Stretch ceilings are a convenient and practical solution for a modern kitchen. It can compete well with any finishing material for the ceiling. This product is reliable and durable, which is especially important for the kitchen. You can install a suspended ceiling in the kitchen over the entire area, or you can use it to make an insert in a plasterboard structure.
Advantages and disadvantages of suspended ceilings
Such canvases are famous for the fact that they have more advantages than disadvantages.
The advantages of these paintings are:
- Ease of installation, inexpensive, relatively short installation time, minimum “dirty” plastering and painting work;
- Good service life - up to 25 years;
- There is no dust on them, there is no chance of fungal infections;
- The canvas will protect well from neighboring flows, as it has the ability to hold back a large volume of water;
- Fireproof and wear-resistant;
- Retains its original appearance even after several years of service.
Stretch ceiling coverings have many advantages, but there are small disadvantages:
- Temperature changes may cause swelling. To avoid them, you need to make sure that there are no cracks or cracks in the coating;
- Easy to cut or pierce;
- Loss of altitude. On average, it takes about 4 centimeters of walls;
- If you install lamps, the value increases to 5-7 centimeters.
High-quality European and Russian canvases are small in size, and seams are used to cover the entire room.
The seam is the most sensitive place of the fabric; it is precisely here that it tears more often.
Types of suspended ceilings
There are glossy, matte, satin and photo printed ceilings.
Glossy stretch ceiling coverings
This coating is easy to clean, does not absorb grease and odors, so it is considered a good option for the kitchen.
In addition to those listed, they have other properties:
- They visually make the room, its height and size larger;
- Improve illumination;
- There is a large selection of colors;
- Maintain a beautiful appearance for many years;
- Create a beautiful, unique interior;
- Easily fits any look.
Matte coating
This type of surface does not look different from a regular painted ceiling.
The light will spread throughout the room and will not create reflections and zones of different lighting. The only negative is that the kitchen may look a little lower.
Pros:
- No seams are visible, so large spaces can be equipped;
- The color looks the same;
- The room creates a feeling of comfort and well-being;
- Low price;
- Satin finish.
This fabric is practically no different in appearance from matte, only it has a slight highlight, which makes the color look much lighter.
This type of coating does not have visible seams, so it can be used to decorate large rooms.
A white coating will look more expressive; due to the sparkling surface, it will appear snow-white.
But satin has a number of disadvantages:
- Small color palette;
- Photo printing cannot be done;
- Great cost.
- With photo printing
The possibilities of such a finishing material are great, since you can choose any pattern that will very quickly give a beautiful look to the kitchen. Large, too colorful patterns are not suitable for small rooms.
Basic materials
An important element is the canvas. Several basic materials are used for its manufacture, which allows us to distinguish the following types:
- Fabric ones have a higher cost and look great. The catalogs present interesting varieties that look luxurious and expensive.
- Film ones attract with lower prices, which will make the purchase more accessible. The advantages include ease of maintenance. There are different textures to choose from, each of which looks very attractive.
When deciding on a choice, it is worth additionally consulting with specialists who will tell you about the features of the two options, their pros and cons, guide you in cost, and help you make the final right decision.
Choosing suspended ceilings for the kitchen
Stretch ceilings are recognized as the most advanced and durable types of kitchen finishing. Visually, they make the room larger and provide proper comfort and atmosphere.
Particularly great importance should be attached to the careful selection of materials for the renovation of the most capricious room, where splashes fly in all directions, the temperature constantly changes and the moisture content increases.
Therefore, before deciding what kind of suspended ceiling to make in the kitchen, you should take the selection of materials seriously and check for quality certificates.
Let's sum it up
The use of intricate figures and complex structures is not justified for rooms with small dimensions. It would not be appropriate to use expressive patterns on the ceiling or walls. This is due to the difficulty of maintenance and the constant likelihood of contamination. But despite this, there are a lot of interesting solutions for the kitchen area in the apartment.
Kitchen design example
There is no need to limit yourself when decorating. Look for the most successful stretch ceiling option for this room, which will match its style. And then you will want to return to such a kitchen constantly.
Lighting in the kitchen
In order to fix an elegant chandelier or spotlights, you do not need to give up suspended ceilings. A strong base for lamps are embedded devices, which are attached along the ceiling area and hidden with a stretching fabric. It is possible to insert light spots and hooks for fixing chandeliers into them.
Lighting in the kitchen is selected taking into account the size of the room, its role and style. One chandelier in the center is enough in small kitchens, but in large ones you can choose any type of lighting that suits the height and design.
Chandelier
A chandelier is a classic option for any room. But not every chandelier can be suitable for the material of tension fabrics.
You can choose any lighting if you use a matte film or other material without glare. In this case, the chandelier can be wooden, fabric, made of matte material, closed, with shades pointing down.
For glossy paintings, you need to choose chandeliers made of illusionary material, crystal or metal.
Spotlights
Integrated lamps act as both main and additional lighting. In the case of main lighting, fixed lighting fixtures are used. At the same time, in order to achieve lighting in all areas of the kitchen, you should install many lamps.
If such lamps are installed as additional lighting, then it is more convenient to use lamps with a moving external part to achieve high-quality lighting.
LED Strip Light
The tape is used as auxiliary lighting. Easy to install, super durable, gives off a smooth, pleasant glow. Can be stretched along the perimeter of the ceiling for decoration or illumination of the work surface.
Requirements
Since suspended ceilings are a fragile material, several rules must be followed when handling them. The main thing that the canvas is afraid of is temperature: at 55 degrees Celsius it begins to deform. Therefore, the lamp, if it is a spotlight, must have a side to prevent overheating. And there are requirements for the lamps themselves :
- halogen - up to 35 W;
- incandescent - up to 60 W.
Fluorescent and LED bulbs have no limitations, since they practically do not heat up. Therefore, it is advisable to use only them; in addition to safety, it is also more economical.
When using incandescent or halogen lamps, it is not advisable to choose lamps whose horns point upward. This will prevent the canvas from possible deformation due to heating and fading of brightness.
There is another difficulty with these light bulbs: you should choose the lamp itself more carefully, because the metal parts can also heat up and damage the canvas.
The conclusion is this: it’s better to use modern lamp options - and you won’t have to worry about anything.
Stretch ceiling in a small kitchen
In a situation where the kitchen room is small in volume, you need to be even more diligent in choosing a palette for its interior.
To visually expand the space, you can use several of the following tools:
- Light color palette. Of course, white is the best at making walls appear wider;
- Mirrored ceilings combined with matte ones;
- Additional lighting along the horizon.
Levels
High ceilings can be made multi-level from different types of fabrics. It is also possible to combine suspended ceiling coverings with plasterboard.
It is less moisture resistant, but more heat resistant, which gives more options for placing light sources.
Thanks to the possibility of introducing several levels, an interesting model is created with which you can divide the kitchen into zones.
Single-level
Designers advise installing these types of glossy ceilings in small kitchens, which, due to the reflective effect, make the kitchen area visually larger and the ceilings higher.
Using light shades of matte and satin textures you can achieve almost the same result.
If the room needs to be made more comfortable, then you need to choose darker and more contrasting shades.
Two-color single-level ceilings will look unusual in the kitchen interior, with the help of which the room is divided into zones. By using several different colors, the kitchen space can be defined with specific functional zones.
Conventional suspended ceilings have many advantages:
- Installation is more profitable due to fewer building materials and costs;
- Installation is faster and easier on a technical level;
- If desired, he simply understands;
- The height of the room becomes smaller by only 3-6 centimeters, which is quite convenient for compact apartments.
Two-level
Such suspended ceilings provide great freedom to invent your own characteristic kitchen decoration.
Most often suitable only for large rooms. It is preferable to use these ceilings for a kitchen combined with a dining area or living room, because they visually divide the room into two tiers.
When choosing lighting for two-level systems, the first priority should be excellent light in the food preparation area. It is recommended to use spotlights in addition to the main light.
Not too colorful LED lighting in the dining or living room area will provide additional comfort.
Multi-level systems have many advantages:
- The tension fabric does not burn, withstands large temperature changes, is not afraid of cold and heat, and does not rot;
- All defects, such as bulges of tiles, cracks, will be covered by the tension panel. It will not be as dirty as from whitewashing or paint;
- Quick installation. Specialists need a little time to install the structure;
- PVC film, which is used for suspended ceilings, can withstand enormous weight. The panel also improves sound insulation.
Room Features
First, it’s worth saying a few words about the room itself. 9 sq. m - this is not so little. So, a kitchen in a Khrushchev building has an area of up to 7 square meters. At the same time, 9 sq. m is not so much when compared with modern premises. From this it follows that the room only needs visual expansion. For these purposes, it is worth using certain materials.
Visual expansion of the room
In addition, the canvas must be moisture-resistant so that the process of cleaning from soot and grease stains is easy. Do not forget that cooking technology involves the generation of steam, which turns into condensation on the ceiling. Therefore, vinyl ceilings are used in rooms for this purpose. Tensile structures of this type are highly moisture resistant. They will prevent your upstairs neighbors from flooding your kitchen.
Using a stretch ceiling for the kitchen
The selection of furniture and household appliances largely depends on the size of the room. But for a beautiful design you need to choose the color, design style and lighting. Do not forget that the kitchen is a room with many utility networks. All communications are located here:
- electricity;
- hot and cold water supply;
- heating system (centralized or individual);
- gas supply;
- sewerage
Hood to the ceiling
To ensure that the room has a neat appearance, pipes and wires are hidden whenever possible. What will allow you to hide utility lines without losing the visual appeal of the room? This can be either the suspended ceiling itself or a plasterboard box if a complex ceiling structure is planned.
Complex ceiling design
In the space of a false beam or box (pictured below) you can hide not only the networks described above, but also install kitchen ventilation. Local exhaust from a gas or electric stove can also be connected to the structure.
Drywall box
Criteria for selecting an interior
First you need to understand what type of lighting to add to the interior. It is important to remember that you need to select an option taking into account the style of the kitchen. Based on the illumination, a suitable color is selected.
In general, white is considered a good idea. It creates a feeling of spaciousness and visually increases the height of the walls. You can also use shades of blue, beige, peach or other other colors. The texture should also be chosen according to the overall style of the kitchen.
For a classic style, matte texture or satin fabrics are suitable. For modernism, glossy canvas is preferable. You can use baseboards or stucco molding as additional decorations.
It is better to decorate a vintage style interior with matte towels. White and milky shades are a priority for vintage, country and Provence styles.
Do not resort to glossy textures and reflective surfaces.
There are many elements in these styles, so complex designs that can add additional heaviness to the interior are undesirable.
For grunge, loft, chalet styles, you can choose stone or rough plaster coatings, as well as a wood style with a matte finish to give more realism.
With matte design options, any paint looks harmonious in most styles. Gloss is more suitable for an interior with a minimum of furniture and accessories.
When selecting fabric, you need to pay special attention to the thickness of the film. The denser it is, the less sensitive the coating is to deformation.
A satin stretch ceiling matches expensive decorations: in a cheaper environment it looks apart.
To clean tension flows, use:
- Vacuum cleaner, very carefully and only in the corners, to collect cobwebs;
- Brush or napkin. Fabric coverings can be carefully cleaned with a brush, and the film with a soft cloth;
- Wet cleaning. For washing, use a soft cloth and a product containing tension film.
Stretch ceilings in the kitchen: photo gallery
Did the article help you?
