this factor plays a more important role in the selection of finishing materials or furniture. But if the design of your kitchen allows you to choose the colors of the lamp from several options, be sure to consider the following points:
- blue, blue, blue-green tones have a calming effect. Their presence in the kitchen can reduce appetite. Chrome, mirror surfaces have the same effect
- lilac, dark blue, as well as black color can completely cause rejection of food. This is explained by the fact that food products of these flowers practically do not occur in nature. Therefore, a person's appetite subconsciously decreases due to the risk of poisoning (even if illusory)
- yellow, orange, red light will add warm shades to the light, which, on the contrary, stimulates appetite. This is due to the fact that the reddish color of food products (especially fruits) indicates their ripeness. This means great appetizing
- green is associated with healthy eating
- white - deceiving. Subconsciously, white is perceived as something clean, fresh, safe. Hence the erroneous feeling arises that one more extra piece will not hurt
- gilding, characteristic of some traditional lamps, also soothes the appetite. But psychologically, it acts differently - the feeling of aristocracy created by gilding makes a person behave more restrained. Hence - a decrease in the amount of food consumed.
Designers DECOVIX recommend: if the interior of the kitchen allows you to choose between blue, black and orange lamps, be sure to stop at the last option.
And if you really love to eat, but are forced to constantly monitor your figure, then choose black and gold, but avoid white.
Type
Now we turn to the description of the types of kitchen lamps. There is nothing difficult here. Allocate:
- ceiling
- suspended
- embedded point models.
The ceiling luminaire differs in that it is fixed directly to the ceiling and is not height adjustable. Ceiling options are ideal for low-rise spaces.
Owners of kitchens with stretch ceilings need to consider one more point: due to the close location of the plinths to the ceiling surface, incandescent lamps cannot be used in such models. They heat up excessively, which can lead to deformation or even burn through the PVC film of the stretch ceiling.
A pendant lamp, as the name implies, is suspended from a chain, wire or rope. Its height is adjustable, which means that you can use any type of light bulb - they will be at a sufficient distance from the stretch fabric. Such models can be recommended for kitchens with ceilings of at least 3.2 meters in height.
A recessed spotlight is essentially a ceiling version. But it is mounted inside a suspended structure (plasterboard, PVC canvas). For obvious reasons, it will be problematic to embed such a model into the main floor. For built-in models, you should be extremely careful in choosing the types of bulbs - again, due to increased heating.
Power
Speaking about the power of a luminaire, we mean the maximum total power of its lamps. This indicator depends on three factors:
- from the number of bulbs
- from the power of each of the bulbs
- on the type of lamp used (we will talk about this below).
The operating instructions for the luminaire must contain information on the maximum power of the product. This is a kind of manufacturer's guarantee, by which he shows at what power the device will work efficiently and safely.
In addition, the page of each model of the lighting fixture in the catalog of our store also contains data on the maximum power of the fixture and the number of bulbs used in it.
We recommend that you always pay attention to this information before ordering a model.
Construction
From the design of the luminaire, the buyer needs to know about two elements:
- about reflectors
- about lampshades and diffusers
Reflectors are curved surfaces that mirror the light coming from the bulbs, directing it downward. Thanks to reflectors, the illumination is more intense, more directional. For the kitchen, this decision is quite justified. But, unfortunately, not every luminaire model boasts a reflector.
Unlike reflectors, lampshades and diffusers evenly distribute light over the area of the room, making the lighting more defocused. This solution is most in demand in kitchens that include a dining area. In addition, it is much more comfortable for a person to be under a soft, evenly distributed light for a long time.
Lamp type
Now we turn to the question of what type of light bulbs to use for lighting the kitchen.
The modern lighting equipment market offers a fairly large number of varieties, but the following four types of bulbs have earned the greatest popularity among buyers:
- incandescent lamps
- halogen (halogen)
- compact luminescent
- LED
As usual, each of these types has a number of advantages and disadvantages. Buyers choose the one that best meets their requirements.
Incandescent lamp
The incandescent lamp is the most common light source today. It can be purchased anywhere, and the price will not burden even the most modest budget.
The advantages of this type of light bulb include the warm shade of their light. Thanks to this shade, the interior becomes more comfortable and cozy. If in your kitchen it is customary to gather in the evenings with the whole family, with friends for a long communication, then the choice of incandescent lamps for lighting will be justified. In this light, the eyes do not strain, do not get tired.
The pluses include:
- instant ignition
- a large number of on / off cycles
- high brightness
- invisibility of flickering for the human eye (hence the absence of eye fatigue during a long stay of a person indoors with incandescent lamps)
- the ability to use lighting devices with dimmers that regulate the brightness level.
As for the shortcomings, there are also quite a few of them. For example, incandescent bulbs are the most inefficient. Their efficiency indicators only slightly exceed 5%. This means that they spend only 5% of the incoming electricity directly on lighting. The rest of the energy is used for heating. It is because of excessive heating that this type of light bulb is not recommended for use in ceiling lamps on stretch ceilings. The service life of such lamps is also not encouraging - as a rule, they work no more than 1000 hours.
Halogen lamps
Halogen bulbs are a technically advanced version of the previous type of bulbs. Yes, "halogens" are also incandescent bulbs. Their difference is that there is a vacuum inside the bulb of a traditional light bulb, and iodine or bromine vapors inside halogen lamps. Thanks to such a replacement, the ability to significantly increase the luminous efficiency (approximately 30 lm / W), increase the efficiency, economy, as well as the quality of color reproduction. In addition, halogen models have become more compact. This means that the scope of their use has become wider. Finally, such bulbs work about twice as long as the “Ilyich bulbs”.
The disadvantages of "halogen" include:
- extreme sensitivity to voltage drops, which is why it is impractical to use them without additional stabilizers
- increased fire hazard. The light bulbs become very hot, as a result of which the bulb can detach from the base. Due to the strong heating, it is difficult to use "halogens" inside suspended or stretch ceilings.
As for the practical use of halogen lamps in the kitchen, here we note their good color rendering. The color temperature is 2800-3000K. It only slightly falls short of the "warmth" of incandescent lamps. But the warm tone is still visible to the human eye, which means that the light itself is perceived comfortably. For the kitchen, the choice of "halogen" is entirely justified.
Compact fluorescent lamps (CFL)
This type of lamp is usually called more simply - energy-saving light bulbs. The demand for them has grown significantly in recent years. First of all, because of the efficiency of "energy saving". Indeed, when compared with incandescent lamps, CFLs are approximately five times more economical. Other advantages include:
- the ability to provide uniform diffused lighting throughout the room
- longer service life than incandescent bulbs (however, this item can be safely crossed out if the user's network has an unstable voltage)
- less heating of the bulb, which is why CFL can be used in ceiling lamps in kitchens with stretch ceilings.
In addition, the market offers varieties of fluorescent lamps with different color temperatures, which allows customers to choose the shade of light according to their own taste. However, many, when purchasing an "energy saving", do not pay attention to the color temperature. As a result, they can illuminate the kitchen with light with a cool tint, which is undesirable. Firstly, such lighting is perceived as uncomfortable, not conducive to warm friendly communication. Secondly, a cold tone can distort the natural color of products (mainly meat), making them unnatural, less attractive.
Other disadvantages of energy saving light bulbs include:
- a sharp decrease in service life with frequent switching on and off
- incompatibility with dimmers for incandescent lamps
- delayed ignition
- gradual increase in brightness.
LED bulbs
The cost of LED lamps is still really high, but it is constantly decreasing following the reduction in the cost of production technologies. We are convinced that very soon LED or LED lamps will take a leading position in the market. The reasons for this confidence are based on the knowledge of the advantages of LED lighting:
- exceptional energy efficiency (they are about ten times more economical than traditional bulbs)
- significantly longer service life (30,000-50,000 hours or more for LED versus 1,000 hours for conventional bulbs)
- the ability to choose a model with light of absolutely any color temperature
- absolute safety (environmental, fire).
The main disadvantage of LED lamps, as we have already said, is their high cost. But through simple calculations, one can understand: the high cost of ICEs pays off in several years.
Specifications
Here we will consider what you need to pay extra attention to when selecting:
- the ability to adjust the lighting level (presence of a dimmer, several switching modes)
- type and diameter of the base (for example, threaded E14, E27, E40 or pin G4, GU10, GX53)
- maximum lamp power consumption. It is usually calculated for incandescent light bulbs, but allows you to get a general idea of the future costs of lighting a kitchen area
Material
Now we will devote just a couple of sentences to materials. Everything is simple here: the kitchen is distinguished by a high content of steam, fat, and various inclusions in the air. For her, it is advisable to choose lighting fixtures with glass, ceramic, acrylic or plastic elements. These materials are excellent for kitchen conditions. If you buy a model with smooth surfaces of lampshades, horns, body, then make it easier for yourself to care for it in the future.
But we recommend that you refuse to buy a lamp or a chandelier with textile lampshades. Or purchase the most powerful hood.
P.S. We hope that now you can easily choose and buy from our catalog the ideal lamp for the kitchen - beautiful, suitable in size, bright, economical. One that will become an interior decoration and a faithful companion for warm family dinners.
