Whether hosting a family get-together or providing a peaceful haven after a hard day, the living room performs various functions in a home. More than anything else, lighting has the power to evoke a certain vibe in our homes in a good way. To choose the best living room lighting design, you must first consider how the room is used. Consider art lights or track lighting if you have artwork hung on the wall or over the fireplace. Incorporate lighting fixtures that complement each other rather than match perfectly.
Are you interested in changing the lighting in your living room? To help you out, we've compiled a list of some of our favourite living room lighting ideas that are both practical and beautiful.
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Types of Lights for your Living Room
There are four types of living room lighting, and the best ones combine them all in unique ways to create a visually appealing and functional space.
1. Ambient lighting
The primary function of ambient lighting is to provide a soft, all-encompassing glow to a space. Natural light is highlighted, and the areas between other lighting levels are illuminated. For the most part, the illumination in living rooms is provided by table lamps and ceiling fixtures.
2. Task Lighting
You can use your living room for various activities that demand additional light, such as reading, knitting, creating, or having a family game night. Lighting fixtures such as swing arm decorative wall lights for living rooms, pendant lights, and desk lamps for living rooms are all made to direct light onto your work surfaces.
3. Accent Lighting
You may use accent lighting in your living room to highlight your particular style by spotlighting wall art, family photos, architectural details, and other décor components. To emphasise specific design components in your living area, you can utilise wall lights, appealing track lights, recessed lighting, and LED strip lighting.
4. Decorative Lighting
Your living area can be transformed into a work of art with decorative lighting. Ambient, task and accent lighting fixtures can also be used as decorative lighting in the living room. Custom-made lighting fixtures, such as colourful art glass pendant lights, are stunning examples.
Creative Living Room Lighting Ideas
It would help if you employed a variety of lighting options in your living area because it is so versatile. There are four types of living room lighting, and the best ones combine them all in unique ways to create a visually appealing and functional space.
1. Ambient lighting For Overall Illumination
The primary function of ambient lighting is to provide a soft, all-encompassing glow to a space. Natural light is highlighted, and the areas between other lighting levels are illuminated, so there are no black spots or unattractive or distracting shadows left behind. For the most part, the illumination in living rooms is provided by table lamps, and ceiling fixtures. You can also use chandeliers for small living rooms as well as spacious halls.
2. Task Lighting for the job at hand
You and your family's living room activities necessitate a specific type of task lighting. You can use your living room for various activities that demand additional light, such as reading, knitting, creating, or having a family game night. Lighting fixtures such as swing arm decorative wall lights for living rooms, pendant lights, and desk lamps for living rooms are all made to direct light onto your work surfaces. Many of these fixtures can be folded away when not in use and repositioned when you're ready to get to work again.
3. Accent Lighting for Personal Touch
You may use accent lighting in your living room to highlight your particular style by spotlighting wall art, family photos, architectural details, and other décor components. To emphasise specific design components in your living area, you can utilise wall lights, appealing track lights, recessed lighting, and LED strip lighting. In addition to being aesthetically pleasing, accent lighting can be used for practical purposes, such as reducing eye strain during movie night!
4. Decorative Lighting for Added Style
Your living area can be transformed into a work of art with decorative lighting. Ambient, task, and accent lighting fixtures can also be used as decorative lighting, making it easier to identify fixtures that fulfil this demand while also solving other illumination issues. Custom-made lighting fixtures, such as colourful art glass pendant lights, are stunning examples.
For your living area, think about whether the light you're looking at can be used for the task, ambiance, or accent lighting; certain lights may serve many purposes, such as a floor lamp that can be used as both ambient and task lighting.
Creative Living Room Lighting Ideas
You must know all about lighting your living room by now. Find out how you can make your living room more beautiful and brighter with these brilliant living room lighting ideas.
1. Pay attention to how everything comes together
A well-executed lighting scheme like the one in the image will incorporate several light sources positioned at varying heights inside the space. To create a room that can accommodate a variety of uses, it is beneficial to install several different light fixtures, each of which can provide a distinct layer of illumination.
| Estimated cost | ₹5,000 - ₹25,000 |
| Best for | Living room |
| Pros | Layered lighting adds flexibility |
| Cons | Requires professional planning for best results |
2. Find Your Light's Ideal Companion
Twin pendant lights provide twice the amount of lighting satisfaction. You can give a sense of equilibrium and harmony in the room by hanging pendant lights that complement each other over the dining table.
| Estimated cost | ₹5,000 - ₹20,000 |
| Best for | Living room, bedroom |
| Pros | Creates a balanced look |
| Cons | Requires ceiling reinforcement for heavier fixtures |
3. Create some art out of it
Why should we have to choose between form and function? You can have both by selecting a lamp designed to look very much like a work of art rather than a traditional light source.
| Estimated cost | ₹3,000 - ₹20,000 |
| Best for | Living room, bedroom |
| Pros | Functional art piece |
| Cons | Might not suit every décor theme |
4. Pendant light with Several Levels
Do you want to look a little more glamorous without trying too hard? Include some low-profile brass details, such as a coffee table with a metal frame and eye-catching metallic lighting. This living room can also serve as a valuable template for the interior design of small spaces.
| Estimated cost | ₹7,000 - ₹18,000 |
| Best for | Living room |
| Pros | Adds aesthetic value to the space |
| Cons | Limited lighting spread in large areas |
5. Moroccan Style Lantern for Your Living Room
Your living area can benefit from adding a dreamy Moroccan lamp made of perforated metal, even if the rest of your home is not decorated in a Moroccan design. When illuminated in the middle of the room, the Moroccan lantern installed in this home's living room creates enchanted shadows and lends a touch of whimsy to the otherwise varied design of the space.
| Estimated cost | ₹6,000 - ₹20,000 |
| Best for | Boho-style interiors |
| Pros | Exotic charm |
| Cons | Less practical as a primary light source |
6. A Wall Sconce That Also Functions as Art
If you usually use your living room for watching Netflix and relaxing, you might want to consider installing a dramatic wall light like the one seen in this living room in the area just above your sofa. It's the kind of functional wall art and decor that not only starts a conversation but also helps create the tone for the room, and it's especially effective in areas with limited floor space.
| Estimated cost | ₹4,000 - ₹25,000 |
| Best for | Living room |
| Pros | Saves floor space |
| Cons | Fixed location; not easily repositionable |
7. Make A Gallery Wall Out of the Lighting from Your Living Room
This is a fantastic concept for the lighting in the living area! Introduce some unique wall lights for a truly eccentric take on the traditional gallery wall design. These wall lights make a strong statement, yet the overall appearance is kept from being too outlandish thanks to the fact that they resemble wall plates.
| Estimated cost | ₹3,000 - ₹12,000 |
| Best for | Living room, bedroom |
| Pros | Combines décor and function |
| Cons | It can look messy if overdone |
8. Complement the overall design of your interior
There is no requirement that lighting fixtures constantly draw attention to themselves. Although it's common knowledge that living room lighting designs must involve eye-catching pendants and vibrant shades, this isn't necessarily the case in every situation. Allow it to blend in with the colour scheme and features that are already present in your home.
| Estimated cost | ₹3,000 - ₹10,000 |
| Best for | Living room |
| Pros | Seamless integration with interiors |
| Cons | Might lack visual impact |
9. Go With an Appropriate Style for The Period of the Property
Scale is essential in bringing together period residences and modern furnishings because high ceilings are typically a feature of period homes. Because of their simplistic aesthetic and exaggerated dimensions, these patterns can fill a room without clashing with an intricate ceiling rose. Again, classic materials like marble look right at home in a historic home, but when it's repurposed to take on a more modern look, the two styles come together nicely.
| Estimated cost | ₹15,000 - ₹40,000 |
| Best for | Bedroom, living room |
| Pros | Blends old with new |
| Cons | Needs careful matching |
10. Make Use of Wicker Shades
Wicker shades are an excellent option for the living room since they diffuse light warmly and naturally. Not only do they impart a slightly bohemian air to the environment, but they also help your place come across as more organic. A living area full of houseplants looks fantastic when accessorised with lights made of wicker.
| Estimated cost | ₹2,500 - ₹10,000 |
| Best for | Living room |
| Pros | Diffuses warm light |
| Cons | May not suit minimalist decor |
11. Light up a Corner
Adding a floor lamp transforms a solitary armchair into an inviting space perfect for reading. Make use of an underutilised area and designate it as a serene reading nook that is just right for snuggling up with a bestseller.
| Estimated cost | ₹3,000 - ₹10,000 |
| Best for | Bedroom, living room |
| Pros | Easy to install |
| Cons | Occupies floor space |
12. Bring In Fun with Rainbow Sputnik
The rainbow sputnik chandelier is the focal point of this lively and playful yet traditional living room design. The very form of a sputnik gives the impression that it is bursting with happiness, making it an excellent choice for a boost of energy. And this one, in particular, gives off a vibrant and refreshing vibe.
| Estimated cost | ₹15,000 - ₹50,000 |
| Best for | Living room |
| Pros | High visual impact |
| Cons | Might clash with subtle themes |
13. Floor Lamp with Three Heads
This living room has plenty of flair, from the beachy rattan furniture to the three-tiered arc lamp that hangs from the ceiling. The window seat is a beautiful addition to a living room that doubles as a family room, since when it is not in use, it blends into the background, but it also provides a pleasant space for the occupant to hang out in when they feel like doing so.
| Estimated cost | ₹5,000 - ₹25,000 |
| Best for | Living room |
| Pros | Multifunctional lightning |
| Cons | Needs corner space |
14. When Hanging a Sconce Lamp, Place It in the Cosiest Place Possible
In the living area of this apartment, decorated with taste and an appreciation for colour, one piece of furniture that jumps out is a vivid red velvet sofa. The wall is covered with frames of varying shapes and sizes to create a contemporary and unconventional appearance. The lighting is provided by the pink wall sconce lamp positioned in the corner.
| Estimated cost | ₹4,000 - ₹15,000 |
| Best for | Living room, bedroom |
| Pros | Adds aesthetic feel to the room |
| Cons | Requires drilling and fixed placement |
15. The Iconic Love for Walls in Fuchsia Light
This living room is a vivid hue of vibrant raspberry pink, and due to a pair of wall sconces with shades in a similar tone, the atmosphere in the room is amplified in the evening. They offer a flattering, gentle, indirect light that adds depth to the wall colour without making the room look overly busy, which allows the focus to remain on the wall colour and the artwork. They are positioned precisely over the seating area.
| Estimated cost | ₹2,500 - ₹10,000 |
| Best for | Bedroom, living room |
| Pros | Enhances wall tones and ambience |
| Cons | May not work with neutral colour palettes |
16. Built-in illumination for a contemporary vibe
Built-in lighting or LED strip lighting can be utilised to highlight a coffered ceiling, illuminating the bottom of a console to give it a leavening effect, or backlight open shelving to highlight ornamental objects or books' cosiness in a contemporary room. Be sure to incorporate at least one unusual fixture into the room to feel more like home while adding sculptural appeal.
| Estimated cost | ₹20,000 - ₹60,000 |
| Best for | Living room |
| Pros | Layered lighting |
| Cons | Requires renovation-level installation |
17. Dimly Light a Coffee Table with a Low Beam.
Do you know why? Make your coffee or dining tables the centrepiece of the space by placing a low-slung lamp above them. A living room is supposed to make you feel good. Social! Low lighting in the sofa/coffee table area creates a cosy atmosphere for relaxing and socialising. Guests will be drawn to the lamp like a moth to a flame.
| Estimated cost | ₹5,000 - ₹25,000 |
| Best for | Living room |
| Pros | Cosy vibe |
| Cons | Not suitable as a standalone light source |
18. Consider Showcasing a Lamp in an Unusual Place
Do you have a favourite new lamp? Put it on display in an unexpected place, just like you would a potted plant, sculpture, or other prized possession. Your coffee table's farthest point, I suppose. There is a mantle next to it? In the middle of a bay window, perhaps? It's entirely up to you how you want to express your thoughts.
| Estimated cost | ₹4,000 - ₹20,000 |
| Best for | Living room, bedroom |
| Pros | Personalised placement |
| Cons | Risk of clutter if overdone |
19. Tired Of Pendant Lights? Set Up an Arch Light
The lower, more centred light that arc lights provide makes your room feel cosier than an overhead light, which is why you may use them as a pendant light in the middle of your room. You can move them about the room to focus on a particular area, and they're a terrific living room lighting option if you want to zone your space but don't want to rewire your overhead lights completely.
| Estimated cost | ₹7,000 - ₹20,000 |
| Best for | Living room |
| Pros | Great for renters |
| Cons | Needs ample floor space |
20. Lamp shades that don't match
The answer to this question is a resounding "no." Except in the case of matched pairs. Wall lights, on the other hand, should be checked. The volume and tone of light emitted will be affected by the shade's weight and colour. Choosing a mesh shade or a glass one will give you a lot of light in your room. Or, opt for Edison-style exposed bulbs instead of shades for a more exposed look.
| Estimated cost | ₹6,000 - ₹20,000 |
| Best for | Bedroom, living room |
| Pros | Adds aesthetic feel to the space |
| Cons | Risk of visual incoherence |
21. Skylights can be used to bring in natural light.
Even if you only want to add one or two roof lights, the process isn't as complicated as you imagine. It will be a significant and immediate change, however. Consider what you need to do to achieve the ideal balance between natural and installed lighting in your living area.
| Estimated cost | ₹20,000 - ₹60,000 |
| Best for | Living room |
| Pros | Dramatic day and night lighting |
| Cons | Structural changes required |
22. Display string lights in a more mature way
Christmas trees and children's rooms aren't the only places you may use fairy lights. If you choose the proper style, you may use them to brighten up a dark area in your living room on a budget. If you keep white, taupe, or soft grey, you're on to a winner with cotton ball string lights.
| Estimated cost | ₹8,00 - ₹3,000 |
| Best for | Bedroom, living room |
| Pros | Budget-friendly, easy installation |
| Cons | Limited brightness; can look juvenile if not styled well |
Tips to Improve the Lighting in the Living Room
If you want to increase the quality of your existing living room lighting rather than build a new arrangement from scratch, you can do a few simple tweaks:
1. Swap out incandescent bulbs with LEDs to get brighter lighting that consumes less power. Choose bulbs with 2700K–3000K for a soft white glow or 3000K–4000K for a cleaner, more modern, mild white tone.
2. Lighter shades will allow light into the room, while darker shades will aid in reducing the brightness of your lamp's light source. New shades can be used to modernise older table lamps with a more contemporary look that better matches your present decor.
3. Be mindful of causing glare and obstructing views as you rearrange the lighting in your living area. Remove any light fixtures shining straight on your television to reduce glare and improve picture quality.
4. You will need to make some careful modifications to ensure that the table and floor lamps in your living room do not obstruct the views from each of the seats in the room.
5. Angle the lighting on top of coffee tables instead of directly on the seating. You may also shine a light on the walls to provide ambient lighting.
6. Install dimmers in your living room so that you may adjust the lighting to suit your mood at any given time.
Book Your Home Interior Services with NoBroker
We are sure by now you have a clear idea of how the right living room lighting ideas can transform space. Whether you stick to the well-known best wall lights for the living room or wish to mix and match, it has to go with your interiors. This might seem easy on paper, but it's hard to replicate. That's why some expert consultation will do you worlds of good. Consult NoBroker interiors for budget-friendly and exciting design options available within your budget.
