Light Up Your Apartment

Photos courtesy Kazuho Oku (top) and Liz Lawley (bottom).

Often times when decorating, we get so caught up in the furniture and other accessories, that we forget about incorporating a key element in arranging a room--lighting. Lighting sets the mood and tone of a room. It creates the atmosphere of a room and dictates the type of room it should be. For example, the lighting in a home office should be bright and functional; whereas the lighting in a bedroom should be soft and cozy. Apartment Therapy explains how to determine the type of lighting you should have in your living room.

The first step when lighting any room is to ask yourself: what happens here? Different activities require different types and levels of light. A well-lit living room will have three different types of lighting: general, task and accent. These are used at different times of day and for different purposes, and key to a functional lighting scheme it to know how and when to mix and use them.

General

Not all homes have a ceiling fitting in the living room, and if you have lots of natural light during the day, you might not need overhead light at all. But if you have the fitting, a central pendant or chandelier helps to zone the space and create a focus. Similarly, potlights or angled spotlights will create an even layer of overhead lighting. In the absence of any overhead lights, a large, arced floor lamp will do the trick.

If you watch TV in the living room, choose the surrounding lights carefully to avoid television glare. It can be distracting to have a bright overhead light above or in front of a TV set, so ensure ceiling lights are dimmable, or use offset wall sconces or floor lamps instead.

Task

Specific task lighting, such as reading lamps, are important if you read frequently, have low levels of natural light, and especially if you ever work in your living room. A floor lamp spaced between two armchairs can also count as task lighting, as conversation is a task, too (at least in living room terms).

Accent

Low-level table lamps and floor lamps help to create a cozy atmosphere in the living room, especially at night. Evenly space these throughout the room, usually toward the walls, to create an even, warm glow that bounces inwards. Think creatively about this type of lighting: groups of candles even fairy lights count.

How do you get creative with the lighting in your apartment? Share your photos with us!

Terms of Use: These photos are licensed under a Creative Commons Attributions 2.0 Generic License. They are attributed to Kazuho Oku (top) and Liz Lawley (bottom).