Thanks to advances in home interior tech, there’s no shortage of living room lighting ideas even for a low ceiling – bright and airy, warm and sophisticated, you can create any type of mood.
Vertically challenged ceilings come with a unique set of hurdles, but no one said that low ceilings mean low-quality lighting. With so many options available, now is the time to start experimenting with the lights in your home. Whether you’re sprucing up a gloomy space with a low ceiling or looking for chic living room wall lighting ideas, make sure you do your homework before you dive in.
Consider the purpose of the lounge
When was the last time you sat down and thought about who was using your living room? For example, if the kids have since flown the nest, chances are your lounge lighting ideas are going to be somewhat different to a couple with little ones still running about.
The new remote working lifestyle we’re all adapting to means our lounges could serve all types of purposes. For example:
- A place solely for relaxation, ideal for adults
- A kids’ playroom
- A work area with an ‘office space’
- An exercise zone.
All of these will affect your lighting choices, regardless of the ceiling height of your room. For example, brighter lighting is ideal for productivity if you are using your lounge as a creative working space. However, if it’s more of a chilled-out zone, you might consider dimmers or subtle recessed lights to avoid overwhelming the design – which is especially pertinent for rooms with a dreaded low ceiling. Using soft, balanced lighting you can create a cosy space, concealing tight niches while you’re at it.
Ideal types of lighting for low ceilings
Once you’ve nailed what you intend to use the space for, it’s time to get thinking about what types of fixtures will work best in the space. While there are so many low ceiling lighting options available as a rule of thumb you can shrink these down into three categories.
Ambient lighting
Ambient lighting is a beautiful way to complement the idiosyncrasies of your home without drawing too much attention to your low ceilings. Casting a comforting glow about the place, dimmed wall lights or a soft table lamp can create a gorgeous sense of harmony. It really is that simple.
Task lighting
It’s in the name. Task lighting is to illuminate the spaces where we carry out our daily chores or activities that require more focused light such as reading and writing. A well-placed pendant, spotlight or undercabinet lighting will do the trick nicely here.
Accent lighting
We’ve come to the icing on the cake. Accent lighting is designed to draw the eye and pique your interest in details such as a centred piece of furniture or a fireplace.
Fixtures that work well with low ceilings
I know what you’re thinking. Is there a way to make a living room with a low ceiling look bigger? The knack here is to plan for a balanced spread of light to cast across the room.
This means contemplating the look of your lighting at every level, whether curled up in an armchair or standing by the fire to warm yourself up. My point is that each fixture should be considered carefully and placed just right. Here are some light fixtures that work particularly well in cramped spaces.
Semi-flush ceiling lights
Semi-flush ceiling lights are designed with low ceilings in mind. In the past, these fixtures have been considered old-fashioned and tacky, but with recent design efforts, they’ve taken the interior design scene by storm. More detailed than spotlights these fixtures are an ideal way to inject intrigue and personality.
Pendant lighting
Some things stay classics for a reason. While you might not immediately consider a pendant light as one of the best living room lighting ideas for a low ceiling, there’s room to experiment. Think about it: is there a place where a pendant light won’t get in the way?
Placing a long-drop light over a coffee table, for instance, will reduce the likelihood you will bump into it. And if this is still a concern you could adjust the length to fit the space.
Wall lamps
If the thought of adding a pendant light into the mix is conjuring up images of playing limbo, it’s best to consider ditching any “big lights” entirely. Wall lamps are a great way to spread light throughout the room evenly, penetrating any dingy corners.
Table and floor lamps
There are many living room floor lamp ideas circulating on interior designers’ mood boards, but one we love is the industrial style floor lamp. Well matched with brooding monochrome colour schemes or Scandinavian furnishings, it creates an interesting contrast between organic textures such as wood.
Abstract lamps provide the perfect reading light next to seating areas and can be moved to suit your changing needs. In addition, themed lamps are ideal for bridging the gap between spaces, for example, an outdoor themed lamp located close to the garden for modern, summery vibes and a dash of quirky charm.
Living room lighting ideas incorporating a low ceiling
Rely on multiple light sources
In interior design, a core tenet of lighting a room is to ensure the entire room is lit. That means no dark corners! By relying on several light sources, including natural ones such as windows and doors, candles and fairy lights you can create a harmonious balance.
Find the centrepiece of the room
The default assumption with lounge lighting is that you need the light source to come from the centre of the room. In fact, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Rather, you need to find a focal point, for example, a large fireplace or entertainment centre, and illuminate it.
Cast your mind back to pendant lights – they will help you to achieve this. Alternatively, if there isn’t one single focus, why not divide the room into zones with individual focuses? You might consider a themed table lamp for a reading and relaxation area to create a cosy nook.
Work with natural light
Natural light can open up a space, make smaller living rooms seem larger and also help to regulate our circadian rhythms. (These are particularly important if we want to wake up and settle down at sensible hours!)
Consider switching to automated blinds or moving any furniture that may be blocking natural light. You may even wish to downsize to space-saving furniture with an extra purpose, like storage. A compact TV unit can help to clear away clutter without imposing, for example.
Modernise your furniture
Overhead lighting can be a significant investment, particularly if it requires stripping out existing structures. If this is beyond your budgets and timescales, why not make subtler changes instead? Lamps can each serve different purposes and add a touch of 21st Century style to your room.
Placing a lamp on modern and reflective surfaces and you can bounce light back into the room and create the illusion of more natural light. Similarly, you could place a lamp near a mirror to direct the light evenly across the living room.
Find style and substance at Evelyn Lily
Lighting your living room should never be an afterthought – it’s an essential function and can help you to make the best of a space. We hope these living room lighting ideas to elevate a low ceiling have given you the inspiration and confidence to refresh your space to reach its full potential.
