You can use light fixtures and/or lamps in different combinations. Below are some popular lighting schemes for a large living room, which you may be able to adapt or use.
Unless you plan on outfitting your large living room with several lamps , you will probably need to have light fixtures installed by an electrician.
But don’t forget that plug-in pendant lights and wall sconces are an option for a no-electrician installation, providing lighting fixtures without the added hassle. Here are some popular living room lighting ideas:
Option 1: A chandelier, wall sconces, table lamps.
Mood lighting : All types of lighting contribute to this, mainly the chandelier (A) and the wall lights (B).
Work lighting : (C) Table lamps.
Best for: A room with a higher ceiling to accommodate a chandelier, and some seating.
In this simple arrangement, you will light most of the room with a larger chandelier that has 6 or more lights. If your room is particularly large, you can use two or more chandeliers .
While very large chandeliers with 12 or more lights can be stunning, they concentrate most of the light in a fairly small area, which may not spread well throughout a much larger room. The larger the room, the more we suggest splitting the lighting into multiple fixtures.
The central chandelier will make a stunning centerpiece in any large living room and will fill the room with ambient light from above.
Second, place wall sconces along nearly bare walls. A wall sconce will provide additional ambient light that will be fairly confined to the area near the wall, while decoratively illuminating the wall itself by reflecting diffuse light onto the wall. Depending on the size of the room, you may need at least two wall sconces , or even more.
Next, to bring brighter light closer to the seating, add table lamps on convenient side tables next to chairs or sofas. You'll want the lamps closer to where people will spend the most time.
A table lamp with a classic empire shade (pyramid-shaped with the top and bottom open) will help diffuse the light under the lamp so that it illuminates the chair, and therefore the lap of the person sitting there.
While very large chandeliers with 12 or more lights can be stunning, they concentrate most of the light in a fairly small area, which may not spread well throughout a much larger room. The larger the room, the more we suggest splitting the lighting into multiple fixtures.
The central chandelier will make a stunning centerpiece in any large living room and will fill the room with ambient light from above.
Second, place wall sconces along nearly bare walls. A wall sconce will provide additional ambient light that will be fairly confined to the area near the wall, while decoratively illuminating the wall itself by reflecting diffuse light onto the wall. Depending on the size of the room, you may need at least two wall sconces , or even more.
Next, to bring brighter light closer to the seating, add table lamps on convenient side tables next to chairs or sofas. You'll want the lamps closer to where people will spend the most time.
A table lamp with a classic empire shade (pyramid-shaped with the top and bottom open) will help diffuse the light under the lamp so that it illuminates the chair, and therefore the lap of the person sitting there.
Option 2: Pendant lamps, floor lamps, desk lamps.
Ambient lighting : (A) Pendants and (B) floor lamps .
Work lighting : (C) Desk lamps.
Ideal for: Positioning a bright downlight above seating areas or in the main body of a larger room, then providing functional lamps for occasional use.
Ideal for: Positioning a bright downlight above seating areas or in the main body of a larger room, then providing functional lamps for occasional use.
Pendant lights are versatile because they can be hung at different heights. This is also true for chandeliers , but a chandelier also has a large body and therefore requires additional space.
You can hang a pendant light closer or farther from the ceiling, or at different heights for an artistic effect. Multiple pendants can work together, perhaps with different color shades or patterns. A pendant typically only has one or a few bulbs, so you'll likely need several.
It will create an ambient light in a fairly localised section of the room, especially if the lampshade reflects the light upwards. If the pendant is oriented more downwards, it will reflect most of the light below, producing a brighter light for people to see, and so can for example be a good idea above a seating area or table.
To complement downward-facing pendants , add torchiere lamps or uplighters with shades that direct light both upward and downward. They will diffuse ambient light toward the ceiling and further into the room, while potentially providing downlight near a seating area.
To provide more targeted local light when needed, add a few adjustable desk lamps on side tables next to seats so humans can use brighter light when needed. This can be useful for reading or other activities.
You can hang a pendant light closer or farther from the ceiling, or at different heights for an artistic effect. Multiple pendants can work together, perhaps with different color shades or patterns. A pendant typically only has one or a few bulbs, so you'll likely need several.
It will create an ambient light in a fairly localised section of the room, especially if the lampshade reflects the light upwards. If the pendant is oriented more downwards, it will reflect most of the light below, producing a brighter light for people to see, and so can for example be a good idea above a seating area or table.
To complement downward-facing pendants , add torchiere lamps or uplighters with shades that direct light both upward and downward. They will diffuse ambient light toward the ceiling and further into the room, while potentially providing downlight near a seating area.
To provide more targeted local light when needed, add a few adjustable desk lamps on side tables next to seats so humans can use brighter light when needed. This can be useful for reading or other activities.
Option 3: Close-to-ceiling or recessed lights, spotlights and table lamps.
Ambient lighting : (A) Ceiling lights .
Task lighting : (B) Spotlights and (C) Table lamps.
Ideal for: Living rooms with low ceilings
Ideal for: Living rooms with low ceilings
If you don't have the height available for a pendant light , you can always look at fixtures that come closer to the ceiling. This includes semi-flush ceiling lights , fully recessed fixtures (dome fixtures), recessed lights , and ceiling or wall mounted spotlights .
A recessed or semi-flush light fixture will sit close to the ceiling, with or without a gap between the ceiling and the shade. These simple fixtures typically hold up to three bulbs, so for a larger room, you may need more than one. They typically produce diffused, ambient light, unless you opt for a fixture with spotlights or exposed bulbs that point downward.
Recessed lights are placed "inside" the ceiling, with very few external elements visible. This is an ideal solution if your ceiling can accommodate such fixtures and if the room is free of protruding objects. Note that this type of lighting is rather oriented downwards and will only illuminate a fairly local area. If you are far from this area, you may not get enough light to perform your tasks. Recessed lights are quite inexpensive because they do not have much decorative body.
Spotlights can be a good option for a room with low ceilings because you can mount them on the ceiling or high up on a wall. They allow you to customize the direction of the light because they produce a narrower cone of light, allowing you to direct them toward important objects or seating areas.
Note that since they are far from the target, they require powerful bulbs, otherwise you will have to accept them as a semi-ambient light source - good for lighting an area but not for when you need brighter local light. You can of course point several at the same area.
To bring more light into the lower parts of the room, opt for table lamps placed near the seats. This will complement the general lighting and help users see better when reading a book or working while sitting.
A recessed or semi-flush light fixture will sit close to the ceiling, with or without a gap between the ceiling and the shade. These simple fixtures typically hold up to three bulbs, so for a larger room, you may need more than one. They typically produce diffused, ambient light, unless you opt for a fixture with spotlights or exposed bulbs that point downward.
Recessed lights are placed "inside" the ceiling, with very few external elements visible. This is an ideal solution if your ceiling can accommodate such fixtures and if the room is free of protruding objects. Note that this type of lighting is rather oriented downwards and will only illuminate a fairly local area. If you are far from this area, you may not get enough light to perform your tasks. Recessed lights are quite inexpensive because they do not have much decorative body.
Spotlights can be a good option for a room with low ceilings because you can mount them on the ceiling or high up on a wall. They allow you to customize the direction of the light because they produce a narrower cone of light, allowing you to direct them toward important objects or seating areas.
Note that since they are far from the target, they require powerful bulbs, otherwise you will have to accept them as a semi-ambient light source - good for lighting an area but not for when you need brighter local light. You can of course point several at the same area.
To bring more light into the lower parts of the room, opt for table lamps placed near the seats. This will complement the general lighting and help users see better when reading a book or working while sitting.
Option 4: Ceiling fans with lamps, wall sconces and table lamps.
Mood lighting : (A) Ceiling fan with lamps and (B) wall sconces .
Task lighting : (C) Table lamps.
Ideal for: A living room or family room where you will "live" more often, especially during periods of high heat.
Ideal for: A living room or family room where you will "live" more often, especially during periods of high heat.
There’s nothing like a cool breeze from a living room ceiling fan in the summer when you need to cool down or get out of the heat. Ceiling fans provide that extra airflow, can help reduce your heating bills in the winter, and are a must-have in any place where summers are uncomfortable.
Fans come with or without lights, but many can be adapted to accommodate a "light kit" that typically attaches to the underside of the fan . These kits can hold up to 4 bulbs and typically diffuse light downward. This can be useful, especially if placed over a seating area where you get both light and airflow.
A fan can replace the focal point of a room, but in a large living room, you may need more than one, or you may need to supplement the fan with other lighting fixtures . That's where wall sconces come in. Add wall sconces , wall mounts, or swing-arm wall lights . You can also get wall sconces that plug into a regular wall outlet .
A ceiling fan will have a hard time distributing light throughout the room, so lighting the walls is a great way to balance the light in the room. A wall sconce can also be placed near a seating area to help with this. You will likely need at least two wall sconces , if not more, depending on the size of the room.
Finally, opt for table lamps placed near the seating to provide additional lighting. Depending on whether your ceiling fan light is directly above the seating or not, you can place table lamps next to the seating, or as a secondary lighting option while you sit, or in the corners of the room to bring light to those areas that the fan light doesn't reach.
Fans come with or without lights, but many can be adapted to accommodate a "light kit" that typically attaches to the underside of the fan . These kits can hold up to 4 bulbs and typically diffuse light downward. This can be useful, especially if placed over a seating area where you get both light and airflow.
A fan can replace the focal point of a room, but in a large living room, you may need more than one, or you may need to supplement the fan with other lighting fixtures . That's where wall sconces come in. Add wall sconces , wall mounts, or swing-arm wall lights . You can also get wall sconces that plug into a regular wall outlet .
A ceiling fan will have a hard time distributing light throughout the room, so lighting the walls is a great way to balance the light in the room. A wall sconce can also be placed near a seating area to help with this. You will likely need at least two wall sconces , if not more, depending on the size of the room.
Finally, opt for table lamps placed near the seating to provide additional lighting. Depending on whether your ceiling fan light is directly above the seating or not, you can place table lamps next to the seating, or as a secondary lighting option while you sit, or in the corners of the room to bring light to those areas that the fan light doesn't reach.
Option 5: Pendant lamps, floor lamps and table or desk lamps.
Ambient lighting : (B) Floor lamps and (A) pendant lamps .
Task lighting : (B) Floor lamps and (C) table or desk lamps.
Ideal for: When you can't or prefer not to install hardwired fixtures, to save money, or to make your lighting more portable and re-arrangeable.
Ideal for: When you can't or prefer not to install hardwired fixtures, to save money, or to make your lighting more portable and re-arrangeable.
A great lighting setup is to use completely portable lighting. The great thing about it is the flexibility: when you get bored and want to rearrange your room, you can literally move your lights wherever you want to fit your new layout. You can also experiment by “living” in the room over time to see if the layout suits your needs, and later make changes to the positioning.
Another significant advantage of portable living room lights is not having to hire and pay an electrician. This makes installation much faster, you can take your lights with you if you move or move them to another room, and you can be up and running in no time. Not to mention, if you don’t like where the light is, you can always move it.
By using a pendant light or a hood-shaped light , you can run the chain or cord through a few easy-to-install ceiling hooks that won't disrupt the surfaces in the room. Then simply run it down a wall and plug it into a regular electrical outlet. This means you can also put the lights on a dimmer switch if you like.
A swag pendant can also be adjusted in height, moving it closer to a chair or table or raising it up, depending on your needs. These versatile pendant lights will fit in with most room styles and can be used to provide ambient light or more targeted lighting in a specific area.
Second, add two or more floor lamps to the room. These tall lamps will be out of sight when people are sitting, provide brighter ambient light, and help fill the room with light. They complement pendant lights perfectly and bounce light off the ceiling. A floor lamp can also be placed near seating areas to provide downward light nearby.
For even more practical task lighting, add a few table or desk lamps next to chairs or on either side of a couch to provide bright, nearby light for tasks and activities. When someone is sitting down to read a book, they may need a light over their shoulder or next to them, on a side table or end table, that will match the rest of your living room furniture.
Another significant advantage of portable living room lights is not having to hire and pay an electrician. This makes installation much faster, you can take your lights with you if you move or move them to another room, and you can be up and running in no time. Not to mention, if you don’t like where the light is, you can always move it.
By using a pendant light or a hood-shaped light , you can run the chain or cord through a few easy-to-install ceiling hooks that won't disrupt the surfaces in the room. Then simply run it down a wall and plug it into a regular electrical outlet. This means you can also put the lights on a dimmer switch if you like.
A swag pendant can also be adjusted in height, moving it closer to a chair or table or raising it up, depending on your needs. These versatile pendant lights will fit in with most room styles and can be used to provide ambient light or more targeted lighting in a specific area.
Second, add two or more floor lamps to the room. These tall lamps will be out of sight when people are sitting, provide brighter ambient light, and help fill the room with light. They complement pendant lights perfectly and bounce light off the ceiling. A floor lamp can also be placed near seating areas to provide downward light nearby.
For even more practical task lighting, add a few table or desk lamps next to chairs or on either side of a couch to provide bright, nearby light for tasks and activities. When someone is sitting down to read a book, they may need a light over their shoulder or next to them, on a side table or end table, that will match the rest of your living room furniture.
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