Living Room

Task lighting in a living room should blend with the design without being obtrusive. Any natural light should be supplemented at darker times of the day by task lighting arranged to make the room’s activities easier and more pleasurable.
Living and family rooms really have to live up to their names. Depending on the household, they can host hardworking communal gatherings television watching, hanging out with friends, and maybe even casual computer use. A well lit living room must have good overall, balanced lighting. Select permanent lighting for elements that won’t change, such as a wash light over a wall of built in bookcases or a flood light to direct attention showcasing a fireplace. More specific lightings needs living area can change as the house hold changes. You might entertain less or more, children activities may grow as they do, and your own leisure activities can morph just as dramatically.
But a good lighting scheme is designed to adapt over the years and, in some cases, over the weeks or even the hours if company is coming. To that end, after deciding on overall lighting, think about how the room will be used and add task lighting, for each need. Because family and living rooms are so often used for entertaining, include a little drama with up lights to fill dark, corners and highlight favorite plants and large items.
A family or living space often functions as a home entertainment room. Layering the light and using dimmers on overheads and task lights allows you and your family and guests to enjoy movies and other video events without the distraction of glare or insufficient light.
The payoff for your foresight and planning is a welcoming, warm space that is functional but also beautiful a beacon that draws you in and invites you to enjoy all life has to offer.
Layers of light are key to the success of living room’s lighting scheme.

LAYERS OF LIGHT

FIRST LAYER: OVERALL LIGHT washes of light from recessed floodlight, track lighting Lamp with open shades.

SECOND LAYER: Task Light halogen or other directed beam lamps for reading, close work.

THIRD LAYER: Accent light up lights behind potted plants, large floors urns, and other accessories.

Strip or under shelf lighting along shelves, curio cabinets ect.

Lighting choices can enhance an overall decorating scheme.

SOFT GLOW: Include lamps for ambience, such as portables versions. Your goal in living room is to have balanced light throughout with no glaringly bright areas and no dark corners.
Table lamps, sconces, and torchere floor lamps are all good choices to achieve this soft, overall light. Choose lamps with three-way switches for more control over light levels.
An intricate chandelier, hung with mini lampshades to cast the glow downward, hangs in the middle of a conversation space. With the light on a dimmer, the fixture will be much more usable, particularly with the variations of natural light from day to day.

SUBTLE ACCENTS: Lighting in a living room must be mostly task-oriented, but consider the third, accent layer, too. Use mini lamps on a focal point, such as a mantel, to direct the view toward a large painting. Recessed cans supplement the chandelier.

Lighting should be integrated into a decorating scheme.
Let new lighting trends change the way you and your family gather.
There’s a revolution in contemporary lighting design. Technical lighting used to be boring or invisible. Now we’re treating it like art….. You might say there’s also a revolution in a traditional lighting. Crystal chandeliers, once limited to the estates of aristocrats and merchant princes, are invading the homes of middle class professionals.
The living, family and dining rooms… are closely connected or even one large room in an open floor plan. We typically see Tuscan inspired casual iron fixtures in these areas.
Add lamps for task lighting. In areas were there will be reading , crafts work, and other close work, provide adequate light with table lamps, floor lamps (especially pharmacy, halogen, and other directed beam lamps that can be placed right over the work). With any lamp, you’ll need at least 150 watts for reading and up to 250 for class work, such as needlework.

REFINED TASTES: Highlight any nice focal points. If your living or family room has a fireplace, armoire, cool bar, or really terrific large painting, consider adding a spotlight, even if the item is on an easel. However, check suggested lighting levels and distances to avoid creating too much heat and damaging any valuable artwork.

Use up lights for drama and place them behind large potted plants, urns, or any other decorative pieces for soft light and drama. They’re great for showcasing items, especially for company. Show off collectibles on easels or in curio cabinets and shelves by installing under shelf lighting.

The earthy, rustic colors of the plains are now prominent in living room fixtures. Clean, organic styles in floor and table lamps feature timeless materials such as brushed nickel, copper, bronze, glass, iron, and chrome. Thanks to baby boomers and savvy consumers, fixture creation now receives more attention. Quality bulbs and energy-efficient options are in high demand. Trends point more to lighting up areas of a wall with spotlights or accent lights (instead of track lights with bulky heads) to highlight artwork or collections. The living room is also a popular place to add wireless lighting technology, hooking up sources to a remote control to create mood changes.

Rail-type: Lighting systems enable consumers to clip on accessories and light varying size and color.
Smaller aperture housings: Provide minimal ceiling presence with a designer trim finish.