Living Room Lighting

The Living Room normally hosts communal family activities which include entertaining, watching television, reading, or possibly work. The variation of use means that different lighting arrangements should be considered.  The physical size of these fittings will depend on the room dimensions, and the light fitting should not look over or undersized in its location. A single lamp pendant would be lost in a room which measured 6 meters square, and a large chandelier fitted in a box room would look equally ridiculous.

The amount and quality of light is important and the general rule is that mood lighting is best served by warm white lamps which will engender a restful light, whilst white or daylight lamps will be best for work areas.  Some lamps will be able to deliver both warm and daylight illumination by using a dimmer.

The centre light may be considered as the light you would turn on to see where you are going and can be of greater power than you would generally need. The light fitting should be chosen not only for its light output but also its design and size as it will have to fit in with the furnishings.  A dimmer will allow the intensity of light to be adjusted as required and will reduce the power consumption as the light output is reduced.

There are areas of the lounge which will be used for specific activities and as a rule of thumb the nearer the light source to the work surface the smaller the wattage required to provide suitable illumination. A reading location could be served by a table or floor lamp positioned near the person working or alternatively position a focused down lighter slightly in front of the position to eliminate shadow.  

Mood lighting can be provided by individual lamps scattered around the room to give both colour and ambience. Tiffany lamps will deliver a vibrant splash of colour whilst table lamps and shades will give muted light.