How do you light your living room well?

Think in three layers of light

A successful living room never relies on a single ceiling light. You combine three layers, which you switch on separately depending on the moment:

1. General light, soft and even, for moving around and entertaining.
2. Task light, stronger and localised, for reading, playing or working.
3. Accent and decorative light, which highlights a wall, a painting, a niche or a bookcase.

In the evening, switch off the general light and keep only the accents and a lamp: the living room becomes intimate without being dark.

Soft general light, coming from the edges

Rather than a grid of spotlights in the middle of the ceiling, light the walls: spotlights placed around the edges, 40–60 cm from the walls, or an LED strip in a cove that bounces the light onto the ceiling. A room with lit walls feels larger and more welcoming.

Choose a warm light, between 2700 K and 3000 K, and a colour rendering index (CRI) of at least 90: fabrics, wood and skin keep their true colours.

Proper light for reading

Next to the sofa or the reading armchair, place a floor lamp or an adjustable reading wall light. The light should come over your shoulder, slightly from behind, to light the book without glare. For comfortable reading, aim for about 300–500 lux on the page, far more than the ambient light of the living room.

Highlight what you love

• A painting: an adjustable spotlight with a narrow beam (24°–36°), aimed at about 30° from the vertical to avoid reflections.
• A textured wall (stone, tadelakt, zellige, wood): grazing light, with spotlights placed very close to the wall.
• A niche or a bookcase: an LED strip in a profile, hidden under each shelf.
• A decorative piece: a beautiful pendant above the coffee table or the dining table, which becomes the focal point of the room.

Above a table, hang the pendant about 70–80 cm above the tabletop. Elsewhere in the living room, leave at least 2.10 m of clearance under the light.

Several circuits and a dimmer

Plan at least two or three circuits: general light, accents, lamps. A dimmer (with compatible LEDs) lets you go from bright light for entertaining to a soft, dimmed mood for a film. With smart lighting, you save scenes and recall them with a single touch.

Common mistakes

• A single strong source on the ceiling: flat and glaring.
• Spotlights lined up down the middle of the room: the centre is lit, the walls stay dark.
• Light that is too cold (4000 K and above) in a space for relaxing.
• Bare bulbs in your line of sight from the sofa.
• A single switch for everything: no way to change the mood.