Six small living room lighting ideas | Philips Hue AU (2024)

FAQs

What is a bright light for living room? ›

We recommend 100 lumens per square metre. So if your living room is 20 square metres, you need a total of 2,000 lumens. For example, the central ceiling light can contribute 730 lumens (equivalent to a conventional 60-watt bulb), while indirect backlight luminaires provide 100-200 lumens each.

Pendant lights.

Like sconces, pendants come in a nearly endless variety of choices, but they have another special weapon for making a small space look bigger: their stems. Hang pendant lights down low and the long stems will make people think the room is tall and enormous.

Opt for softer 'warm white' or 'soft white' bulbs over harsh or 'daylight white' colour options. Natural finishes are preferable over lacquered ones. Lastly, look for sculptural details, elements of interest in your lights or any furniture in the room,” says Nikhil Paul, creative director of Paul Matter.

Consider using recessed lights or ceiling fixtures like flush-mount lights or chandeliers for ambient lighting. These types of lights can provide overall illumination and can be used to create a sense of height in a small space. It's also important to consider the style of the light fixtures.

Living room – The ideal lighting for the living room is a very warm white, with a color temperature lower than 3300°K. This color temperature is ideal to create a decorative lighting, ideal for a romantic dinner or to design domestic spaces which are cozy and relaxing, perfect for unwinding after a long day.

Warm Colors

A light bulb in the 2000 K to 3000 K range will yield a soft, warm light with hints of yellow. This kind of bulb creates a cozy, homey feel that's often the best color lighting for entertaining and relaxing.

Room-brightening hanging light fixtures, such as pendant lights and chandeliers, are both practical and decorative. Track lighting, recessed lighting, and directional spotlighting work well on their own and when paired with lamps and other light fixtures.

People tend to look the best when illuminated by light bulbs that measure around 2700 kelvins. Most bulbs, whether incandescent, LED, compact fluorescent or halogen, are labeled “soft white/warm white” (2,700-3,000 kelvins), “bright white/cool white” (3,500-4,100 kelvins) or “daylight” (5,000-6,500 kelvins).

If you prefer a cozier space, focus on accent lights to create lighting zones with a few darker pockets. Fixtures with tinted or colored globes and fabric shades are great for providing moody, ambient light as well. Dimmers are also a great way to have more control over the tone and quality of light.

How to decorate a small room with light? ›

Use Dimmers Wherever Possible

Dimmers can instantly change a room's atmosphere—and help you save on your electricity bill. Install dimmer switches in as many rooms and with as many fixtures as you'd like to gain more control over your lighting. Use dimmers to change the mood and balance artificial with natural light.

By dividing the total height of your ceiling in half, you get the amount of space you should leave between each light. For example, recessed lighting spacing for a 16-foot-high ceiling would be 8 feet between each light. This will provide good spacing for the overall illumination of the room.