There’s nothing like a cosy home to help you get creative – and these small living room lighting ideas will help you make the most of your space. From layering up to focusing on a centrepiece, lighting can give your living room the illusion of size.
Try these small lounge lighting ideas if you’re working with a more constrained space.
Start with a plan of sitting room lighting ideas
To make the most of your small living space, you need to consider how you’ll use different types of light. In the main, there are three:
- Ambient light: the overall light that takes the place of sunlight at night.
- Task light: the light that helps you focus on specific tasks, for example, reading lamps.
- Accent light: the decorative light that draws attention to key areas, like artwork.
Ideally, you should incorporate all three into your living room to open up the area. You can start by finding a focal point.
Find a focal point for the room
Your living room can have one or many focal points, depending on its purpose. If you don’t want to take too big a risk, start by illuminating seating areas. Try downlights, placed in a lower position to really highlight a seating space. Even better, sofas with reflective surfaces can help to capture the light from these fixtures.
If you want more than one focal point, consider ‘zoning’ areas categorised by task. For example, you may want to draw attention to wall art with pendant lights. Perhaps you have a quiet study area that can shine with a simple table lamp.
Add lighting in layers
If your living room has dark corners or otherwise poorly lit areas, this can make it appear even smaller. A great way to make the most of the space is not only to use width, but height.
Add a freestanding lamp to dark corners to guide the eye around the room. This will ‘stretch’ the space and can help to zone off particular areas for certain functions, such as studying.
Lamp tables can help to make light rise and fall around the room. They also draw attention to the seating, helping to rebalance the space.
Vary the amount of light
While other rooms in the house might have one function only – such as cooking in a kitchen – living rooms are more versatile. This gives you free rein to be experimental with lighting options.
You may consider dimmer switches, ceiling lights, pendant lights and lamps. Don’t forget there’s also natural light to play with. If you have a large window, make the most of it, and take control with blinds or curtains.
Remember – the best small living rooms have a mixture of ambient light, task light and accent light. While you can draw attention to artwork or productive spaces, ambient light should always be the first priority.
Find more small living room lighting ideas at Evelyn Lily
If you are living in a smaller space, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be just as experimental as anybody else. At Evelyn Lily, we offer a range of space-saving furniture options, from nesting tables to sideboards. You can also view our extensive lamp collection and put your stamp on your living space.
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