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How Do I... Light My Living Room?

The right lighting can make your living room – and everyone who steps inside it – look great, this expert reveals

Georgia Madden 3 November 2018

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In this practical series, we ask experts to answer your burning home and design questions. Here, Justine Wilson, principal stylist and director of Vault Interiors, reveals the different types of lighting and practical steps you can take to create a warm, layered lighting scheme for your living room.

Nothing is more inviting than a well-lit living room. The atmosphere is warm and laid-back, and everyone looks good – which is just the vibe you’ll want to create in a spot that’s all about socialising and relaxation.

Here’s how to create a welcoming, layered lighting scheme in your own living room.

Vault Interiors

Have multiple lighting sources
Most living rooms today perform multiple functions as somewhere to entertain, watch television, dine and even work. As such, they require three different types of lighting – general (or ambient), task, and accent lighting – that allow you to perform various tasks with ease.

Before planning your lighting scheme for a living room, think about what you do there. Do you relax on the sofa with a book most evenings and need a reading light there? Do you work at a desk in the corner of the living room and require task lighting? Do you have a work of art that you love and wish to highlight with accent lighting? The answers to these questions will inform your lighting layout.

Dimmers are essential for a multi-purpose space, such as a living room, as they allow you to dial lighting levels up or down as you like.

Melissa Balzan Design

Include Different Lighting Types

General lighting: A ceiling light that emits general (or ambient) light forms the foundation of most living-room lighting schemes. It could be in the form of a ceiling oyster or a pendant lamp. It creates a wash of light over the room and allows you and your guests to move through the space comfortably.

Boost overhead lighting with a variety of table and floor lamps at different levels to set a soft, welcoming tone and boost lighting control.

Before you install ceiling lights, think carefully about where you’ll position key pieces of furniture, such as your sofa and coffee table.

Tip: If you watch television in the living room, avoid glare by positioning overhead lights far from the screen. Moderate-level ambient lighting is best. Too dark and you’ll be forced to strain your eyes to see the screen and too bright and the picture will appear washed out.

Rachel Reider Interiors

Task lighting: This form of lighting allows you to see what you’re doing when you’re busy with focused tasks, such as reading, working on your laptop or sewing.

A dramatic, sculptural floor lamp over the sofa is a great option and can double as overhead (general) lighting, but without the need for any tricky ceiling installation. Plus you can move it around to provide light where it’s needed.

ID INTERIOR DESIGN LLC

Accent lighting: You can highlight a favourite painting or architectural feature with accent lighting, such as spotlights or picture lights.

Tip: LED strip lights are one of my favourite forms of accent lighting – they’re a great way to illuminate dark areas that don’t get much in the way of natural light, such as bookshelves, kitchen cabinetry and dim hallways.

Bask Interiors

Natural daylight: Natural light is an often overlooked, but very important, part of a living-room lighting scheme. Naturally lit, vibrant spaces feel pleasant to be in. You can maximise natural light by opting for sheer curtains or shutters on the windows. If your living room is dark, add mirrors to bounce light around the space.

Christopher Polly Architect

Choose the right bulbs
It’s important not to over-light your living room as this can make it feel cold and harsh. I’d suggest opting for warm-white, moderate-light bulbs for a cosy feel.

raumatmosphäre pantanella

Living-room lighting tips

Light your walls to make the space feel bigger than it actually is.
Add corner lighting; a floor lamp in the corner of a room looks cosy and inviting when lit, particularly when paired with a comfortable armchair.
A statement pendant can be a great addition to your living room, introducing ambient lighting and providing a bold focal point. When it comes to materials, glass and crystal look elegant, while natural materials such as timber and rattan look warm and contemporary. Over-scale metallic pendants are making a comeback in 2019.
Be sure to get the scale of your pendant right – it should be large enough so it’s not lost in the overall scheme, yet not so big that it overwhelms the space.

Novari Interior Design

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Comments (3)

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Daisy Marie

Layered lighting is such an overlooked element in design..

1 Like 3 November 2018 at 2:23pm

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Kathy Tokarczyk

We love lamps in the evenings, almost never have the main lights on. Just bought a lovely latte work wood one which makes beautiful patterns on the wall.