In the international interior design world, there are more and more cutting-edge design cases that only use linear light strips as the main lighting of the space. The point is: that as long as you choose the right lights and design them well, linear light strips can take on the responsibility of basic lighting for the space.
Space designs that only use linear light strips as the main lighting are becoming more and more common.
1cm wide vs. 5cm wide linear light strip
① If you want the light strip to be used as auxiliary lighting, it has both decoration and basic brightness. This is the most common requirement. It is recommended to choose the 1cm wide and 6w/meter style. This style of linear lamp has beautiful proportions and appropriate brightness.
Its brightness is not very high and is suitable as auxiliary lighting. If you only use this kind of light strip for bedroom lighting and corridor lighting, the brightness is no problem; but if you only use this kind of light strip for living room lighting, it will feel too dark. It usually needs to be used with accent lighting sources such as downlights or floor lamps.
1cm wide, 6w/m linear light strips are most commonly used
② If you want the light strip to be used as the main lighting, the space will no longer be equipped with downlights. It is recommended to choose a 5cm wide, 20w/meter style as the main lighting.
Remind everyone: As the main lighting, light strips have relatively high requirements for lighting design and layout. Different combinations of light strips are required, and the design must be combined with the lifestyle of the residents. It is recommended to consult a professional lighting designer.
Even if you use this kind of brighter light strip as the main lighting, to ensure sufficient illumination for fine operations in areas such as sofas, coffee tables, desktops, etc., it is recommended to use special accent lighting sources, such as floor lamps, table lamps, chandeliers, etc. No need for downlights.
As a linear light strip for wall decoration lines, it is recommended to choose a 1cm wide, 3w/meter style.
Of course not, not all linear light strips need to be suspended ceilings. There are several common installation types of linear light strips, and there are many types that do not require ceiling installation:
①Lights hidden in the ceiling structure (ceiling required). Usually, there is a slit on the edge of the large flat roof of the ceiling, which serves as the installation place for the light strip and the light outlet. This design can not only keep the ceiling minimalist and flat but also maximize the beauty of the linear light strip.
Ceiling structure hidden lights
The curtain box hides the lamp (no ceiling required). As the name suggests, the linear light strip is hidden in the curtain box. Many houses have their curtain boxes, which saves a lot of trouble in installing the light strip. The combination of lighting and curtain fabrics adds a warm, comfortable, and quiet atmosphere.
Curtain box hidden lamp
For apartments without curtain boxes, it is not troublesome to make curtain boxes. The curtain box does not exist to hide lights, but it makes the top of the curtain more beautiful and avoids light leakage. It is also an excellent place to hide lights and saves the trouble of hanging the ceiling. It serves multiple purposes.
It’s easy to install curtain boxes, which can improve appearance, avoid light leakage, and hide lights
③ Partially suspended ceiling lights (requires partially suspended ceiling). Partial suspended ceiling is one of the most traditional ways to hide lights. It does not need to be a fully suspended ceiling. It is usually done as a partially suspended ceiling around the ceiling. It can hide lights or install embedded spotlights. The advantage is that it can provide soft and non-dazzling basic lighting, but the disadvantage is that it is easy to get dusty, and the design is not so simple and beautiful.
Partial ceiling hidden lights
④Aluminum trough lights with hidden lights (no ceiling required). Aluminum trough light strips are a more popular light strip method now. If the ceiling has a suspended ceiling, install it through slots on the ceiling; if the ceiling does not have a suspended ceiling, it can be installed directly on the ceiling through slots (without affecting structural safety). The advantage is that the installation location is not restricted, and the design is more indirect and beautiful. The disadvantage is that if the ceiling is not used, it is relatively troublesome to groove.
Aluminum trough lights with hidden lights, no ceiling required
In general, linear light strips do not necessarily have to rely on the ceiling to exist. Without making a suspended ceiling, there are still many ways to play with linear light strips. Especially with the introduction of aluminum trough light strips (there are many types of aluminum trough light strips, I will not go into details here), the installationon restrictions and installation difficulties of the light strips are greatly reduced.
When a suspended ceiling is required, it seems more troublesome. However, whether it is a partially suspended ceiling or a fully suspended ceiling, you may need to take into account various needs such as hiding central air conditioners, embedded lighting fixtures, hidden pipes, etc. It is very simple to hide a linear light strip by the way, and it can maximize the role of the suspended ceiling.
The current mainstream light sources are all LEDs, which have relatively high stability and long life. The light source itself is not prone to problems. However, household linear light strips are usually low-voltage light strips. To convert household high-voltage electricity to low-voltage, a transformer must be used. The current transformer technology is relatively mature and less prone to problems, but its stability is not as high as that of durable LED light sources. Usually, problems with linear light strips are mostly due to the transformer.
Therefore, lighting designers will suggest not sealing the transformer in the ceiling during installation but hiding it in a place that is easy to repair, such as central air conditioning access, light troughs, tops of cabinets, curtain boxes, etc.
It is recommended to hide the transformer of the linear light strip in a place where it is easy to repair.
If the light strip is installed in a location where it is difficult to hide the transformer, you can use a soft cord to pull out the power and connect it to the transformer, and then hide the transformer in a place that is easy to repair.
Connect the soft cord to the transformer and hide the transformer in a place where it is easy to repair.
Some friends may be worried: Although LEDs rarely have problems, no one can guarantee 100%. What should I do if there is a problem with the lamp beads?
This problem is easy to solve. Low-voltage linear light strips can be cut and spliced at will. If the lamp beads are damaged, they can be cut and spliced (there is a special light strip interface). The lampshade of the aluminum trough light strip can be easily disassembled and installed manually, and maintenance is not difficult.
The linear light strip can be cut and spliced, and the aluminum grooved lampshade is easy to remove and install.
The lighting in the home space is mainly comfortable, and the color of household linear light strips is usually between 3000k-5000k. In the same space or the same usage scenario, it is recommended to choose the same color temperature. If you use 3000k spotlights, it is best to choose the same color temperature to match the linear light strips.
Different light color temperatures
Different spatial scenes have different requirements for color temperature. For example, the living room space has high requirements for light brightness, so it is recommended to choose a color temperature of 3500k-4000k; the bedroom needs a warmer atmosphere, and a brightness of 3000k-3500k is suitable. As decorative lines in public spaces, you can choose a whiter color temperature such as 4000k-5000k, which is more visually fashionable.
As basic lighting or ambient lighting, you can choose warmer 3000k-4000k light strips, and decorative light strips can choose whiter 4000k-5000k
Aluminum trough light strips are currently the most mainstream type of household light strips. The installation method is relatively simple: after the grooves are cut, the light strips are pre-embedded and fixed, then leveled with putty and painted.
Some decorators are worried that this installation method may cause wall cracking in the future. The problem is easy to solve. You only need to embed the aluminum channel before applying a layer of textured paper, and then paint it to avoid cracking.