Living Room Ceiling Light Ideas

High Ideals

It is all too easy to overlook the importance of lighting in your living room. But for a space in which you spend so much time, it is vital to feature the right lighting. You may include lamps and wall lights but your principle lighting will almost certainly be your ceiling lighting. So what factors should you consider before making your choice?

Size Matters

If your light fittings are to complement your room then they must be of the correct size. Too large and they will overly dominate the space, too small and they will simply fade into the background. If you are unsure as to the dimensions which would work best for you then create templates out of old cardboard boxes and hold them up in the room. This will give you a good idea of the impact that your light fittings will make and whether they will be overly obtrusive. You can also use your cardboard templates to experiment with shape and form.

Making a Statement

Lighting both small and large can be used to make a striking statement. Contemporary, minimalist interiors are often a little bland and so a bold ceiling light could make all the difference. Period rooms with high ceilings deserve statement chandeliers and pendent ceiling lights with sufficient impact.

Height Matters

Whilst pendent lighting can be beautiful and dramatic in rooms with high ceilings, it can be problematic where ceilings are low. Before you allow yourself to fall in love with a striking crystal chandelier, test how low your lighting can hang before it forms an obstruction and presents a danger to your head! Ceiling lights can also obscure attractive elements of your space from view so check how low you can go! Many pendent lights are height adjustable so don’t rule out something you like without exploring if it can sit higher.

Adding Interest

You can use shape, form, texture and colour to add interest to your space with your choice of ceiling lights. Structural pieces, coloured glass, metals and the multiple facets of crystals all provide appealing detail and transform lights from features which are purely functional into decorative pieces that lift your design scheme.

Illuminating the Subject

Whilst lighting is crucial to the success of your design scheme, its primary function is to illuminate your space. You may require more than one ceiling light to deliver adequate light and to ensure that areas of your living room are not cast in shadow. On the other hand you don’t want to produce a harsh ambiance with lighting which is simply too bright. Before settling on your ceiling lights experiment with lamps to see how many ceiling lights you need, how many bulbs they should feature and just how much is too much!

Location, Location, Location

Once you have established how many lights you require and of what size you should decide where they are to be positioned. If you are investing in a single ceiling light then it is most pleasing to the eye if it is located centrally in the room. If you are fitting two or more ceiling lights do ensure that their locations create symmetry in the space.

As a lighting specialist, it’s probably of no surprise we have a huge range of lighting options in our online store, including a truly diverse range of ceiling lights.

• Header image – Ceiling lights by C. O’Brien via Unsplash (CC0 1.0)