The living room, also known as the family room, is often the center of activity within the home. A room should have lighting fixtures to accommodate any activity that may be taking place, whether it be watching television, playing games or reading books with young children, or hosting parties and social gatherings with friends and family members.
Ceiling lights are one of the most popular lighting fixtures to have in the living room and can be used in combination with lamps to create an ideal setting for any occasion. Here’s how you can decide if your living room should have ceiling lights.
What’s the Best Way to Hang a Ceiling Light?
Ceiling lights are a great way to add more light to your living space. However, there’s no best way to hang a light fixture.
Every installation is different—different styles of lighting and different heights in each room call for their own unique installation methods. In some cases, it might make sense to install an electrical box directly into your ceiling (also known as hardwiring).
Will I Need Bulbs in My Fixture?
When planning out your lighting scheme, it’s important to consider how you will illuminate rooms—and whether or not you’ll need additional bulbs. Ceiling light fixtures typically use one type of bulb: fluorescent, incandescent, halogen, or even LED.
Fluorescent and incandescent bulbs can be swapped out with other types of bulbs at different wattages or color temperatures; halogen bulbs are designed for use with only one type of bulb (they’re designed to get really hot!) and LEDs don’t require a bulb at all! It’s important to know what kind of fixture you’re looking at when deciding if a particular lighting product is right for you.
How Bright Do You Want Your Ceiling Lights to Be?
Lighting is an important element to consider when creating a comfortable home. While overhead lighting is often more convenient, it can also seem harsh and glaring, making you feel exposed and uncomfortable.
If you’re going to install overhead lighting in your living room, put dimmers on all of your lights so that you can control how bright they are throughout different parts of the day and night. There’s no sense in putting a ceiling light in your living room if it’s always too bright or too dark!
You should also make sure that there is at least one wall-mounted lamp for every five feet of wall space; each lamp should be about two feet away from its corresponding wall. This will help balance out any harshness created by overhead lighting and ensure your room is evenly lit without feeling cluttered.
And don’t forget to include some decorative lamps as well—you want your living room to be warm and inviting, not sterile!
Types of Ceiling Lights
The key to choosing lighting for a living room is to choose something that blends with your decor and needs. A great way to light up a small space is with track lighting or recessed lighting; these fixtures are both easy on energy costs and easy on a budget as well. If you live in an apartment building or neighborhood where exterior lighting is harsh, invest in some high-quality shades.
They’ll block out light while allowing your lamps to do their job—and who doesn’t love that?
Track Lighting
There’s something about having a glowing fixture set into a light-colored ceiling that adds an extra layer of sophistication to a space. Light fixtures positioned above tables in dining rooms, home offices, and workspaces help us concentrate and make us feel more productive.
Track lighting fixtures are especially good at spotlighting objects of interest; you can aim them just where you want to shed some extra light. Floor lamps or table lamps placed beside seating areas in our living rooms also provide ambient light that can create a soothing mood and create an interesting texture on walls without glare.
They’re also great places to put out accent tables that display collectibles, photos, or reading materials.
Recessed Lighting
One of my personal favorite lighting options is recessed lighting. This type of lighting can be located in a variety of different ways, including on beams or even inside cabinets and bookcases. I love it because it looks sleek, clean, and simple when properly installed.
You don’t want to go overboard with recessed lighting—it should complement rather than overpower your space. In general, you want to aim for about one fixture every 10 feet. If you prefer more light in certain areas of your home (such as near seating areas), consider installing additional fixtures there.
Flush Mount Ceiling Lights
It’s a common trend nowadays to install flush-mounted ceiling lights in one’s living area. However, it may not be an effective lighting source for all rooms.
Living areas are often dimly lit and these lighting fixtures can do little more than provide mood lighting. If you prefer to use ambient light as a main source of illumination, then you should probably skip installing flush-mounted ceiling lights in your living area.
They just won’t be bright enough to make much of a difference, plus they’ll leave dark shadows where they aren’t installed and look terrible against any texture (which is most surfaces). Stick with track lighting if that’s what you want, but know that flush mounts don’t work well here.
Semi-Flush Mount Ceiling Lights
Mounting a light fixture to a low-hanging ceiling can be tricky. Semi-flush mounted fixtures, such as chandeliers and sconces, are an elegant way to highlight architectural features without taking up too much visual space.
Since they hang lower than traditional flush mounts, semi-flush mounts also ensure that not all of their bulbs are completely blocked by furniture or drapes when installed at or near eye level. Semi-flush mounted fixtures are an ideal option for living rooms with high ceilings or if you’re trying to stay away from a high-contrast effect.
Final Thoughts
If you want your living room to be bright and welcoming, it should have ceiling lights—yes, ceiling lights! The positives of them will be greater than any possible negatives.
While a lot of people think that they’re ugly or they look cheap, there are plenty of options out there that are sleek and modern. And if you don’t like them at first glance, just wait until after dark; once turned on, most people can’t tell that they’re there at all.
They simply add a bit of light to a room without dominating its appearance or making it feel too cluttered.
