Finding the Right Lighting for Your Living Room

It can be difficult to pick out the right lighting for a living room. With so many different styles of houses and even more styles for personal preference, it can be a daunting task to get even a basic lamp that goes will with everything. When shopping for lighting for your living room, having some basic guidelines can go a long way.

Room Design43097oz_montavello_livingroom_day

The first thing to do is consider the size and shape of your living room. Is the ceiling high and allows for a ceiling fan? Is it so small that having standing lamps seem impractical? Or is it so wide that you need more than a single fixture? And, possibly even more important, what color are the walls? The overall room design can limit what type of lighting you can use based on space. It is vital that you consider how much space you are lighting, and how much room you can devote to just a light fixture.

Room Style

Let’s face it, you wouldn’t expect a ceiling fan in a modern-style house unless it was minimalistic and either white or black. You wouldn’t walk into a ranch-style house and expect to see LED lights on the walls. No, those would seem out of place and might detract from the feel of the room itself. You would expect ceiling fans in a ranch-style house because it seems to fit more naturally than modern-style LED lights.

Room Vibe

Each room has its own vibe, or feeling. When you are picking out the lighting fixture for your living room, think about what you want your guests to feel when they are over. Do you want controllable lighting so you can set the mood, or do you strictly want soft light to give the room a sense of warmth? Do you want your pieces to be eye-catching, or would you prefer your lights to accentuate the rest of the room instead? It is important to understand just how certain levels of lighting can change the ambiance of your space.

Personal Taste

Something to think about when buying a lighting fixture is how YOU feel about what you are buying. There is no point in buying something that you don’t like. If a certain lighting fixture doesn’t mesh with what you are trying to do in the room, then don’t get it. While you wouldn’t want an antique lamp in a modern living room, it can be easy to find something similar to what you like in a different style.

Light Locations

Where are your lights going? Do you want them to sit in the corners and light up the whole room to make it feel spacious, or would you prefer central lighting that leaves the corners in the shadows to make your room feel smaller and more intimate? Do you want fixtures that are stuck on the walls and illuminate the areas around them like a gallery, or would you prefer table-side lighting that give your living room a more homey feel? Where you place your lights can be just as important as how well they light up a room.

The reason why these rules are important is because they will help you decide what type of lighting is right for your living room. The lighting of a room can be just as important as the furniture. A poorly lit room can ruin the overall feel of the space, while a too brightly light room can confuse where the focal point of the room is. Since the living room is where your guests will spend most of their time, it is important to light it in an attractive way that showcases not just your house, but also your personality.

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