There are a huge number of variations of effective lighting for kitchen aprons. Modern lighting products are not only functional, but aesthetically attractive. The correct selection of fixtures will help complete the individual scenario of the kitchen interior. One of the most popular types of lamps are LED strips. There is another interesting option - skinned with backlight inside.
Overview of Lighting Options
The market offers a lot of fixtures for the functional lighting of the kitchen. The kitchen apron is highlighted with:
- incandescent lamps;
- fluorescent lights;
- halogen lamps;
- LED strip.
Incandescent lamps are affordable and well illuminate the room. At the same time, they consume a lot of electricity and have a short operational life.
Luminescent lamps practically do not heat up and give even cold lighting. But background noise may periodically come from them during operation, which is not permissible in cases where the kitchen lighting remains on for the night.
Halogen lamps have small dimensions and long life. At the same time, they consume a lot of energy and quickly heat up, which is why the image on plastic aprons begins to fade. The light from such lamps is reflected on polished surfaces, dazzling with bright spots.
Illumination of a glass apron in the kitchen with LED strip is ideal for designer kitchens. This type of lighting has a lot of advantages:
- Compact dimensions - the lighting fixture will not be visible until it is turned on.
- Large area of lighting - despite their small dimensions, LED strips are able to quite brightly illuminate the kitchen apron, creating comfort during work.
- A wide variety of species - the LED lamp can illuminate with bright white, soft yellow or multi-colored light.
- No strobe effect - such a backlight does not flicker and does not make noise during operation.
The LED strip can be installed above the wall cabinets or illuminate the kitchen apron from the inside, turning the glass into a single powerful lamp. At the same time, it is easily mounted with its own hands.
What kitchens and headsets does this solution suit
Lighting with LED strip is suitable for any kitchen set. Small kitchens will visually expand, while large kitchens will have a special aesthetic effect. Such lighting will effectively emphasize the food intake area and separate it from work surfaces.
Kitchens with LED lighting will become especially elegant if they install furniture in the style of Provence, hi-tech or minimalism. Very good LED lighting looks in kitchens with a dark color of furniture.
Colour temperature
An apron with a backlight in the kitchen can have a different color.
The most classic variation is plain white lighting: warm or cold. For black and white or colorful multi-colored skinned, this variation is most preferable.
There are such types:
- 2800K - warm white;
- 4200K - neutral white;
- 6200K - cool white.
In kitchens in hi-tech style or Provence, where the apron is plain, a multicolor backlight with an RGB tape will look good - green / red / blue / purple. Using a remote control, the user can adjust the brightness level of the lighting, choose a separate color or use the dynamic effect, in which all the colors will smoothly change each other.
When choosing an LED strip, you need to consider what is more preferable for a particular kitchen - bright lighting of work areas (monophonic type of backlighting) or a stylistic effect.
LED strips practically do not heat up and consume little energy (85% less incandescent lamps), and also last 20 times longer.
The backlight should guarantee a saturated glow, the spectrum of which is as similar as possible to daylight. For kitchens, it is better to prefer an SMD type tape, the LEDs of which consist of 3 crystals - 30 diodes per linear meter. For brighter lighting, you need to install a tape that is equipped with 60 crystals per meter of length. The color of the tape is selected in accordance with design decisions.
Highlighting the bottom of kitchen cabinets and cabinets is done exclusively for decorative purposes. Visualization of lighting and duplicate illumination of the skin can achieve the effect of “Soaring kitchen”. To do this, an additional LED strip is laid on the bottom of the kitchen set, which will give a uniform stream of light, merging with the backlight of the apron.
Types of LED strips for lighting an apron in the kitchen
There are a lot of types of LED strips, but for kitchen rooms it is necessary to choose devices that are protected from moisture.
The main types of LED strips for the kitchen:
- Open type (marking IP33) - unsuitable for installation in the center of the kitchen, as they are leaky. Moisture can damage the conductive path.
- One-sided type (marking IP65) - sealed only in the upper part, where the electronic components are located. As a protective layer, a polymer casing (covers electronic components) or silicone sealant (covers the entire upper part) are used.
- The double-sided type (marking IP68 / IP67) is the best option for kitchens, because such tapes are completely tight. The product is hidden in a transparent casing made of plastic. This approach allows you to protect the tape from any moisture and ensure its durability - at least 10 years.
The key factor when choosing LED lights - they must be moisture resistant. Most suitable for kitchens tapes marked IP65, able to withstand direct water.
Lighting angle
Illumination of the apron in the kitchen with LED tape implies an important condition - the correct angle of the light flux on the countertops.
The scattering angles in the area of the apron have their own characteristics. They should guarantee comfortable illumination of work surfaces and at the same time not create glare on glass and polished parts.
LED profile can be placed:
- at an angle of 45%;
- at right angles.
The optimal placement of LED strips is the angle between the skinhead and the upper cabinets of the kitchen unit. This position of the backlight will provide favorable light fluxes.
Lighting control and skinning connection
You can control LED lighting with:
- keyboard toggle switch;
- touch control integrated in the LED profile;
- wireless touch switch;
- switch in the socket;
- touch control integrated on any surface;
Skinali connects to the network according to this algorithm:
- The tape of the desired length is cut at a specific location indicated by the scissors.
- The finished section is connected to the power supply. If multiple tapes are used, they are connected in parallel.
- The electric wire coming from the power supply is connected to the tape by soldering. The connection is sealed with a heat shrink tubing.
- A switch is connected to the power supply.
- LED strip is mounted on a regular place.
- The power supply is connected to the mains.
In the absence of sufficient skills in the field of electrical, it is better to entrust the installation of LED lighting to the glass apron to specialists.
If the apron made of glass with lighting is not accessible to the user for financial reasons, he can do without an alternative option - to make the countertop backlighting. It can be fixed at the bottom of the wall cabinets. As the lighting equipment, it is better to choose an LED strip. It will glow better than fluorescent or halogen lamps, and will also last much longer.
