Design techniques, layouts of lamps, and their types – we tell you how to arrange lighting in the entrance area.
Thinking about the lighting in the hallway, you need to solve several problems at once: compensate for the lack of natural light , visually increase the area and, finally, make sure that a person, looking in the mirror before going out, can evaluate his appearance. In this article, we will analyze all the features of building a lighting scheme with examples.
Features of the entrance area
Basically, the hallway is a dark and most often small area in the apartment. The lack of windows and the specific shape of the room require special ingenuity when planning artificial light. This also adds the need to organize a storage system and a place with a mirror where you can put yourself in order and evaluate your appearance before leaving the house.
So that when moving from other rooms there is no sharp light contrast, the entrance group must be well lit. That is why here the number of light points per square meter is greater than in any other room, and excessive illumination is not a whim, but a necessity.
Basic Rules
First, a design project is thought out, then lighting. The sequence is exactly this, because the number of lighting fixtures and switches, as well as their location, directly depend on the arrangement of furniture and accessories.
The light should not be dim, otherwise, it will be difficult to see yourself in the mirror, find the keys or choose a matching pair of shoes. Lighting devices are selected in proportion to the area of the room. To illuminate a small hallway or a narrow corridor, LED strips or spotlights are suitable. If the area allows, a large ceiling or chandelier can be made the central point – in this case, the lighting fixtures become a full part of the decor.
Pendant lamps or sconces with low-hanging shades can unsuccessfully “reshape” the proportions of an already small room, and also just get in the way. The length of the cord is selected so as not to touch the lamp with your head, hands, and outerwear when changing clothes.
To ensure good illumination, it is necessary to provide a sufficient number of points for lighting fixtures even at the repair stage. We take into account two factors: there should be several of them and at different levels. It is better to use the “main + local light” scheme. If the corridor is long, provide at least two switches at different ends.
The easiest way to organize lighting in the hallway is with stretch ceilings: they form an absolutely flat surface, are easy to maintain, and are durable so you can easily build light into them. If you choose a glossy surface of the canvas, then the stretch ceiling will additionally gently reflect light and create the illusion of greater height.
Ideally, you can let natural light into the hallway. In a country house, the architecture itself may suggest the presence of at least small windows. In a city apartment, you can use interior doors with glass inserts for this – through them the sun’s rays from the windows of another room will penetrate into the hall.
A mirror is not just a decor, but the main assistant when it comes to increasing illumination and visually expanding the space. If there is very little space, you can take a bold step and use a mirror instead of a finishing material, covering, for example, an entire wall with it. And here it is important not only to capture a part of the room in the reflection, thereby “doubling” the area but to provide sufficient illumination so that the mirror surface does not drown in the dusk.
Lighting scenarios
Planning begins with general lighting, which provides the bulk of the light in the interior of the hallway.
General
Depending on the shape and size of the room, there may be such options.
- One or more ceiling lights.
- Spotlights – emit rays in uniform beams, but it is better to supplement them with a diffuser in the center.
- Spot – most often an overhead lamp with directional light. Can be mounted on a rail.
- Wall sconces most often go as an addition to the main source, but in some cases, they can be an independent main light.
In a standard-shaped hall, the lighting system is almost always built around a central large lamp. For long and narrow corridors, spot illumination with the effect of “light at the end of the tunnel” is more suitable.
Local
Local illumination is formed according to the functions and based on the design. Usually, this is the lighting of a cabinet or chest of drawers, shelves, mirrors, hangers, etc.
If a full-fledged closet is planned in the hall, then the backlight can be built right into the case, as well as organize a system in which the bulbs will turn on themselves when the cabinet door is open.
Additional mirror lighting is required. The optimal location of the lamps is on the sides of it since direct light rays from above can cast shadows on the face. We pay special attention to the temperature of the light: most often, makeup is corrected in front of the mirror, and too yellow bulbs distort the picture.
Decorative
It is used if you need to emphasize any objects in the entrance area, make accents, or visually separate parts of the room.
Decorative lighting includes floor lighting. It will be useful at night when you need to go out into the corridor but do not want to turn on the main lamp. If you take an LED strip as a backlight and lay it around the perimeter of the floor, this is enough to see all the objects. If the hallway is multi-level, whether it is a staircase, a podium, or a small step, such an accompanying light is simply necessary so as not to stumble and fall in the dark.
A long narrow corridor is often decorated with photographs, posters, or framed paintings. In this case, they can be emphasized with small sconces or spotlights, as in an art gallery. Also, architectural elements (columns, niches, arches) and large decor items (vases, sculptures) are highlighted with additional illumination.
Zoning with lighting
Zoning with light can be vertical and horizontal. In the first case, it is used to adjust the proportions. For example, to visually lower a too-high ceiling in a small entrance area and widen the passageway, you can use wall sconces at an equal distance on both walls. In an extremely small space, the sconce can only be hung on one wall. You can also run an LED strip along the perimeter of the ceiling so that in the twilight it does not visually go up endlessly.
Horizontal zoning is used most often – several functional zones are allocated with lamps in a rectangular or square hallway. It can be a storage system, a dressing area, or a mirror with a chest of drawers. They are emphasized by different types of lamps, and it is also desirable to make several light sources and switches so that, if necessary, only one specific area can be illuminated.
With the help of lighting, you can focus on the desired part of the hall: at the door, where the owners and guests greet, say goodbye, and change clothes, or at the entrance to the living room, as if inviting you to go further.
Hallway lighting in a private house
Unlike an apartment, the entrance area in a country house often has windows. If there is not enough natural light, it can be increased using the same techniques as in a city apartment.
- Position the mirror so that it reflects the front door or a room with large windows.
- Use arches instead of interior doors or do not initially build walls between the hall and other rooms.
However, even with windows, you need to carefully consider artificial lighting, dividing it into several scenarios, as in an apartment. The layout of the lamps is thought out based on the architecture of the house.
Another advantage of a private house is high ceilings and often a second floor. If the lobby or corridor is located next to the stairs, and there is a high span, in this area you can create an accent composition of large lamps. To make the interior dynamic and interesting, play with the shapes, the size of the lamps, and their height. In this case, the design of luminaires will become the central element of the lighting system and will be complemented by local and decorative lighting.
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