How many possibilities are hidden in the process of thinking through and implementing an individual design in the design of your home or cottage! Especially if it is a two-story or multi-story private house. It is here that the owner is given freedom to choose almost everything: interior layout, building facade, interior design, lighting, decor, etc. There are also a lot of opportunities here to realize the flight of your imagination. It is very important to think about every detail and bring it to the desired shape.
The staircase is one of the most important elements in a two or more storey building. It is used not only as a link between floors, but also as a full-fledged decorative element. And since there are a variety of staircases for the home, from different materials, different styles and types, then with the help of it, you can achieve almost any desired effect in choosing the style of your home - from classic, vintage, to modern and avant-garde. Houses and cottages with an internal staircase to the second floor always look stylish and elegant.
Apart from the style and material to think about, staircase lighting plays a very important role. It is precisely that part of the design that brings completeness and individuality to the style of your home. A competent approach to the issue of staircase lighting will provide a spectacular completion of the overall picture and will make movement along the stairs as safe as possible at any time of the day, even on very sharp turns. The technical development of modern lighting systems has advanced so much that when choosing lighting that suits your design and architectural plans, your eyes run wide. Therefore, next we will look at some types of step lighting.
Choosing lighting for your home
Lighting the stairs to the second floor is quite a crucial moment, since the safety of the whole family, especially children, may depend on it. If it is poorly lit, when climbing it at night, it is easy to trip or slip, resulting in injury. Let's consider the main types of lighting:
- if the room is already quite bright, there are windows or stained glass windows, then for lighting you can use just the lighting for the steps. For night time, such lighting is ideal - you can leave it overnight, when using the stairs, you don’t need to turn on a brighter light and disturb your household;
- if the stairs are not used constantly, but only from time to time, then it is advisable to use lighting only during descent and ascent.
Important! You need to choose the type of lighting that best suits the room, the staircase, and their overall style, while not forgetting about convenience.
Types of stairs, lighting and fire safety equipment
Wooden stairs. This type of design can suit country, eco or simple classic styles. Do not forget that wood is a fire hazardous material and can ignite if the wiring insulation is broken or there is a short circuit. To avoid this, before installing the lighting, the steps of the stairs are treated with special compounds that prevent combustion.
Original lighting no less than the original staircase
If you are not ready for such experiments, we recommend choosing a more conservative type of staircase lighting
If the stairs are made in techno or hi-tech style, then not only metal structures or glass are used, but also plastic. Polymers are known to not only burn well, but also release toxins. Therefore, even LED lamps should be kept away from plastic as much as possible. It is recommended to install in glass or metal components, and strictly follow all safety regulations.
Clear lines of cold light - an ideal solution for Hi-Tech style
And, of course, don’t forget about the win-win combination: light, metal, glass
Advice! If contact between the lamp and plastic is unavoidable, use a polymer that contains substances that prevent combustion. Nowadays you can easily find similar materials on the market.
Classic. This type is the safest and least susceptible to the risk of fire, as it involves the use of natural or artificial stone, porcelain tiles, etc. Lamps will help highlight the colors and texture of the finish. At the same time, the equipment is not difficult to hide. For example, neon lamps or lamps can be fixed under each of the steps.
Or you can install the light source directly on the steps, just point it correctly
As for lighting street steps, there can also be a lot of options here.
Automatic backlight
But what to do if you don’t want to turn the switch on and off every time, or feel for the button in the dark? This is where automatic staircase lighting comes to the rescue. Smart lighting reacts to movement in the room and smoothly turns on and off the lights on the stairs. For convenience, such systems are equipped with such functions as:
- setting the switching speed;
- duration of action;
- the number of steps in standby mode, in case you want to turn on the lighting gradually - step by step.
Also, the type and brightness of lighting will depend on the length of the stairs.
Lighting methods
The main lighting methods are:
- Lamps. If the staircase is single-flight, then they are best suited. It would be suitable to mount them on the wall, at the same height as a person. They can be supplemented with lampshades or diffusers. Floor lamps, sconces, and table lamps, which can be installed at the entrance to the staircase, will also create special comfort. There are many options. It all depends on the wishes and imagination of the owners of the house. Spotlights are very popular and give the home a modern, minimalist style. They are built directly into the steps or located slightly higher.
- LED bulbs. LED lamps can serve as a very successful lighting solution for stairs. For LED lighting of steps, low-power recessed luminaires are used. They are suitable for both a spotlight and a diffuser. You can also choose to illuminate the stairs in a warm white or cool white shade. Other positive aspects of LED lamps as lighting for stairs include the fact that they do not hurt the eyes in the dark, have low energy consumption, and the lamps do not heat up, which ensures safety even with round-the-clock illumination. Voltage regulation will allow you to adjust the light intensity in the most appropriate way, creating the desired atmosphere.
- LED strips. LED lighting of staircase steps is not only functional, but also decorative. And with the help of an LED strip, you can easily create original lighting for the stairs to the second floor by attaching it to the railings, to the wall along the stairs. The level of light is greatly influenced by the color shades of the walls, floors, ceilings and interior finishing materials. This must be taken into account at the backlight selection stage. For example, white color creates the effect of natural lighting and makes the space visually larger. Warmer colors create a cozy atmosphere and complement artificial lighting.
Pros:
- a feature of the LED strip that makes its use indispensable for designers is its high flexibility and the ability to adjust the length;
- incredibly low power consumption, allowing you to keep the light on all the time;
- the tape does not emit a large amount of heat and does not heat up the objects surrounding it, which means it is an absolutely fire-safe method of lighting.
Minuses:
- the high price of a ribbon of the same color compared to analogues that change color;
- The tape is not connected directly; for this you need to connect two blocks: for energy conversion and for direct connection.
Thus, the use of LED strip allows you to solve many design problems. Making an accent on the stairs is now easier than ever.
You should choose a tape based on the steps on your stairs. On protruding steps it is best to install adhesive tape. With standard ones, they resort to additional modification of the profile. At the same time, the installation process is not too labor-intensive and can easily be carried out independently, using improvised means and a simple set of tools that every home has.
Street lighting
While paying so much attention to staircase lighting in a home, outdoor step lighting should not be underestimated. Lighting outdoor staircases requires no less close attention than indoor ones. The choice of lamps for the street is somewhat different from what is installed inside the house.
Typically, outdoor lighting is:
- general;
- accented.
Important! At night, the lighting should be bright enough. Sometimes lamp stands or sconces are additionally used.
In order to choose the right lighting for a particular case, you need to decide on the type of staircase. Let's look at the most common ones. Country houses are most often equipped with a wooden staircase, which significantly lightens the weight of the building and fits harmoniously into the rural landscape.
However, for external stairs, the easiest way is to use metal stairs located vertically, which helps you quickly and safely climb into the attic or attic.
Advice! The insulation of electrical wiring must be sufficiently frost-resistant and reliable.
Lighting for external staircases is often made from lamps on metal supports, or on the wall along the direction of the stairs, illuminating the façade and the staircase itself at night. It is recommended to hide cables for outdoor lighting in order to:
- exclude exposure to the environment, temperature and precipitation;
- prevent tripping and mechanical damage.
Installing lighting outside the house is not an easy, but extremely necessary task.
Lamps for staircase lighting built into the wall, photo
To get the most out of the implementation of your idea, you should choose lighting that will meet all your needs.
Therefore, choose products taking into account the manufacturer and taking into account:
- height of the product, its shape and other parameters;
- colors and design;
- the metal from which the product is made (metal, plastic), etc.
We offer you a choice of luminaires for staircase lighting built into the wall, photo.
