Chandelier is an important enough element of any modern kitchen. It not only creates the lighting necessary for cooking and eating food, but it is also an appreciable component of any interior.
Types of chandeliers for modern kitchens
Manufacturers offer a huge selection of chandeliers of various designs, so it's not difficult to find the right model that fits perfectly into the interior of the kitchen.
Suspended chandeliers
They represent a design that consists of one or more plafonds, fixed on a chain, cord or string.
Most often for kitchens choose a model in the form of a lamp with a shade.
Hang it in the middle of the room, over the dining table.
Materials for the manufacture of plafonds hanging chandeliers can be different - manufacturers often use plastic, fabric, glass and even ordinary paper.
Stylistic decisions and forms of such fixtures are also striking in variety.
Suspended chandeliers можно назвать универсальным вариантом.
Ceiling chandeliers
This is an excellent solution if the kitchen is too small and has a low ceiling.
The luminaire is fixed directly to the ceiling, the cord is either very short or absent at all. Plafonds are made of transparent or translucent glass, they can be colored or white.
Most often these chandeliers have a strict geometric shape in the form of a square or a circle, but there are also original models made in the form of a flower, crown, tree and so on.
Classic chandeliers
This is a separate category of chandeliers.
Look like these lamps are expensive and solid, their forms are distinguished by elegance and elegance in combination with some pretentiousness.
For manufacturing expensive materials are used: copper, bronze, glass, crystal, gilding can also be present.
Which material is ideal for a kitchen chandelier
Choosing a chandelier in the kitchen, you need to decide on what kind of material the lamp will be made of. Designers are advised to give preference to more expensive and high-quality material, if the chandelier is to hang low enough, then it will survive with accidental touches or even bumps.
In addition, a low-hanging chandelier should look attractive not only from the outside, but also inside.
If the lamp is located high enough, you can choose the cheaper material - for example, replace the crystal candelabra with glass or even plastic.
The material from which the lamp is made must be non-mark and have water and dirt-repelling qualities. The fact is that in the kitchen the level of humidity is increased, in addition, splashes of fat can form.
For these reasons, the glass or plastic model of the luminaire is more preferable than the fabric or paper model.
If the chandelier is made of natural wood, it must be covered with lacquer.
The most impractical are fixtures made of paper, since it is absolutely impossible to clean them from dirt without damaging them. And the paper fixtures are very large - this is done so that the lamp is as far from the paper as possible, so this option is not suitable for small kitchens.
If the kitchen is spacious enough and designed in such styles as "classic", "provence", "Mediterranean" or "country", you can choose a forged model of the chandelier. However, it must be taken into account that it is necessary to clean its numerous curls quite often, since dirt will constantly accumulate in them.
The best choice of a lamp for a kitchen, regardless of its style, is glass models, which are very easy to take care of.
What is more suitable for a kitchen - a spotlight or a chandelier?
It is rather difficult to answer this question unequivocally. The choice in favor of a chandelier or spotlights will depend on several parameters.
For example, what dimensions does the kitchen have, and in what style its interior is made.
If the room is spacious, without spotlights it will be difficult to manage. In this case, to refuse the main chandelier is not worth it, it should take its place in the center of the kitchen, directly above the dining table.
If the room is small, it is quite possible to manage one lamp, although without additional illumination of the plate and the working surface, cooking in the evenings in such a kitchen will not be very convenient.
If the interior is made in a classical style, while the room is quite spacious, you can install a bulky pendant chandelier with a wooden frame, forging elements and chains.
Its plafond (or plafonds) can be large enough. The shade of this chandelier must match the shade of the furniture. Organize spot lighting in such a kitchen can be using small sconces, made in the form of hanging lights or candlesticks.
For the kitchen, the interior of which is made in the style of "high-tech" or "minimalism", spotlights of the most concise design, made of metal and glass, are perfect. They can be placed throughout the perimeter of the ceiling, as well as the bottom of the lower facades of the headset (for lighting work surfaces). In this case, there is no need to use a large chandelier.
If the kitchen is made in the style of "country", "Mediterranean" or "Provence", you can use both suspended and ceiling models, preferably with inserts of colored transparent or translucent glass. Spot lights can be used if you make it invisible, that is, hide the lights themselves.
Installation of chandelier on stretch ceilings
Very often in modern dwellings suspended ceilings are installed, the only drawback of which is that they categorically do not accept heating. Choosing a kitchen lamp with a stretch ceiling this criterion must be taken into account.
Fortunately, manufacturers offer a huge range of all kinds of chandeliers, so pick the right model is not difficult.
When choosing a "plate" type plafond, you need to make sure that special metal diffusers are installed above the lamps, which reflect the light being emitted not to the ceiling, but to the floor.
Thus, the stretch ceiling will not heat up and retain its original appearance. You can also simply place the ceiling at a safe distance from the ceiling.
Many choose for their kitchen glossy stretch ceiling, perfectly reflecting the light and visually making the room more spacious.
In this case, it is important to consider that reflecting such a surface will not only light, but also the interior of the chandelier itself. Thus, from the installation of a classic carob design on a glossy ceiling is better to abandon. Or you should choose your model, the horns of which are directed downwards.
When choosing a luminaire for installation on a suspended ceiling, the manufacturer's recommendations regarding the power limits of the bulbs should be observed. They should not be more powerful than 60 watts, so as not to melt the heated web when heated.
If the lamps are halogen, their power limit is 35 watts, since they are even more heated. It is best to choose light bulbs, the use of which does not provide for power limitations - for example, energy-saving lamps that do not undergo heating.
An excellent solution for the kitchen with a stretch ceiling - LED lamps. They practically do not heat up, so there is no risk of damaging the tension cover. In addition, in this case, it is possible at your own discretion to choose the shades of light that can be "warm" or "cold".
Mounting to a stretch ceiling can be chandeliers of any design. Methods of attachment can be overhead, or using a suspension.
Regardless of the chosen method, work on installing the luminaire on the tension cover should be entrusted to a specialist. It is important to remember that all operations aimed at preparing the fastening site should be carried out before the ceiling is pulled.
How to choose a kitchen lamp
Designers have defined the basic rules for choosing a lighting fixture for the kitchen.
To begin with, it is necessary to determine which space of the kitchen should receive the maximum coverage. To achieve the desired effect, it is recommended to purchase a luminaire equipped with a dimmer or light intensity regulator. Thus, it will be possible to save on electricity, as well as more brightly illuminate the dining or working area.
If the chandelier design involves the use of several light bulbs, you need to calculate their total power. Too dim or too bright color badly affects the eyes, so the number of bulbs should be such that the vision does not suffer.
Weaken the load on the so-called "socket" lamp can be using a chandelier with several horns. The room is more spacious, the more such "nests" will be required. Thus, it will be possible to observe the norm of total illumination and regulate the light fluxes at their own discretion.
What ways of fastening chandeliers exist
Hook mounting - the most popular method and one of the most reliable. It is quite simple: a suitable hole is made in the ceiling covering, then a metal hook is screwed into it, onto which the lamp itself is suspended. This method is good because it will not be difficult to replace the chandelier with another model. The distance between the ceiling and the lamp is hidden in a special "glass".
Mounting bracket - for suspending the chandelier a special thin bar is used, which is tightly screwed to the ceiling. The process of installing this mount is more complicated, but with it you can hide the wiring well, since the lamp is attached very close to the ceiling itself.
Cross bar This is a very strong and reliable mount, able to withstand the most massive and bulky chandeliers. Thanks to the width and thickness of the cross, the reliability of this design is greatly enhanced.
Wall mounting with screws or nails - This method is used when installing wall lights and sconces. For this purpose, special holes are provided in the product casings, the fastening materials themselves are often sold in the kit.
