Right lighting can make a space functional and lift spirits. Remember you have many more choices than generic lighting designs. A little research and some creativity can help you find the perfect lighting for your home.
What are the activities you envision in your living room? Is it a space only for receiving guests? Is there a dining space combined? Would there be a reading corner? How would you typically entertain your guests in the living room? Once you have finalized what would ideally happen in the living room, you can choose lighting accordingly. In general, there are four kinds of lighting.
Ambient light
Ambient lighting is also referred to as general lighting. Ambient lights provide overall illumination. The lighting is meant to uniformly light up a room, not focusing on a specific area. This is the most common type of lighting and can serve as the starting point to create stunning lighting.
Tip: Wall sconces, ceiling lights, chandeliers (if you are seeking something decorative) are ways to introduce ambient light into your living room. You could also opt for dimmers to regulate the lighting.
Task light
Task lighting refers to lighting that is meant to provide extra illumination to carry out specific tasks. These tasks could vary from dining to reading.
Tip: Dining space can be lit with pendant lights. Reading corners can be lit with table lamps or floor lamps.
Accent light
Sometimes living rooms have conversation starters like photographs or exquisite art that need to be emphasized among other décor. There’s no better way to do this than to use accent lights. This type of lighting draws visitors’ attention naturally to the object in focus without being obvious or garish.
Tip: If the living room is large, accent lights can also be used to emphasize specific regions of the living room like seating area.
Decorative lighting
Apart from the lighting mentioned above, you could also consider using decorative lamps and lights. For instance, string lights or fairy lights (either strung across a plane or placed in a mason jar) can instantly cheer up your living room. A corner that is not very well lit can be improved with a decorative table lamp on a side table.
Tip: If your décor is predominantly Indian ethnic, you could even opt for decorative clay lamps.
In general, once the type of lighting has been chosen, the actual lights and fixtures should be identified in a way that they integrate well with the overall theme of the living room décor. How thoughtfully your living room is illuminated could make a world of difference to your guests.
