How to organize lighting in the living room? Modern solutions.

How to arrange lighting?

Before choosing luminaires, you need to decide on their functional purpose.

• To decorate a living room, general lighting (or central, when the lamps are located under the ceiling), directed (or working when light hits a certain surface), and decorative (designed to create the right atmosphere).
• The ease of use of the light depends on the location of the switches. Their installation should be thought over at the stage of creating a design project. The best options for placing switches are considered: the space near the door, the walls near the sofa for relaxation, as well as the work area.
• It is worth remembering that one chandelier in the living room is not enough. Overhead lighting does not give much light, so there should be at least two sources.
• The light helps to visually enlarge a small living room with a low ceiling. One such way is to use floor lamps. It is also recommended to install LED-backlighting around the perimeter of the ceiling in order to visually deepen it.

What kind of lamps are suitable for the hall?

Using different types of appliances, you can create several types of lighting in the living room.

Spots

Individual objects (paintings, collections of objects) or specific areas can be effectively emphasized with spotlights. They can be suspended, built-in, or movable on a rail. Swivel lights can be adjusted horizontally and vertically. Whether the spots will cope with the main lighting (for example, built into a stretch ceiling) or will serve as directional sources depends on their number and location.

In the photo there is a living room with combined light, where the role of the main lighting is played by ceiling spots.

Chandelier

The traditional lighting option in the living room is a chandelier. When choosing it, it is worth considering not only the style of the interior, but also the size of the lighting device, as well as the degree of light diffusion. For a small living room, a ceiling chandelier fixed close to the surface is suitable, and owners of spacious rooms and high ceilings can choose a classic pendant product on a long stand or chains.

The photo shows a loft-style living room, the low ceilings of which are illuminated by a chic chrome chandelier and LED lighting.

Wall sconce

Wall sconces are often located in the recreation area - behind the sofa or the head of the bed, if the living room requires a sleeping place. They can form a pair or act as an independent light source. In a country cottage, lamps are hung on both sides of the fireplace or above it. The light directed upwards is visually capable of raising the ceiling.

Floor lamp

Book lovers will appreciate the floor lamp on a high base - the soft diffusing light of the lampshade directs the light downwards and does not allow the eyes to fatigue. That is why floor lamps are often placed in a recreation area. In addition to the lighting function, they can play the role of an object zoning the space.

In the photo there is a small living room with a floor lamp, which acts not only as a directional side light source, but also as a kind of interior item.

Lamp

Due to its compactness and mobility, the lamp can be placed on any horizontal surface: cabinet, chest of drawers or coffee table. Its position can be changed depending on the needs of the owner.

The photo shows an emerald living room, where an additional light source is a lamp installed on a slab table.

Pendant lights

Today, such products with a variety of shade designs are at the height of fashion. For high ceilings, this is the best option, since the light from the pendant lamps can be directed to a specific area or create the desired mood.

Variants

The lighting in the living room is a composition of several light sources. Let's take a closer look at the main scenarios.

Central

General lighting is usually used for utilitarian purposes: by including a chandelier or ceiling lights, we achieve a room that is evenly flooded with light. Such a scenario is perceived by people in different ways: someone prefers an abundance of lamps and feels comfortable at the same time, while someone experiences discomfort. During the reception of guests, it is customary to turn on as many lighting fixtures as possible - this sets you up for an open and friendly conversation.

Central lighting can be implemented as a single chandelier or in combination with ceiling lamps. In the living room, it is better to give preference to warm light - the most pleasant for the eyes is 2600-3500K (Kelvin).

Lighting of functional areas

Locally highlighting a certain area of ​​the room with lamps, we not only achieve comfort by illuminating the desired piece of furniture, but also zone the space. If the dining area is not adjacent to the wall, but is located in the center, the lamp is hung directly above the table. This technique has been very popular lately. The same applies to the sofa set in the middle of the living room - it is illuminated either by a floor lamp or by a pendant lamp.

The photo shows an illustrative example of light zoning: a seating area (blue armchair), a dining table and a cooking area are highlighted in the living room-studio.

Another option for functional lighting is the backlighting of the wall around the TV. This is not only beautiful, but also useful: the LED strip reduces eye strain and is easy to install with your own hands.

Decorative

It is easy to do without decorative lighting, but the interior can lose a lot at the same time. Spotlights or ribbons, revealing the texture of objects, are able to turn ordinary things into works of art. The play of light emphasizes what needs to be highlighted. Among other things, designers make up whole compositions from unusual lamps.

The photo shows a luxurious symmetrical living room with illuminated paintings located on the sides of the fireplace.

Intelligent lighting or smart

"Smart" lighting allows you to control electrical appliances remotely. Special lamps are equipped with a sensor that senses movement or sound (the famous turning on the light by clapping hands). Nowadays, devices that can be controlled using gadgets are gaining popularity. In addition to bringing originality to the environment, the smart system also saves energy.

Interior styles

Consider the features of living room lighting in various styles.

Modern style

Lighting in a modern living room offers both beauty and convenience. When arranging a room, you must first of all ask yourself the question: why do you need this or that light source? If he plays to maintain the style, as in a living room with a high-tech bias, then decorative lighting with a cold shade comes to the fore. Its task is to create a special mood, for example, to transfer it to the "interior of the future".

If functionality is a priority, then the owner of the room should plan what he will do in a particular zone (rest, read, work), and then mistakes can be avoided.

The photo shows a small living room, where the LED strip on the shelves highlights the decor and serves as a source of light for reading, and the LED lighting on the ceiling makes it seem higher.

If a modern living room is decorated with a bias towards minimalism, then there should be a lot of light. The concept of minimalism is, first of all, an abundance of air. Natural lighting, as a rule, is not enough, therefore the walls are painted in white tones, and the light sources are chosen in unobtrusive, simple forms.

The photo shows a spacious minimalist hall filled with light. The sources are ceiling lamps, spots near the TV, wall sconces and a chandelier above the dining table.

Classic

The chandelier plays the main role in the light scenario of the classic interior. Additional sources are sconces, floor lamps and table lamps. Lighting fixtures should be detailed, richly decorated, with carved or crystal elements. You can also use candlesticks or their imitation.

The photo shows an elegant living room in a classic style. The purpose of lighting here is not only to illuminate the room, but also to impress.

Loft

Loft-style living room lighting, despite the rough finish, should be of high quality. Luminaires are what helps to maintain a balance between "industrial" elements and airiness: after all, a loft assumes a lot of free space.

The loft fits perfectly:

• pendant lamps in the form of bulbs on long wires;
• spots on moving tracks or built directly into the ceiling beams;
• chandeliers stylized as street lamps.

Metal and black help create contrast and go well with wood and brick.

Scandinavian

Scandinavian-style multi-level lighting of the living room, which will provide lightness and comfort, should be conducive to relaxation. In this style, you can combine all types of lamps: laconic wall sconces, floor lamps with thin legs and even massive chandeliers. Do not forget about functionality - it is recommended to choose products with the ability to dim the light (lamps with a dimmer).

The photo shows a living room in a Scandinavian style, which combines several lighting fixtures at once.

Design options

Consider some more interesting ideas for unusual lighting in the living room.

Living room lighting with stretch ceiling

Today, a stretch ceiling will not surprise anyone, but unusual designs are still popular in many interiors. An interesting solution is the soaring ceiling: the effect of "hovering" of the canvas in the air is achieved through the use of illumination between the surface and the structure itself.

The photo shows a stylish interior with a "floating" structure and purple backlighting.

Illumination from lines that can illuminate only the ceiling or move to the walls looks stylish and modern.

In the photo, linear lighting makes the interior attractive and distinctive.

Romantics and connoisseurs of original lighting will choose a ceiling with an imitation of the starry sky. It will create an atmosphere of magic and tranquility. This design is created using light-guiding threads.

The photo shows a magnificent living room with a soaring ceiling imitating a starry sky.

Examples of lighting a hall without a chandelier

If you use ceiling lamps as the central lighting of the living room, it is important to correctly calculate their number and the distance at which they will be located from each other. It is best to contact the professionals with this question.

Wall sconces, pendant lights and spotlights will perfectly cope with the task of lighting the entire living room.

Multilevel lighting

The idea of ​​mixed lighting is to support several lighting scenarios in the hall at once. Ideally, each site can be customized.To do this, you need to have several switches, as well as the ability to adjust the power and direction of the light.

Light zoning ideas

Zoning with light is especially important in combined living rooms, for example, in a studio or Khrushchev, where the kitchen is connected to the room. By highlighting one area, we shade what is not currently being used.

In the photo there is a living room, where several zones can be distinguished with light: a work surface in the kitchen, a dining area and a place to relax.

Zone lighting will be useful if the room has an office, a place for needlework or a table for applying makeup.

The photo shows a small living room with a multifunctional table, which is highlighted with light.

Photo gallery

The correct organization of lighting in the living room will allow the interior to look harmonious, and the owners of the house - to spend time comfortably in it.