From layering to creating mood to making a bold statement, here’s an expert guide to lighting your sitting room like a professional interior designer…
How much light do you need in a living room?
First, you need to make sure you have enough light in your living room. Lighting is measured in lumens, and as a general rule of thumb a living room normally requires around 10-20 lumens per square foot.
To find out how many basic lumens you need in your living room, measure the height and width of the room and multiply the two figures together to get the total square footage. Then simply multiply the square footage by the amount of lumens above, and this will give you a baseline for how much light you need.
Find more expert advice in our guide: How much light do you need in a room?
What’s the best kind of lighting for a living room?
As well as ensuring you have the right amount of light, it’s also important to have the right kind of light. So many different activities take place in a living room – everything from reading and doing homework, to playing family games, ro entertaining - and your lighting scheme needs to be able to accommodate all of that.
When choosing living room lighting, the key is to use a range of different lighting sources, including pendant lights, wall lights and floor and table lamps, to create a balanced, well-lit and inviting space.
Here’s how to create a living space that’s practical, stylish and works for you…
Six ways to light your living room
1. Combine different types of lighting
When it comes to lighting a living room, you need to provide plenty of practical light for tasks and activities, while also offering a layer of soft, warm light for relaxing and entertaining. There are three main types of lighting: ambient lighting – the general overall light in a room, including the main light); task lighting – stronger, targeted lighting for activities such as cooking or reading); and accent lighting – softer lighting used for highlighting features and artwork, and creating mood and atmosphere).
It’s important not to rely on overhead lighting alone as this can result in dark areas and shadows, and a lack of atmosphere. Wall lights, floor lamps and table lamps are ideal for supplementing the main ceiling light in a living room. Finally, adding in some dimmers will help you to control the amount of light so you can create just the right mood and atmosphere.
Learn more about layering light in our guide: Home lighting design: A guide to layering light
2. Create a focal point with an eye-catching pendant light
The main source of light in a living room is often a pendant light or a chandelier – and your choice of ceiling light can really make your living room sing. As well as providing plenty of ambient light, a lovely big pendant light or an eye-catching chandelier suspended from the middle of the ceiling, or over a central point such as a coffee table, will create a beautiful focal point which draws the eye, highlights the vertical space and brings the room together.
3. Add warmth with wall lights
Wall lights and sconces offer an additional layer of soft, warm lighting and can be used to supplement the main overhead lighting in a living room, or as an alternative where a ceiling light isn’t feasible. A set of uplights will cast the majority of the light upwards along the wall and towards the ceiling, opening up darker corners and making a space feel more open, while a set of downlights will cast the light downwards, creating a cosy and intimate feel.
Wall lights are ideal for illuminating corners or alcoves and highlighting architectural features, and they look fabulous placed either side of a fireplace or sofa. In the living room above, designer and editorial stylist Ali Attenborough has featured our Sycamore wall light in bronze together with a Sycamore chandelier, creating a lovely romantic look, with a touch of luxury. (Find out more about Ali’s work: Meet the interior designer: Ali Attenborough. )
TOP TIP: Go wireless. Lighting technology now makes it incredibly easy to add rechargeable wall lights to any space, without worrying about wiring or getting in an electrician - they’re as easy to put up as a picture frame - a couple of screws and you’re away! Read more ideas for using rechargeable wall lights here.
4. Use floor lamps to create different zones
With their tall stature and almost sculptural quality, floor lamps are a great way of delineating different zones within a living room, such as a reading nook or a study area – and a striking floor lamp can make a bold style statement all of its own.
In the space above, top interior designer Carlos Garcia has paired our sleek and contemporary Galore floor lamp with a particularly inviting-looking armchair, to create a stylish reading area. Find out more about Carlos Garcia and his unique ‘generational layering’ technique: Interiors with depth – our Q&A with Carlos Garcia.
5. Introduce colour and texture with lampshades
Lampshades are the easiest, most cost-effective and most purely enjoyable way to style up your living room and introduce colour and texture.
Our lampshades come in a huge range of different materials, colours and patterns – ideal for livening up your living room. Find out all the different types of lampshade, and find your perfect match with our expert guide: How to choose a lampshade - the complete guide.
Image: Sean Symington
Here, interior designer Sean Symington has used Pooky’s Berries ikat lampshade with its vibrant ‘egg and spoon’ design alongside the reds, blues and greens of the furnishings and accessories. Gorgeous!
6. Highlight your favourite artwork with picture lights
Finally, picture lights are perfect for showcasing paintings and artwork in a living room. Not only are they specially designed to illuminate your favourite pictures or photographs, but they’re also stylish pieces in their own right. Use them to highlight individual works, or create a gallery wall.
And with rechargeable picture lights there's no need to worry about wiring...
View our full range of beautiful, affordable living room lighting.
See also:
5 common sitting room lighting mistakes – and how to fix them
Sitting room lighting - ideas and inspiration from the interior design experts
How to choose a lampshade - the complete guide
How to position wall lights - an expert guide
