Lighting living rooms properly is all about creating the right atmosphere and illumination levels.
A single layer of lighting is never sufficient for a living room. There are two factors to consider when choosing the right lighting for you. Firstly, how do you use that room and, secondly, how do you want to feel in it? This allows you to combine functionality with the decorative aspect of lighting. Adding different layers of light to your living room will help create the right atmosphere for every activity that you carry out in that room. A warm and relaxing space for evenings, bright enough for reading a book, or transforming your living room into a movie theatre, it all comes down to lighting.
There are 3 main types of lighting for every room
At Pagazzi we recommend adding a combination of three different types of lighting so that your living room can transform with your needs for each activity you carry out there.
Ambient lighting
Ambient light refers to the overall illumination of your room. Typically, this will be your ceiling light and wall lights, as well as natural light. Use a ceiling light that can work well with your ceiling height, to create an even layer of lighting.
Task Lighting
As the name says, this type of lighting illuminates the area where you need to carry out a task. In a living room, it usually is a table lamp or floor lamp. Use a combination of floor lamps and table lamps across the room to adapt to the different activities you might carry out there. Consider dimmable options, being able to adjust the brightness will make all the difference in tweaking the atmosphere to fit your mood.
Accent Lighting
Normally used to highlight decorative objects, wall art or architectural features. Accent light will cast a subtle glow over the things you want to highlight in your living room whilst drawing attention away from things you want to hide. It will also provide an overall soft glow to your room, adding a warm and cosy feeling.
How do to choose your living room lighting layout?
First, gather everyone in the house and make a list of all the things you do in your living room in your day-to-day. Then, make a second list of any features you’d like to highlight in your living room, from artwork to ceiling covers.
Once you’ve got your lists, start planning the lighting you’ll need for each thing. Drawing a living room map of where you typically carry each activity might help you place the light fittings correctly for their purpose.
What are the best bulbs for living room lighting?
Needless to say, choosing the right temperature for each light fitting will make your project a hit or miss. Warm lighting is ideal for when you want to relax, while cool white light is energising and will typically be found in rooms such as kitchens or offices. Check our lighting glossary for more information on colour temperature.
We can’t forget about Smart lightbulbs; most smart LED bulbs will change their colour temperature through a phone app so that your lighting can adapt to your mood at the clicking of a button. The best part yet? You can switch them on and off without getting up from your sofa.
We hope you enjoyed this article. In the meantime, if you need more inspiration for your home check out our Instagram and TikTok. You can browse our full lighting catalogue here.