Ways to light your living room

Whether you are entertaining friends on a Friday night, winding down and relaxing after a hard day’s work or catching up on some daytime TV whilst you eat your lunch, the living room has a unique use for everyone, making it one of the busiest and most frequented rooms in the home. 

Whatever shape or size it is, the living room is an integral part of any home and everyone spends at least a small part of their day here so getting the lighting right is very important.

With so many different uses you should try to consider a whole range of living room lighting ideas before getting started. Taking the time to plan out which sorts of lights you might need is a task well worth doing as surely there will be many situations to consider. Whether you are looking for modern interiors or classic elegance, good lighting is essential and whatever you choose will need to be practical as well as fitting seamlessly into the design of the room. 

When thinking about the best lights for living room design, you should first consider the main purposes of the room. Is it a relaxing space? Is it an area to work or socialise in? Maybe you are planning to use it for all sorts of things and if so, it is important to try to get the balance between form and function right.

Luckily, there are many different styles of light to choose from when thinking about your sitting room lighting ideas. This article talks through the three main styles of lighting and how to incorporate them into your home. 

Ambient lighting in the living room

First, it would be a good idea to think about how you would like to set up your ambient lighting. This is sometimes referred to as mood lighting and will usually be the main source of light for the living room. 

Its core purpose is to illuminate the room so that you and your family are able to safely move and see what is going on around you.

Ambient lights do have a purpose – they have a very practical function but when thinking about living room lighting ideas, practical doesn’t have to be boring. Of course, lights are essential in every room but it is important that you think about how they will look and work to fit them into the design. With so many style and design options, these sorts of lights can be used to add to the aesthetic of the room at the same time.

Ambient lights are usually quite big and they can be decorative or simple depending on what you think would work better. Think about what sort of colours you’d like to use – black can add drama to a room whilst silver feels like a sophisticated shade and gold fixtures look very luxurious. 

Chandeliers and other types of ceilings lights are great sitting room lighting options and are often used in the living room. Wall mounted fixtures are also very common, as are stand alone pieces like floor lamps which are great as they allow fluidity in where you place them. Floor lamps are also great for adding light to a dark corner, in turn, adding depth and making a room feel much bigger, sometimes giving the space a whole new purpose. 

Once your main lighting is covered you can start to think about the other lights you might want in your living room. 

Don’t be scared to layer different types of lighting when designing your home so you have options as the natural light changes across the day and night. It also means you are able to change the mood and atmosphere as you wish. Pairing your bigger ceiling lights with smaller lamps not only allows you to have light for different things but also works well to create a great aesthetic.  

Task lighting in the living room 

These sort of living room lighting ideas are much smaller and more concentrated lights, usually used to illuminate spaces for a specific task, hence the name. Task lighting is sometimes less relevant in a living room but could still be appropriate depending on what you are planning to use the room for.  

Think back to how you planned to use the space. If your living room doubles as a home office for example then adequate task lighting will be useful. 

Pendant lights are often used as task lighting – these can be beautiful pieces that add personality to the room, and adjustable desk lamps are great too as they are smaller and help to light up a desk or workspace.

Accent lighting in the living room 

Accent lights are one last thing to think about. These are used to create a focal point, whether that is a piece of art, a unique architectural design, a plant or even the lighting fixture itself. 

Track lighting is great for this as getting the angle right is particularly significant and these are easy to move into whatever direction you desire. Well-positioned wall sconces also work well to bring attention to your subject whilst adding extra drama to the atmosphere. Be sure to position your lights away from your television so as not to cause any glare on the screen.

If you were looking to make the lighting itself the focal point, you could look into some LED lighting ideas for living room design as these are usually very decorative as well as being energy efficient. 

Once you have chosen your pieces, you may also want to have a think about what sort of bulbs to use. Yellow tinted bulbs will give the room warmth whilst cooler blue tones will feel more energising.  This can make a huge difference.

Every room in the home has its purpose and whilst some get more use than others, the living room is somewhere everyone will be spending a considerable amount of time, some people say it’s the heart of your home. Taking the time to work out what sort of lighting to use will ensure your room is a comfortable and enjoyable place to spend time in for years to come.