Small living room lighting ideas – chic ways to brighten up a bijou space – LivingEtc

Stylish small living room lighting suggestions prove that you don’t need the big area to make a design-driven impact. You might imagine that smaller living rooms are easier to light than big ones   – after all, there are fewer square feet to have to illuminate. Yet, re-creating the wow factor and sense of grandeur that lighting can bring to larger spaces in a compact space can be a challenge.  

When it comes to small family room ideas , lighting is the jewel in the crown, so it’s worth getting to know the design strategies that work for these bijou-proportioned homes to make lighting both pretty and practical.  

With that in mind, we asked the experts for their rundown on how to make a lighting scheme work in a small living room, along with curating some brilliant inspiration for your next design scheme.  

8 small living area lighting concepts that perfectly suit compact spaces 

To begin with, a little living room is bound by many of the particular same guiding principles as any room. ‘Even a small living room should have multiple light sources, ‘ says Janelle Burns, lead interior designer at Maestri Studio (opens in new tab) .

‘At the very least you need a good ambient source to generally light the particular space (wall sconces, a fixture at the ceiling, or lamps), and one additional accent – be it a reading task lamp tucked in by the chair, a picture gentle highlighting art, or the petite decorative accent light to add interest. ‘

Once you’ve considered a well-rounded living space lighting tips , you can start to employ some of these small space tricks in order to make it work even harder for your design.  

1. Replace a pendant lighting with wall sconces

‘If space is at the premium in your living area, it makes sense to opt for walls sconces, ‘ says Helen Pett, style ambassador for Arteriors London (opens in brand new tab) . ‘Discreet plus atmospheric, wall structure lighting designs take up none of your own precious surface space and can provide a decorative flourish.  

A person can replace a large central pendant with overreaching wall lights instead, because seen in the beautiful area by Inside Fox (opens within new tab) above.

This can function to open up the room, leaving an airy, spacious feel in the middle of the room to create a little living room look bigger , plus it prevents any design problems along with hanging height for necklace lights.  

2 . Let your lamps double up as art 

If you’re short on wall space, investing in interesting sculptural illumination that doubles up since an art installation is an effective small family room lights idea.  

Look for modern sconces with orb-like glass bulbs, which have the sculptural quality to them, and consider a less-structured placement. Wall lighting is often used symmetrically in a space, but an asymmetrical style will create a more interesting, art-like design.  

Consider including wall sconces within a gallery wall too. This can be an effective way to add different shapes and textures into your wall decor.  

3. Don’t be afraid to go big upon lighting within a little living room

Love the statement pendant? Fear not, you can absolutely make a supersized central necklace sing, and it actually makes an ultra-chic small family room decorating idea .  

‘Lighting isn’t about sticking to rules, ‘ states Jo Plant, head of style at Pooky (opens in new tab) . ‘If you want statement light in a smaller space this is still an option.  

‘Choose the colorful or even ornate piece to provide a focal point in a small room, or for the particular more adventurous (if ceiling height allows) a chandelier is a great addition to create a sense associated with grandeur. ‘

Lauren Lerner, Founder of Living along with Lolo (opens in new tab) , agrees, adding: ‘We believe in layering lighting within your living room, even if it is a smaller space.  

‘Overhead lighting, such as cans and a chandelier, are great options, or just adding a chandelier if the room is little without containers. This adds creative drama and coziness to any space. ‘

4. Layer illumination for a versatile scheme

‘Creating a layered look with different lighting sources will be a great method to introduce personality and texture into your family room, ‘ suggests Charlie Bowles, drector in Original BTC (opens in brand new tab) .  

‘ Living room ceiling lighting will throw down a large pool associated with light, while carefully-placed table, floor plus wall lights will provide task and accent lights for reading, watching TV or even highlighting your favorite piece of art.  

‘Having lots of options also means you can pare back your light later in the evening for the more intimate, cozy feeling. ‘

5. Zone your own space with different lighting

Lighting is an effective way in order to zone your living space, defining areas with regard to different activities and making every corner count.

‘A perfectly positioned wall light or overreach floor gentle can create a lovely reading area, while clip lights provide an immediate solution to illuminate a temporary work area, ‘ explains Charlie Bowles.  

If your small living space is part of an open plan room, you may use different styles of shades, including rattan and geometric or sculptural pendants, to define separate areas, like the dining plus living area .

6. Put picture lights in place regarding atmosphere and ambiance

‘Picture lights aren’t just intended for museums plus galleries – you are able to bring a splendid sense of episode to the sized room by illuminating a favorite painting or photograph with its own special spotlight, ‘ says Pooky’s Jo Plant.

As well as highlighting your curated art pieces, picture lamps also add character and ambiance for a cozy living room .

‘One associated with the key elements in the well-designed area is illumination it properly. It’s imperative that actually small spaces are illuminated properly, ‘ interior designer Kellie Burke of Kellie Burke Interiors (opens in new tab) provides.  

‘Just because it’s small doesn’t mean this only needs one lighting source! I’m always a fan of small recessed lights that will wash the wall or artwork. They dramatically light up objects, not really the floor.

‘If opening the ceiling is not a good option, artwork and image lights are a very inexpensive way in order to achieve a similar effect. ‘

7. Introduce sculptural lamps

Lamps, whether table or even floor, are an excellent way to introduce sculptural elegance into a space. Modern lighting trends for lights forego the standard drum lampshade for styles which add to the landscape of a living room. Domed or coned shades are a popular idea, whilst ornate glass-blown options can really elevate a space.  

This particular design, created by Hauvette Madani (opens within new tab) , creates a layered lights scheme simply by introducing three separate lamps into this compact space, each bringing new designs and texture to the particular room.

8. Add print and atmosphere with bold table lamps

Turn up the drama in a space with a luxury, strong printed lamp-shade. Botanical and heritage-inspired frames adorned along with sumptuous velvets and finished with decadent trim plus fringe will certainly add maximalism design credentials in the particular smallest of spaces.

‘We’re slightly obsessed with light, it’s such a key part of any room’s atmosphere and so important in order to get right, ‘ states Jamie Watkins, co-founder associated with Divine Savages (opens in brand new tab) . ‘Luxury velvet lampshades certainly brings the swagger home. ‘

‘Whether you want to include sass to your lamps, flirty fringing to your own floor lamp or a dash of theatre to your roof, your space will stand out from the crowd with heirloom pieces, ‘ he adds.  

How can I improve the light in a small living room?

There are a number of ways you can improve the particular light in your little living area.  

Jen & Mar, Co-Founders  of  Internal Fox (opens within new tab) , suggest: ‘Strategically placing mirrors where the gentle naturally falls is one of the oldest yet best tricks in the  book, it enhances the particular natural light and makes the room appear much larger plus brighter.  

‘A carefully  placed mirror that is usually opposite a window may echo the sun light and greenery in a smaller room,   helping in order to bring the outdoors in. ‘

They add: ‘Complement this particular with lighting solutions to get when the sun  starts to fade. Wall lighting work well from creating a soft and ambient glow within the evenings. Consider replacing floor lights with walls mounted task lighting, this will save on valuable floor space while nevertheless allowing a person to produce a cosy reading through nook.   ‘

And Maestri’s Janelle Burns indicates: ‘Put hardwired light fixtures on dimmers and furthermore pay attention to the wattage (for incandescent) or lumen output (for LED) in lamps that may not have a dimming feature – which is definitely most lamps.  

‘You really do not need anything higher than 60 watt equivalent in lights – in fact it’s best to use 25 plus 40 watt equivalent within lamps so a small space isn’t uncomfortably bright (40 watts for a single lamp, 25 in the case of light pairs). ‘