Our guide to creating the ‘wow’ factor in your home – the living room lighting guide 

Welcome to the second instalment of our guide to creating the ‘wow’ factor in your home! We hope you enjoyed our previous feature on lighting your kitchen! This is our living room lighting guide.

Lighting the living room can be an exciting and equally daunting challenge. Having a wide, open space can encourage creativity, bringing incredible ideas to the fore. A lot of “living” happens in this room; entertaining family and friends, watching television or reading a book.

Your living room should have a practical, yet imaginative element, ensuring the right amount of light is provided for every occasion.

There are three main considerations when lighting your living room; ceiling lighting, wall lighting and table/floor lighting. We will go through each in some small detail below.

Ceiling Lighting/Ambient Lighting – living room lighting guide

Your primary source of ambient lighting in any living room. Ambient lighting is essentially a layer of light that fills the whole room, helping offset the brightness from task lighting. This type of lighting help take the strain off your eyes. Ambient lighting also, crucially, sets the mood of the room. This is the place where a ‘feature light’ shines brightest. A ceiling light is the most efficient method of eliminating shadows and creating an even spread of light.

If you have a tall ceiling in your living room, consider a modern chandelier or large pendant. Modern styled pendants usually come with a range of between three to five bulbs, providing ample light. If you have a lower ceiling, consider a flush or semi-flush fitting. A semi-flush or flush fitting that is centered in the room will cast diffused light evenly throughout the space. A chandelier or large pendant will add your own design statement to the living room.

Table Lamps/Task Lighting – living room lighting guide

Task lighting consists of bright, directional light that can be used for activities such as reading books etc. Consider Table Lamps for your task lighting; they provide an extra source of warmth and are coming back into trend thanks to some stunning modern styles. Table lamps are making a comeback due to the unique, modern designs that can be made with them. For optimal performance, place your table lamp next to a sofa to cast light directly on whatever is being read or worked on, whilst avoiding annoyance to other room users. We have a brand new table lamp range coming soon!

Accent Lighting – living room lighting guide

Accent lighting is the final layer of light needed in a living room which serves to add drama & visual interest to a room. It also combats any harsh brightness emitted from task lighting. It can make a room feel larger by illuminating dark corners and balance bright light from task lighting sources. A well placed wall light will add ideal accent lighting to any living room, while reflecting light off the walls to enhance the ambient light emanating from the centre of the room.

In conclusion…

It’s extremely rare to see a well-designed living room that uses only one of the above. By combining various lighting elements, a balanced room ambiance can be created. And consider pairing a statement ceiling light with matching wall lights to create a unique feel to your home and certainly a talking point. Adding a dimmable wall light can create a perfect finish for a night of binging Netflix. The possibilities are endless.

Thanks for reading out living room lighting guide. Hopefully this will have given you some perspective or ideas on how to approach lighting your living room. There are many options to suit all styles contained in our SHOP section, so have a look and have fun picking out the perfect combination for your living room!

You can find our showroom in Callaghan’s Electrical, Letterkenny Retail Park, County Donegal. Check out their website HERE.