4 Lighting Tricks That Will Completely Transform Your Living Room

The living room is often the center or the heart of any home. It’s where we spend time with our family and entertain house guests. While the idea of a “beautiful” living room is usually associated with beautiful furnishings, the real difference maker is often light. Your lighting setup can set the tone for the living room’s look and feel. It’s what brings out the best of your living room’s interior design and invites people to stay and make themselves comfortable.

With that being said, below are four tips to keep in mind when illuminating your living room.

1. Centerpieces Are Key

A well-lit living room usually has a lighting fixture that functions as both a centerpiece and light source. The safe choice is to add overhead lighting that will help light the room with ambient (i.e. general) light.

Consider getting a ceiling fan, especially if it gets hot in your [city] home during the warmer months. Not only will this provide the needed cooling and circulation, it’ll also illuminate room after dark. Large ceiling fans also work as a focal piece in the living room, adding to its aesthetic appeal. Try a classic style with traditional materials or get edgy and modern with a metal or industrial-looking fan.

If you’re willing to swing for the fences, consider installing a grand chandelier, a statement piece that’s the epitome of elegance and style. Whether you pick a traditional fixture with crystals and ornaments, or one that has a more modern and minimalist design, chandeliers can give the living room a focal point and turn into an instant conversation starter.

2. Add Supporting Lights

Adding wall sconces around your living room not only adds light to the space, it also serves a decorative purpose. Wall sconces are a wonderful way to give your living room a theater-like look. Sconces can be used together with the room’s main overhead light fixtures as complementing pieces, or alone when you don’t want your living room to become too bright.

3. Don’t Forget Your Task Lights

The living room tends to become the de facto room for a wide range of tasks, whether it’s doing homework, reading, watching TV, or working on a laptop computer. In any case, you will need to add task lights to help people see what they’re doing. Lamps, ether of the table or floor variety, work well as task lights. These can easily be moved around and come in a wide range of styles, sizes, and designs.

4. Add Smart Controls

New lighting technology has made it easier for homeowners to automate their lighting systems and control them remotely. For example, some LED light bulbs now come with proprietary smartphone apps, which allow you to control their brightness, color, and even when to switch on and off. Consider getting smart light fixtures for your living room to expand your lighting system’s functionality and decorative potential.

So, if you’re wondering if something’s “off” about your living room, it may just be just the light. Follow these tips to bring out the best of [city] home’s living room.