Lighting is one of the aspects that can influence the decoration of a room the most. Despite not being an element specifically designed for it, light has a great weight in our perception of any space. That is why it is essential to know how to illuminate the living room, taking into account that it is one of the most important rooms in a house.
However, when deciding how to illuminate the living room, there are other aspects beyond the decoration that should have some relevance. Understanding what these factors are and how to manage them is essential to combine natural and artificial light in a space where comfort is the main objective. Here are some tips on how to make the right choice.
5 essential factors in deciding how to light the living room
Knowing how to light the living room is more an art that depends on many factors, not an exact science. No two rooms have the same lighting needs, as these depend on the tastes and, above all, the needs of the inhabitants of a house. Therefore, to do so, it is essential that you ask yourself certain questions regarding the use, decoration or available space, among others.
What will be the main uses of the room?
The first thing to do is to determine the uses that are or will be given to a space and establish an order of priorities. You do not need the same light for reading as for eating, for example. Nor is it the same to give greater use to the room during the day than at night to watch TV. So, what are the main uses you are going to give to your living room?
The importance of shapes when deciding how to light the living room
Surely you have seen thousands of living rooms and each one had a specific shape. The most common are square or rectangular -and within the latter hundreds of possibilities in length and narrowness-, but there are also L-shaped, with central pillars or with rooms divided in some way. In this sense, you will have to decide whether you want homogeneous lighting or different points of light.
Low energy consumption as a guideline to be followed in the illumination of meeting rooms
Considering the levels that are reaching the price of light and how harmful energy consumption is for the environment, any small savings in electricity can make a difference. By opting for low consumption -we will offer you some tricks for this below-, you will have the same lighting possibilities or even more than with traditional elements.
Aesthetics, a harmonious combination of elements
Sometimes we tend to think that when deciding how to illuminate the living room, the aesthetics of the rest of the room is not important. But nothing could be further from the truth, the tone of the light and the location of its sources must be directly related to the rest of the elements. In fact, lighting should be used to play with different decorative scenarios, giving or subtracting them prominence.
Lighting the living room taking into account the space
Do you feel that your living room is too small? Choosing the right lighting will help you to generate a greater sense of space, because with clarity we perceive larger rooms -that’s why it is also advisable to use light colors on walls and furniture-. In fact, the best thing you can do to achieve these effects is to give free rein to natural lighting.
Learn how to illuminate the living room with these recommendations
Based on these factors that are vital when choosing how to light your living room, we have selected some recommendations to help you do so. Some of these tips depend directly on the aspects mentioned above, but others are simply ideas that can serve as a guide for you to make your own decisions in this regard.
Expand your options and reduce consumption with home automation
Giving technology a chance means opening the doors to endless opportunities in every sense. When it comes to lighting a living room, home automation allows the programming of the on and off of lights, or the regulation of the intensity and choice of light color. This has a double advantage: energy savings and increased decorative possibilities.
Uses LEDs as the main lighting tool
LEDs should always be the main option for lighting any type of room, if not the only one. They are infinitely more efficient bulbs, with a much longer useful life and whose price is amortized in a short period of time. At the same time, it is the alternative that best combines with the aforementioned home automation and the one that offers more possibilities in the customization of light.
Differentiates spaces according to their use and the light they require
Earlier, we mentioned the use of the room as a primary factor in choosing the location and type of lighting. But how do you do this? Well, if you eat or dine in the living room, you will need a main light, to read in a specific corner intended for it a more direct light and, finally, if you are going to watch TV in the evenings, something very dim will be more than enough.
Make the most of natural light
If you have the option of opening the doors to natural light -for example, by making the windows larger or choosing translucent curtains-, do not hesitate to do so. Sunlight is the healthiest, the one that most favors our vision and, obviously, the most efficient of all, so low consumption is guaranteed. But, in addition, it is also usually the one that most aesthetically favors the rooms, generating a much greater sense of spaciousness.
Decide how to light your living room before choosing lamps.
This is probably one of the most important recommendations we can give you on how to light your living room: don’t get carried away by aesthetics and design the lighting based on your needs and tastes with respect to the rest of the room. Specifically, consider where each light source is going to go and what type they will be, and ultimately, you’re sure to find plenty of lamp options that you like.
Adapt the lighting to the style of your living room
Continuing with the previous point, it is worth remembering that the living room is one of the spaces in your home where you are going to spend more hours. The lighting in this room has a great influence on its aesthetics, so do not take it as one more step to be taken out of necessity, and get fully involved to bring out your good decorative taste. Your living room deserves it!
You already know how to light your living room, so why spend time on design?
Now that you have the recommendations you needed and, above all, you know the aspects that you must assess to decide how to illuminate the living room, why should you spend some time planning? Because, as you can see, information alone is not much use, since each room and each home is a world apart that must respond to the tastes and needs of its inhabitants.
So, it is advisable that you carry out a planning carefully analyzing all these factors, applying them to the decoration of your home and putting your needs above all. It is then when you can decide how to illuminate the living room in a conscious and responsible way with consumption, in addition to taking advantage of this space as it really deserves.
