Floor lighting in an apartment: a photo, how to do it yourself

Floor lighting requirements

A certain number of requirements that you should familiarize yourself with:

• Lighting along the perimeter of the floor or lighting fixtures built into its plane must have a high degree of protection against water. Thus, when cleaning is carried out, water will not be able to enter the body of the light source and damage the current-carrying elements.
• The housings should be able to protect the luminaires and be as stable as possible and not be afraid of mechanical stress. The same applies to the lighting installed in the baseboard of the floor, which can be accidentally damaged due to careless movement of furniture.
• The housings of the light sources should also not be heated to the extent that this will contribute to melting and even self-ignition of the skirting board.
• Since mostly hidden floor lighting is used to provide comfortable movement in the dark, a soft, dim and muffled glow should come from the lighting fixtures.
• It is possible to create bright light in the room due to tapes that have a small diameter, but are distinguished by high power. Low-power wide cords are suitable for diffused light flux.
• For backlighting, you need to use electrical appliances that consume a minimum amount of electricity.

In the photo, the backlighting of the floor in the interior of the living room.

What are the best fixtures to use?

There are many light sources. For decoration, both the simplest light bulbs and complex LED designs can be used.

Spotlights

For installation in laminate, parquet or wood flooring, several corresponding holes must be made. Appliances can also be installed in the plane of the wall or in a large plinth located on one side of the room. For embedding, compact products with a low height are mainly chosen.

Floor spot lighting is placed perimeter or installed near one or two opposite walls. An installation option is also possible, when the spotlights become double-sided framing of the aisle.

Given its moisture-resistant properties, this kind of lighting is often used in bathroom decoration. Spotlights on the floor will also allow you to achieve a decorative setting in the interior of a bedroom or corridor.

The advantages of this lighting include free symmetrical or asymmetrical arrangement of devices, high aesthetic qualities, original design, and long service life. The luminaires are reliable and in most cases they are not afraid of mechanical damage and moisture.

The disadvantage of spotlights is the periodic replacement of lamps and labor-intensive installation, which requires a thoughtful arrangement of wires so that each source is supplied with energy.

In the photo there is a hall with floor illumination with spotlights near one wall.

Floor lighting with LED strip

A popular option for floor lighting is considered to be duralight in the form of a transparent tube with LEDs or incandescent lamps. This type of lighting is distinguished by a variety of colors, which makes it easy to choose a shade for any interior. LED duralight has a soft and calm luminous flux, which sufficiently illuminates the floor plane.

LED strip requires a special cable duct for laying and a niche in order to install a hidden power supply. Often, such a backlight is used as an additional one in combination with spot lighting. A remote control will help to simplify the task of controlling such lighting.

Pros of LED strip: long service life, reliability and easy installation, which you can do with your own hands. All that is required is the purchase of a power supply unit with the required power.

The disadvantages include the high cost and the presence of standard brightness. Some people think that the light coming from LED strips is too bright and directional.

In the photo there is a floor lighting with a plinth, supplemented by an LED strip.

Illumination with neon cord

Flexible neon is very convenient because it is suitable both for installation at right angles and for creating unusual glowing patterns. The neon cord looks like a sealed pvc tube equipped with miniature neon lights.

The advantages of floor lighting with neon lamps are that it lasts a long time, has a wide variety of shades, emits a pleasant diffused glow that does not irritate the eyes.

The disadvantages include the high price category, the fragility of the bulbs and the complex installation. It is difficult to install such floor lighting yourself, so it is better to contact a specialist.

The photo shows a modern living room interior with neon blue floor lighting.

Light modules

Such lighting in the form of transparent modules, inside which there are LEDs, can differ in different configurations and sizes. Products equipped with drawings with a 3D effect look interesting. Thanks to the pouring squares, you can create an original light composition, for example, such as a checkerboard or a rectangular path.

In an apartment, the modules are appropriate to use in the form of a light rug in the design of a bathroom or hallway. This type of lighting is often equipped with a motion sensor, which allows the modules to turn on automatically.

Pluses of light modules: high resistance to damage and complete tightness.

In the photo, floor lighting in the form of light modules in the interior of the house.

Where in the apartment can you make a backlight?

Various examples of floor lighting in the interior of an apartment.

Floor lighting in the hallway

In the hallway, they use lighting around the perimeter of the room, illuminate the inter-tile gaps or separate segments of the floor. The installation method and the type of lighting fixtures depend on the intended effect.

Floor lighting directed to the wall surfaces will not only add decorative effect to the interior, but also accentuate the texture of the finish. Also, due to the built-in luminaires, you can correct the wrong configuration of the room.

The photo shows the design of a spacious corridor with spot lighting on the floor.

In a narrow and long corridor, it is appropriate to arrange light sources along the entire length of the room. It can be one LED strip or a line of several spotlights.

Toilet floor lighting

In the washroom, the floor lighting acts as an original decorative addition to the main light. For decoration, the use of built-in models or LED strips is suitable. Each of the options will look incomparable and will bring unusualness to the interior of the toilet.

Floor lighting in the bathroom

Effective floor lighting will create a pleasant and cozy ambience in the bathroom.It is important to choose safe light sources that are not afraid of water and temperature extremes, especially if they are supposed to be placed next to a sink or bathtub. Plastic products are better than glass products.

In the photo there is a floor with spotlights located around the bathroom.

In the bathroom, which has a modest area, with the help of floor lighting, you can visually increase the space. Floor lighting is advantageously combined with hanging fixtures. Due to this design, it is possible to enhance the floating effect of plumbing fixtures and achieve a soft level of illumination, pleasing to the eye, especially at night.

The photo shows a bathroom interior with a podium decorated with LED lighting.

Illuminated floors in the kitchen

The kitchen space is considered the most favorable place for playing with light. Light bulbs can be lined up with the floor plane or zone the room by illuminating the podium.

For the kitchen, it is appropriate to install durable LEDs or spotlights with thick protective glass.

An original design solution - to lay out the floor with ceramic tiles with a decor with built-in LEDs. As a rule, this option is quite expensive, so you can only buy a few fragments and supplement individual areas of the flooring.

In the photo there is an LED strip in the design of the floor in the interior of the kitchen in a modern style.

Illuminated floors in the bedroom

As decorative and functional lighting in the bedroom, LED strips, light modules or tubes are mounted on the floor under the bed.

The sleeping area can be highlighted in white or another shade that matches the surrounding design. Bottom lighting expands the space, changes the appearance of the room and adjusts its shape. Many people equip floor lighting with a motion sensor. Thus, when entering the bedroom or getting out of bed at night, the lamps will automatically turn on with a soft glow that does not interfere with the sleeping person.

The photo shows the design of a bedroom in an apartment with floor illumination with light modules installed under the bed.

How to make a do-it-yourself lighting in a floor baseboard?

The installation process can be easily done at home. You just need to acquire the necessary tools and auxiliary parts for the installation of skirting boards and lighting products.

1. First, the installation area is determined, and the skirting board is adjusted to the required length. Then, through the plinth channel in the wall plane, several holes are drilled for fastenings. In the case of a wooden surface, it is better to fix the plinth with self-tapping screws.

   

2. After the plinth is fixed, you need to choose a place to place the PSU and controller. For this, a nearby cabinet or wall box is suitable.
3. Next, you need to measure the required length of the LED strip. To build up and connect the tape to the power supply, special connecting clips are used.

   

4. Due to the adhesive base, the backlight must be fixed in the baseboard channel and lead the wires to the power supply.

   

5. Upon completion of the installation process, the cable channel is closed using a matte acrylic profile or transparent strip.

   

Photo gallery

Correctly installed floor lighting is able to endow a room with volume, hide the flaws of the room and emphasize its advantages, as well as bring some mystery and magic into the atmosphere.