Living Room Lighting 8 tips for creating an enchanting ambience
The living room is where we live, laugh and relax the most, so it goes without saying it needs to be inviting and cosy. Whether by using floor lamps, modern pendant lamps, spotlights or wall lamps for your living room lighting, follow our eight tips below to create an enhancing ambience you’ll love getting home to.
The living room is simply the best place for a hanging pendant lamp because, as it’s the place where we spend most of our free time, not only has it got to be functional, it’s got to be cosy too.
And there’s nothing more relaxing than a stylish pendant light, watching over the settee like the sun over the earth as we eat, read, laugh, relax and doze the hours away.
There are hanging pendant lights in almost every style imaginable. And with every lighting designer in our collection using an exciting mix of materials and colours, the hardest part will be whittling down your choice to just one.
There’s nothing like settling down in your favourite armchair and losing yourself in a good book. And to make sure the ambience is perfect, warm, cosy lighting that’s bright enough for reading but not too bright for relaxing goes a long way to achieving that.
Floor lamps are available in a wide range of styles, from Scandinavian to vintage, to match the rest of your apartment. And some floor lamps are even equipped with an extra reading lamp - perfect for when your story takes a dark twist.
And even if the floor lamp is the star of the cosy reading corner, it’s not unheard of to hang a pendant lamp above the armchair or a table lamp on a side table for an extra splash of light.
You’ll be forgiven for thinking a table lamp has to be a fixed lighting source in your living room. Actually, it’s the opposite. By implementing our Lights2Go range throughout your home, you can carry your living room lighting into the garden and vice versa.
And with a selection of designs, colours and materials available, all our Lights2Go lamps are fully IP protected against moisture and foreign bodies - so you won’t have worry about the British weather ruining your lamps.
Of, if you’re a fan of something a little more traditional. There are plenty of inside only plug-in lamps available to place and enjoy on your sideboard or side table.
#4
Showcase the best of your home with wall lights
Wall lights look great over a sideboard in the living room. And when placed at eye level, they give your stylish wooden furniture light and emphasise all its decorative details - from vases to the picture frames.
Wall lights also look magnificent next to a reading armchair or above a sofa, adding a cosy, warm light for flicking through your favourite magazine or doing a crossword puzzle.
Since wall lamps are hung up at eye level, they catch the eye. And with their unusual designs, they add a dash of style and a huge talking point to your living room lighting.
Want to highlight your favourite furniture and accessories? Then using spots and spotlights should be at the top of your living room lighting ideas list.
Spots and spotlights are also ‘in’ right now, and where they were once seen as functional, they’re now the height of sitting room style and chic.
Spots and spotlights can be used independently or grouped together and directed in different directions, helping you to showcase your favourite ornament or add a little more light to a shadowy corner.
Is it a hanging floor lamp or a standing pendant lamp? Not every light can be pigeon-holed. So, quirky lamps that blur the lines between which category they fall into are trendy right now, especially in modern interiors.
A table lamp that looks like it’s floating on air will be an eye-catcher in the living room. Or is it a floor lamp, with the cable serving as the actual frame? Either way, it’s sure to turn heads.
Ultimately, if you want to give your living room lighting an extravagant touch, we suggest choosing something that goes way beyond the realms of the tried and tested.
#7
Efficiently light open living areas
Open living spaces, where the living room, dining room and kitchen are one large, open area, can be illuminated flexibly and efficiently with modern rail and cable systems. This means, even if your room is angled or L-shaped, you can light the room corner to corner.
And the best part? You can add a variety of different lights, from spotlights to pendulums, to rail systems - all from one power outlet.
Rail and cable systems can be controlled by remote control, app or voice command. This allows you to dim, change the colour or switch them on and off from anywhere - even outside.
There’s nothing more relaxing than sitting down on the sofa and not having to get up to dim or change the light colour of your sitting room lighting.
And this is achieved by using a smartphone app, which means you only have to lift one finger to change the lighting ambience to match the time of day.
Many smart living room lights are controlled via app or remote control, but they can also be switched on and off using voice commands. So, after telling your other half to “grab the wine from the kitchen,” you can ask Alexa to dim the lights to create the perfect romantic atmosphere.
FAQ: Frequently asked questions about living room lighting
How many lumens are needed for living room lighting?
How many lumens you need for the living room depends on personal preference and the size and nature of the room in terms of wall colour and structure. The furnishings also play a role, so you need to check:
How much furniture there is
Where each piece is placed
Then you can tailor your lighting to match each individual room.
Good lighting planning is essential in ensuring you feel totally relaxed and at ease.
What should you watch out for when planning lighting for the living room?
It’s important to make sure that the right lighting scenario is available for all conceivable situations. For example, for:
Reading
Watching TV
Meeting friends
Relaxing
Ideally, choose lights that can be dimmed or where the light colour can be changed, so you’re prepared for all eventualities.
Which light is suitable for the living room?
A ceiling light is suitable for general lighting in the living room. For the settee and reading corner, pendant and floor lamps are a popular choice. And for cosy accents, decorative lights or table lamps are a good recommendation.
Digging deeper, a floor lamp next to a reading chair provides good area lighting, so not only can you enjoy a good book, you won’t be fumbling around for your teacup. And an oriental table lamp with a hole pattern will bathe a wall and the chest of drawers on which it stands in pretty patterned light.
Which ceiling lights are suitable for a living room?
To be honest, anything you like is allowed in the living room because you don't have to take moisture, cooking vapours and frying fat into account, as you do in the kitchen or bathroom. It’s best to choose a ceiling light to matches your room style. And to save electricity costs, you should use LEDs.
And last but not least, you should consider whether you want lighting with dimming or colour options. In this case, smart lights that are controlled using a mobile device are a good choice.
Which lamps are recommended for a small living room?
Space-saving lamps are best for a small living room. So, a massive floor lamp next to the sofa would be unsuitable as it would dominate the confined space. A filigree pendant lamp is a better option. As are wall lights with a shelf function (as these allow you extra display space).
Cable and rail track systems are also ideal for small or winding rooms.
What colour temperature is best in the living room?
Unfortunately, there’s no correct answer to this as every living room is different. However, a quick guide would be to use universal white light for cleaning and cosy warm white light for chilling out on the settee.
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