What lights are best for living room?

Wall lights or wall lights are a great way to add interest to an empty wall or frame the sofa or a work of art. They are also ideal for small spaces and help to free up space on the floor or table. With this in mind, the best living room lighting ideas balance bright lighting with a cosy ambient glow. From overhead fixtures and floor lamps to LED fixtures and tall table lamps, there are tons of ways to brighten up your space.

Ambient lighting is also called general or background lighting and provides general lighting to the room. In living rooms, it usually includes the ceiling lamp, fixed spotlights and wall lights, as well as natural light. It does what it says on the tin: it illuminates the area where you need to perform a task, whether it's reading, working, or cooking. In a living room, it typically includes table lamps, adjustable floor lamps, swing arm lamps, and mobile wall lights.

Task lighting should be easily adjusted, as in these Anglepoise examples (opens in new tab). They are cheaper than LEDs and last longer than standard incandescent bulbs. They take a little time to shine, so they're best for basements, lofts, and garages. A good living room lighting scheme uses different types of light, at different levels, which work together to make the space warm and attractive.

Allen says that if you want people to stay, use dimmers that allow you to control the light level to adapt to the activities taking place in space. Typically, a fan is located in the center of the room to provide general ambient light to the room, or a brighter light if placed over a seating area. This is ideal if your ceiling can accommodate those lights and keeps the room free of protruding objects. If you use your living room mainly for Netflix and relaxing, why not use the space above your sofa to install a dramatic wall light like Tilen Sepič's Eclipse wall light for Bazar Noir as seen in this Pamono-designed living room? As a pendant, the pendant light can be placed over an important area, such as a chair or table, or closer to the center of the room if the ceiling is high enough.

When you want to read a book or need to write on a desk, good work lighting helps you get things done. With the table below, you can roughly convert the total wattage needed for your living room, or for a specific light or lamp, to the equivalent compact fluorescent or LED power. Avoiding blue light waves in the bedroom will prevent your circadian rhythm from confusing the light in your bedroom with the natural light outside. You can then begin to plan and adjust the amount of ambient light the room needs to be functional and relaxing, and what type of task lighting would suit your family's needs.

This living room lighting trick is very easy to do with adhesive bulbs, which you don't even need an electrician. Some picture lights are also pluggable, which means that while a cable hangs from the wall, you can connect them to a normal electrical outlet. The can lamp is designed to be placed on the floor or in the lower part of the room, perhaps next to a fireplace or next to the TV. You can go online or visit your local lighting showroom and learn about the new light sources and colors available now.

We've simplified the options available and categorized them into each of the 20 main types of living room luminaires and lamps.

Adam Martabano
Adam Martabano

Certified tv advocate. Hipster-friendly social media nerd. Hipster-friendly webaholic. Proud pop culture buff. Evil tv fan.