If you’re looking to improve the lighting in your living room and need some fresh living room lighting ideas, you’re not alone. Whether you own your home or you rent, you might find that your living room is lacking in natural light, so you need more out of your lamps. Or maybe the fixtures you inherited aren’t your style so you want to know the best online lighting stores so you can replace them. Maybe you’re just unsure about what types of lighting a well-lit space even has, and you need a crash course in how to make your living room glow. Whatever your concern, know that good lighting in a living room requires mixing different types of fixtures into a setup.
“A good formula for living room lighting is making sure you incorporate lighting with varying size shades to ensure that you have the right brightness for every occasion,” explains Mischa Couvrette, founder and creative director of hollis + morris, a company that creates handmade lighting. This often means relying on overhead fixtures when it’s darker out — “the lights extend farther and help illuminate the space,” he explains.
“Meanwhile, when it’s lighter outside, having smaller fixtures, such as wall sconces, are great for an added layer of brightness,” says Couvrette. That’s because overheads are typically thought of as ambient lighting — the kind of lighting that bathes a space in a nice, even glow that’s great for a layer of general brightness, especially at nighttime (recessed cans and track lighting fall in this category, too, as can fixed sconces).
The best lit rooms will have a solid foundation of ambient lighting that can be built upon with smaller task and accent light sources. Task lighting (like table lamps, floor lamps, and positionable sconces) provides more concentrated beams of light, making them appropriate for activities like reading or sewing, while accent lighting highlights architectural features, artwork, or anything else you wish to draw attention to in a room. The average living room needs ambient lighting and typically some type of task lighting, but accent lighting is a matter of personal preference.
Not sure where any of these fixtures should go within your space? “Creating the ideal lighting setup for the living room comes down to considering the space in terms of main and secondary areas,” Couvrette says. Think about where you do different things in the room and what your needs are based on these activities.
For example, hang a pendant or a chandelier by the sofa to provide that area with the best general brightness (ambient lighting), as that’s where most people in the room sit, then install a sconce or another smaller fixture for task lighting “around lounge chairs or corners to create moments for reading or relaxation.” Then, if you’d like to, add a decorative picture sconce to showcase a favorite feature, like a fireplace or a painting.
Every living room is different, and it isn’t always possible to install overhead lighting or go all in with multiple fixtures due to limited square footage. So you should feel free to adapt this advice based on your own layout and needs. Below, I’m giving you a place to start. Here, you’ll find 15 different living room lighting ideas that are sure to inspire you no matter your living room size or configuration.
1. Use Hooks to Swag Your Own Overhead Lighting
Rentals aren’t always equipped with overhead wiring, but that doesn’t mean you only have floor lamps, sconces, and table lamps as your lighting options. Take a cue from this studio apartment, where exposed bulb plug-in pendants cleverly hang from ceiling hooks. This solution creates an industrial chic, contemporary look, all the while brightening up the sitting area of this apartment.
You could swap in another type of bulb if the Edison style isn’t your thing, or you could try this idea with a larger, more lightweight pendant. In a small studio like this one, taking advantage of ceiling space — rather than using precious floor or tabletop space to display lamps — is a smart move.
Get the look: Globe Electric Novogratz x Globe 60599 Emile 1-Light Plug-in Exposed Socket Pendant, $29.99 from Amazon
2. Install Track Lighting
For a mod, minimalist look, try track lighting, which is another excellent small-space solution, thanks to its ceiling-mounted installation and relatively low-profile — no need to worry about an oversized chandelier totally overwhelming your space here! Make like this family of five, whose New York City apartment boasts track lighting in its living area, which receives very little natural light, as it’s opposite the space’s main windows. This trio of three directional heads provides a nice ambient light, bathing the sofa in an even diffused overhead glow.
3. Cluster Together Pendant Lights
Why settle for just one pendant when you can make even more of an impact by hanging three fixtures? These woven lights add instant texture to this earthy, layered Manila living room, playing off of the jute rug and woven coffee table quite nicely. You can also purchase a three-in-one pendant, making it even easier to replicate this effect; that way, you only have to install “one” light overhead as opposed to three.
Get the look: 3-Light Cluster Pendant Lighting, $129.99 from Amazon
4. Opt for an Oversized Floor Lamp
In a small Manhattan living room, an oversized floor lamp positioned above the sofa provides ample light and essentially serves the purpose of an overhead fixture. This particular lamp complements the clean lines used throughout this soothing, neutral living space. Better yet, it’s a piece that can easily be transported to and repurposed in another rental unit down the line — in the living room or beyond.
Get the look: Pantin 78.4” Arched Floor Lamp, $96.99 $155.00 from Wayfair
5. Stick with a Compact Floor Lamp
No room for a sizable lamp, but need to brighten up your living space? Try this approach from a petite NYC studio where a tall, narrow lamp is placed next to the media console. The elegant piece complements a range of aesthetics and looks right at home in this cozy, simple space. What’s nice is that it features a torch-style head as well, so light is cast upward and can reflect off the ceiling, effectively brightening up a space more than a downlight design would.
Get the look: Barbell Brass Floor Lamp, $129.00 from Article
6. Combine Various Lighting Methods
Although symmetry can be popular in living room lighting (think: pairs of sconces on both sides of a fireplace and/or matching table lamps on both sides of the sofa), you don’t have to follow this design convention if you don’t want to. Instead, you can position your light fixtures so that they best reflect your style, and this may mean installing a sconce on the right side of the sofa and placing a table lamp on the left, as illustrated in this NYC rental.
None of these table lamps coordinate either, and that’s by design. Asymmetry can be stunning, and mixing different kinds of lights in different styles, finishes, and materials leads to a beautifully layered space.
Get the look: Maebel 1 – Light Gold Armed Sconce, $135.00 $285.00 from Wayfair
7. Embrace Historical Charm with Your Chandelier Choice
The right chandelier not only will add major personality to any space, but also can truly double as art. If you’re living in an older space, nod to the past by selecting a fixture with vintage or antique flair. A brass chandelier looks right at home in this row house living room, which features plenty of architectural charm. And you don’t have to compromise on performance either; many vintage-inspired styles can be put on dimmers and be used with modern bulbs!
Get the look: : Josuel 6 – Light Dimmable Classic / Traditional Chandelier, $169.99 $196.99 from Wayfair
8. Use Lighting to Create Zones
Use lighting as a means to carve out various zones within your larger living room. For example, place a floor lamp next to an accent chair to create a reading nook. In this space, lighting literally is elevated to art. In addition to the floor lamp and pendant light present, a light-up neon sign hangs above the fireplace mantel, offering an extra touch of brightness and a funky focal point.
9. Hang String Lights Indoors
String lights aren’t just for your backyard: You can make them look fun and stylish in your living room, too. Just look at this Victorian-style apartment in the U.K. as an example. Here, the bistro-style bulbs help draw attention to the wall of framed art displayed perpendicular to the sofa. That’s the definition of accent lighting.
Get the look: Svater Outdoor String Lights, $39.96 $49.96 from Amazon
10. Mix and Match Lamp Styles
This Barcelona living room boasts beautiful molding on the ceiling but doesn’t offer any space for an overhead fixture. To keep this spot lit at all times of day, scatter various floor and table lamps throughout — I spy three in this shot and candles in the mix, too! Vary the styles and sizes that you use; doing so will result in an elevated, collected look.
11. Install a Pendant in an Unexpected Place
This Brooklyn living room proves it’s more than OK to hang a shiny pendant light so that it isn’t right smack in the middle of a space. With this setup, the fixture provides the majority of light to those sitting and enjoying the window seat instead of being hung over the coffee table, which might have seemed like the obvious spot for it to go. Don’t be afraid to get creative, whether you’re hardwiring in a new light when renovating your existing living room or swagging a pendant in an unexpected area of a rental.
Get the look: Sphere Chrome Pendant, $123.99 from Bed Bath and Beyond
12. Place a Pendant in the Corner
In a similar vein, this renter brightened up a neglected corner in her San Francisco apartment by installing a rattan pendant light, where it adds intrigue above her bookshelf. Of course, every kind of fixture won’t lend itself to this kind of application; something with a smaller footprint is your best bet in this type of space.
Get the look: Keaney 1 – Light Matte Black Drum Pendant, $102.99 $149.99 from Wayfair
13. Try a Ceiling Fan with a Light
14. Use Versatile Recessed Lighting
Recessed lighting isn’t always the most exciting option, but it’s known for being space-saving, energy-efficient, and easy to maintain, making it a practical choice for many, including these California owners. With recessed lighting, you don’t have to worry about swapping out fixtures every time you decide to switch things up aesthetically — the good thing about canned lighting is that it pretty much goes with everything!
15. Elevate Your Lighting with a Ceiling Medallion
Add a ceiling medallion to your living room and use this to anchor your pendant light or chandelier for an extra bit of grandeur, just as this New York City renter did in her 700-square-foot space. Keep in mind that there are temporary ceiling medallions on the market, which you can install using adhesive and then easily remove when your lease is up. They’re a great way to bring even more attention to a beautiful overhead light.
Get the look: Ekena Millwork CM18GA Granada Ceiling Medallion, $37.92 $39.92 from Amazon
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