Home Lighting Guide: Proper Lighting for Your Living Room

Gone are the college days when hand-me-down table lamps and your parents' old floor lamps would dominate the interior décor of your studio apartment or shared rooms. Today you are in search of proper light sources and lighting accessories for your living room and even as you most likely have visited the interior lighting section of your local big box home improvement store, the sheer volume of available sources has confused you more than ever.

Proper lighting for your living room requires special attention to detail since it is, next to the kitchen, the one area of your home where most of your entertaining of guests takes place. In addition, this room is the one area of your home where you and your family spend a lot of time either enjoying lively conversation, reading quietly, playing games, or watching television. The lighting requirements for all these tasks differ and unless you plan on moving lamps as required by the occasion or relying on an overly bright ceiling light fixture, your savvy choice of available lighting options pays off greatly!

Consider which seating area is most frequently used as a bona fide reading chair by you or other household members. Plan on adding a selection of table lamps or a floor lamp to the side of that particular sofa spot or chair; remember to look out for shadow casting! Whichever hand is used to turn the page should not cause a shadow. Similarly, opt in favor of a soft glowing light that does not reflect too brightly off white pages. A Handel Grapevine table lamp will be a perfect fit and greatly enhance your décor; should you prefer a floor lamp, take a closer look at a Trillium & Violet floor lamp which offers not only a great lighting source but also provides an ambiance building option for your room.

As you continue your search for proper living room light sources, consider your ambient light source needs. Even as many times a ceiling fan light performs this function, there are times when sconces need to be added. Consider a fleur-de-lis two light wall scone placed on either sides of the entrance, a fireplace or strategically on a bare wall. A secondary source of ambient lighting might be small picture lights that gently redirect the eye's focus on a favorite painting or other work of art. The latter may also be hidden in the vicinity of beautifully thriving plants to add an additional focal point.

Finally, do not dismiss the idea of pendant lighting if you have a bar incorporated in your living room. Depending on the height of your ceiling and the size of your bar, a Cambridge pendant or a smaller Wisteria Pendant may do the trick. As a matter of fact, why not consider two Wisteria pendants, evenly spaced, when you seek to cover a larger bar area. This affords you the opportunity of defining a seating and meeting area within the living area which is a sure hit during parties, formal and also informal get-togethers.