3 Living Room Lighting Options

Living room lightning can create a relaxing ambiance that will not only draw family members closer together, but will also underline the beauty of the room’s walls and furniture. The lighting options currently available on the market vary widely in execution, price, number and position of the lighting fixtures. That’s why your decision on a lighting source has to be well-informed and thoroughly researched. As a first step of the research, this guide will introduce the three basic lighting options you can choose from.

Natural Light

Using outside natural light to brighten up your living room is not just the most budget-sparing alternative – it is also the healthiest one since human eyes will always prefer the light that comes from the sun to that of any artificial source. If your living room is not shaded over by a tree or a building, you can increase the inflow of sunlight by changing your draperies to sheer or pale-colored ones. You may also want to consider enlarging the room's windows (particularly the south- and north-facing windows) to allow freer access to the sun rays.

Lamps

In our day and age, lamps are so often used that we simply cannot imagine life without them. They come in such a great variety that it might be even stressful when it comes to choice. On the one hand, there are flush mount lamps (square, oval, rectangular, or bowl-shaped), which are fixed to the ceiling and shed strong light over the whole room. There are also table or floor lamps, which will brighten only a portion of the room - they are particularly useful for your study or reading corner. Depending on their height, color and material of the shade, these lamps will emit different volumes of light; therefore, before making a purchase, make sure it will fit your purposes.

If your living room includes an item that you want to emphasize (an intricate ornament, a delicate sculpture and the like), you can mount spot or track lights with adjustable beam direction and point them towards the item. These lights are to be used only on occasion – they are not suited for everyday utilization.

Whatever lamp you choose to install in your living room, it is best to use a halogen bulb with it. Halogen light is the closest to daylight and, hence, the healthiest for the eyes).

Recess Lighting

Unknown to virtually anyone before a couple of decades ago, recess lighting has gained enormous popularity in recent years. With the lamps inbuilt in the ceiling or side walls, this lighting option has a number of significant advantages over the more traditional ones. First of all, it will keep the room premises clear of any bulky or meddlesome lamps. Second, it will not take away any of the room’s headspace. Third, recess lighting will emit light evenly all over its range. Fourth, it is easier to turn on and off (only one switch is used). And fifth, recess lights are produced in such a wide variety that you will have no problem whatsoever customizing them to suit your particular needs.