Decoration of two-level stretch ceilings with lighting

The choice of ceiling design plays an important role in the design of an apartment. Its structure, harmoniously selected material and correctly exposed lighting can change the room beyond recognition. Recently, complex multi-level designs have come into vogue. It becomes irrelevant to use whitewash or painting. The most popular type of ceiling is a two-level stretch ceiling with built-in lighting.

When making repairs, it is important to pay attention to all surfaces of the room: floor, walls, ceiling. However, the last one is the hardest part to reach. If in the course of the work there were mistakes, then later it will be quite difficult to eliminate them.

It is easy to work with a stretching cloth, it is practical, it has only minor restrictions:

• The ceilings should be at least 2.5 m, as the tension structure “takes up” some space, and the room can turn out to be very cramped.
• For a two-level type of construction, the height of the room should be at least 2.8-3 m so that it harmoniously fits into the space.
• All wiring must be insulated, otherwise even a single spark can cause a fire.

Stretch ceilings have their own advantages and disadvantages.

The pluses include:

• Long service life.
• Mounting and dismantling takes a little time and does not cause any difficulties.
• Resistant to moisture.
• The selected shade does not fade or tarnish during use.
• Environmental Safety.
• Additional functions of noise and sound insulation.
• The wires from lighting devices, as well as other communications, can be hidden inside the structure.

The disadvantages include the following points:

• Visible joints of the material.
• Installation is not possible in cold rooms.
• PVC surface does not "breathe", it can give off an unpleasant plastic smell at first.
• The fabric can absorb odors, deform under the influence of moisture.

Lighting that can be combined with stretch ceilings has its own characteristics. For each luminaire, you need to think over the fastening mechanism, it will not work in the usual way. Additional materials will be required, which must be taken care of in advance.

Depending on the material used, stretch ceilings can be film or fabric:

• The canvas made of PVC film is represented by a wide choice of surfaces: translucent, glossy, matte, with mother-of-pearl, satin, perforated. You can choose any color, a varied range allows you to choose a material for every taste and design.
• Fabric ceilings look more solid, elegant, although they are more expensive.

There are three types of backlit stretch ceilings, depending on the features of their installation:

• Perforated canvases are combined with translucent ones. First of all, the backlight is installed in the form of spotlights or LED strip. It is better to give preference to them, since they do not heat up the surface very much, serve for a long time and must be replaced if necessary.Then the tensioning canvas itself is mounted, in which holes are made for light to enter the room.
• Several levels of the ceiling are fixed in one layer. At the first stage, a frame is installed on which the canvas is attached. It can be different in height and color. This provides additional opportunities for the implementation of interesting design ideas.
• Using a plasterboard base for the ceiling. First, a metal frame is mounted for it, then an LED strip is laid (spotlights are mounted at the final stage). After that, a frame is installed, which is closed with drywall. The entire structure must be covered with putty, primer and a layer of paint. After that, the tension of the ceiling sheet occurs.

Not so long ago, sophisticated lighting was considered an indicator of the luxury, wealth of home owners. But now it has become available to almost all segments of the population and is easily used in standard apartments.

It is important to take care of the lighting, think it over in advance. This is especially true for rooms where natural light does not come well. In such a room, there will not be enough spotlights. You need a main light source that would illuminate the entire space, for example, a chandelier. However, even without backlighting, a two-level ceiling will not look beautiful. It is she who gives the design lightness, originality and elegance.

A two-level design should combine several types of lamps. Therefore, you need to take care in advance that they do not consume a lot of energy. You can choose strips with LED, neon bulbs, duralight. Their wide range allows you to choose neutral or colored lighting, choose a system with different modes. The multi-colored glow can become an independent room decor in the evening, the dim light mode is suitable for bedrooms, and replaces the usual night light.

With the help of different types of lighting fixtures, you can divide a room into zones. To do this, a diagram of a room with zonal accents is drawn on paper. Then it is determined on paper which ceiling pattern would organically fit into this room. There are many options.

You can take as a basis geometric shapes, symmetrical or asymmetrical simple patterns. Curved lines can be conveniently mounted from drywall, combining it with a stretch canvas.

Competently exposed lighting can visually correct room imperfections, enlarge, expand the room or create a feeling of a chamber space, add coziness and comfort.

The living room is a great place for experiments and unusual solutions. The ceiling structure with elements contrasting in color to the interior will look original. It can be complemented by lamps of the same color, as well as accessories in the room. For a classic interior, decoration in black and white is suitable, for bolder solutions, you can use yellow-orange, lilac-pink combinations.

To make the two-level ceiling seem more voluminous, it is better to make the backlight around the perimeter from the outside. To get the effect of a ceiling that floats, the backlight must be placed on the inside.

You can diversify the entire structure by applying photo printing to a stretch fabric.Combined with backlighting, such a ceiling will look impressive. A hidden cornice will complement the interior, for which you need to provide a niche in advance.

Two-level ceilings with soft, subdued lighting in the bedroom are the perfect solution for a room where you want to relax and unwind. For using photo printing, the theme of space or the sky is suitable. It will be complemented by twinkling LED strip lights that simulate stars. Falling asleep under such a ceiling will create the feeling of being in the open air.

If you use the "floating" ceiling technique, a "floating" bed will be an excellent addition to it. It will look especially organic in spacious rooms with high ceilings.

Using two-tiered ceiling structures in the kitchen, you can delimit the room into zones. This can be achieved by using different levels of the ceiling above the zones, highlighting the boundaries of the levels using illumination, using a ceiling sheet and lamps of different colors. However, it is better to combine no more than three shades. You can choose the light bulbs and the structure itself in the color of the furniture or bright shades: green, purple, orange. The end will be a chandelier in the center of the room, matched to the color of the backlight.

An interesting trick can be used in the kitchen: choose the same color for the decoration of the stretch canvas and walls, and place a contrasting insert in the center of the ceiling, illuminated along the perimeter with an LED strip. This technique is perfect for rooms with a bay window.

In the room where children live, you can apply the brightest ideas: colors, decor, the use of photo printing with drawings, rainbow lighting. You can decorate the ceiling in the form of a sky with stars or clouds. This option is especially suitable for two-level structures. The illusion of the sky can be obtained with the help of photo printing on the ceiling canvas, hanging curly elements and the use of lighting with a shimmering effect.

To decorate the stretch fabric, you can choose any patterns that children like. The backlight can be framed not with straight lines, but along the contour of the selected images. You can combine several colors of illumination, the main thing is to observe the measure.

For a room where you plan to work a lot, calm shades and a neutral design are suitable. A ceiling in light colors, levels in the form of simple geometric shapes and classic lighting around the perimeter will look good here. Clear lines add solidity and rigor to the space, help to concentrate.

To make the ceiling weightless, it is better to combine two levels of a stretch structure with illumination along the inner perimeter. You do not need to make a big transition, 5-10 cm is enough. The ceiling will look harmoniously in the color of the entire room design.

If desired, the ceiling can be decorated with curly elements. Care must be taken and clarity of lines, otherwise in a small space the figure will be lost, and a feeling of carelessness will be created. The final touch is the illumination around the perimeter of the figures.

For a narrow room, a two-level ceiling is an excellent solution. You can decorate it with square or round inserts along the entire length. Shapes illuminated from within will create a futuristic effect.

To make the hallway more spacious, you can choose white for the ceiling structure and the same lighting. As an alternative to geometric shapes, you can choose a combination of straight polylines or wavy lines. A chandelier in the hallway is not needed.Spotlights will help complement the LED lighting.

The choice of ceiling design is truly rich. In addition, the backlit two-tier designs are versatile. For each room, you can choose the perfect design using shapes, images, different colors and lighting options.

• The room will look original using rainbow lighting.
• The combination of levels of different colors will help to divide the room into zones.

• Illumination along the inner perimeter visually makes the ceiling higher.
• Designs using geometric shapes look especially original.

• You can choose any shapes to decorate the ceiling.
• Using photo printing will create a unique effect.

For information on how to install a two-level stretch ceiling with lighting, see the next video.