Have you ever wondered why the living room gets the most attention? It’s primarily because it is the most-of-used room and it makes the biggest statement in a home.
Of all decor elements, the one that gives the living room area its glow is lighting.
Proper lighting. Your home should have that too. If you’re in need of ideas to incorporate lighting in your living area, you are in the right place.
Read on for valuable tips to create a cozy yet functional space through the proper use of lights.
Layer Your Lighting
In an ideal living room, function and aesthetics should go hand in hand. The best way to achieve this mix is by layering your lighting no matter whether it is in your work areas, dining room, or home office.
This way, you can have different lighting to match your specific purpose and, at the same time, make a loud statement.
Well-schemed ambient lighting, task, and accent lighting will help you perform different functions in your living room.
There’s decorative lighting, too that makes your room feel beautiful if you want to go extra. To help you understand better, here are some of the ways you can incorporate a layered lighting scheme into your living area:
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While many people try to figure out the ambient lighting first, you want to prioritize lighting that will help you as you go about your business in the living area.
If your home doesn’t have a space for an office or reading space, that business could very well be reading.
For reading lights, the bright and focused light that comes with desk lamps and floor reading lamps is your best bet.
Rather than shine all over the space, these lamps are made to highlight the content of your book. There is an ample variety of options from which you can choose.
You could consider desk and floor lamps that come with adjustable features.
This works for whatever reading position you take — whether you’re sitting or lying. A stylish directional lamp is an excellent choice if your tasks are mostly stationary.
And if your working space is small, a canopy-mounted light is best for you.
Accent Lighting
If you want to accentuate your collection of artwork or your space’s architectural features, you get to do it with accent lighting.
This scheme of lighting comes in many varieties to suit your needs. For a new house or a remodel, get an adjustable recessed light. Just make sure the ceiling lighting is at a 30-degree angle.
Track and monorail lighting are best for a contemporary styled living room.
They also serve as an alternative to recessed lighting in a living room with a high ceiling. But if you want to highlight a wall with architectural elements and patterns, you want to consider a wall-grazer.
The visual beauty the combination of shadows and patterns creates is unmatched. If you’re not a fan of shades, consider the three-point lighting.
This lighting illuminates an object and eliminates the shadows from direct lighting using a key light, fill light, and backlight.
Ambient Lighting
Ambient lighting is the centerpiece that sets the mood and provides a calm aura. This is the part where you get to set up the blend of style and ambiance.
For many living rooms, a pendant or chandelier works just fine, especially in a contemporary setting.
However, if you think your living room needs brighter light than is available from natural light sources, add recessed lighting.
And if you choose for your room to be accented with recessed downlights, you want to use wall-washers to eliminate the shadows. Combine this with ambient floor lamps and table lamps to create a full illuminative effect.
Decorative Lighting
This fourth layer of interior lighting is like jewelry. While it isn’t necessary, decorative fixtures add extra shine to homes. Many lighting options that serve as ambient lighting can also be transformed into decorative purposes.
Mini pendants and chandeliers are well-suited for your living room decor as they are versatile and can be used in different settings from ultra-modern to retro.
Invest In Exotic Pendant Lights
You can incorporate light pendants into your living room, depending on the architectural details and features. Your home decor matters too.
If your living room decor tends towards elegance and contains fun pillows and bright colored walls, add a lovely lampshade to make your space more inviting.
Rice paper shade pendants are an excellent option for all-white rooms — they give this sleek and elevated touch you will absolutely love.
But if you want to go extra with added glam, consider an eye-catching metallic pendant. Match it with a metal-frame coffee table and watch that regular space transform to extraordinary.
Try Using Arc Lamps For The Living Room
If you don’t want to suspend the light from a ceiling and also don’t like to place one on a table, arc lamps can help save you from headaches.
Arc floor lamps offer a stylish yet functional lighting solution and will help you decorate your home beautifully.
Find out everything about arc lamps on “The Art of the Arc Lamp” and everything lighting on the Nova of California lighting blog.
There is a wide variety of floor lamps for the living room of your home. From modern to classic, pick out the type that best suits your space and preference.
How Important Is It to Properly Light A Living Room?
While trying to pick up things for a new home, people get so focused on the furniture, appliances, and other accents that they end up settling for random lights.
The hard work that comes with getting a new home together can be overwhelming, but lighting should not be left out. It is not a hoax that lighting makes or mars a home.
None of the efforts and expenses will be worth it if the lighting is not aesthetically pleasing.
Good lighting plays a vital role in transforming the entire atmosphere of the living room and, at the same time, highlighting the task areas.
Additionally, proper lighting gives an unmatched sense of warmth to lighten your mood.
How to Choose Good Lighting For Your Living Room
Adding living room lighting can be a daunting task, but with the wide variety of lighting out there, it should not be so hard to get it right.
Whatever you do, make sure you carefully select lights to help you carry out different tasks and activities.
Also, it’s important to apply paint for shying your room using a commercial paint sprayer. Also, it’s important to apply paint for shying your room using a commercial paint sprayer.
You should be able to have your serene space while, at the same time, carry on with your daily life. For instance, you might want to conveniently shift to host hangouts and parties after a night of intense study.
A good lighting scheme should help make that possible with ease. It does help to use different kinds of lights at various levels to create the perfect atmosphere. However, be careful not to overwhelm some areas.
Final Thought
A well-thought-out living room lighting plan almost always goes well. Whether you want to go full-on layering, or you want to go reserved by adding draping pendants or chandelles, your room will shine.
Don’t be afraid to experiment. It just might turn out to be the best living room illumination your guests have ever seen.
