How to Create a Cosy Feel in Your Living Room with Lighting
The living room in Winter is the most important room. Fact. In this darkest season, it is so important to get your lighting right, utilising all forms of lighting to maximise that cosy feel.
No matter what style you prefer, it’s almost impossible to escape the fact that lighting plays an essential role in setting the tone and ambience of your living room space, so there’s no reason not to make the most of it! We’ve got some tips to help you find the perfect balance of ambient light so that your guests feel welcome and comfortable without feeling like they have to strain their eyes!
Utilise natural light
It's important for our mental health that we utilise natural light as much as possible during the winter months however limited it may be. Modern interior design is all about using space as efficiently as possible, and that includes getting the most natural light possible. If you're looking for a cosy feel from your living room, start by maximising the light you get from windows and then adding some table lamps and floor lamps for further lighting into nooks and crannies or highlighting any features you would like to accentuate - artwork, clocks etc...
However, when the darkness outside descends into your room, you'll need some other sources of artificial light. When picking lamps for your living room, opt for a variety of lighting; lighting with different purposes. There are three main types of lighting: ambient, task and accent/mood lighting and if you want to optimise this space make sure to have a combination of all three. A living room should have 8 sources of light, covering all the diff functions (ambient/task/accent), to illuminate all the different pockets. Consider partnering these lights with natural sources like candles and fireplaces, to create a warm colour palette and a warm room.
Mood lighting: Sand diffuser floor lamp
image credit: @annabelcucuz
Task lighting: Brass cone shade wall light
image credit: @coatpaints
Mood lighting: Charcoal sputnik flush ceiling light
image credit: @sevenpalmtreehouse
Cosy, not cluttered
You want it to feel cosy, not cluttered. If you are limited on space (width or height) make sure you invest in quality pieces that spread light out successfully and don’t leave you straining your eyes. Low ceilings are one of the most difficult spaces for lighting, but there are some great options out there. Pendant lights or chandeliers that hang down from the ceiling can make low ceilings feel more spacious. Ceiling lights that are flush mounted are perfect for low ceilings as they don’t invade too much space.
Some of our favourite pendant lights for directing light into specific areas are our glass dome pendants and our brass plate pendant ceiling lights. Our pendants are perfectly adaptable with their extra-long adjustable pendant wire to accommodate your home. Low-hanging pendants create a snug zone in which we are drawn to; a space to read and reflect.
Adaptable lights
When choosing your lighting, make sure you start with the main most direct source of light, which is usually the ceiling light, and start to incorporate purposeful lighting around it. Dimmable task lamps are great for adapting to the needs and light accessibility of the room and user. You might rely less heavily on overhead lighting, and more heavily on table and floor lamps to make it feel cosy.
Ditch the wires
One con of too many electricals is the overabundance of wires which, let’s be honest are not easy on the eyes. We have recently launched two wireless, rechargeable lamps which can be moved around the home (and room) to wherever the user deems suitable. The ‘moon lamp’ and the ‘glow worm’ are perfect lights to follow you around and be useful for whatever task you come to do next.
If you have limited sockets, this can limit the placement of your lighting if it is plug-in and expensive and messy to add new ones! Luckily for you, we have beautifully coloured fabric extension cables which are the solution to ugly wires and unsightly cables. The herringbone fabric provides a beautifully considered design detail to the extension cables; who thought wires could be pretty?
Switch to LED
Whilst LED bulbs are kinder to the planet with their comparative energy efficiency, they also provide evenly distributed, ambient lighting, essential for a cosy home! They provide the most amount of light output and don’t give off heat energy like our old nemesis the halogen bulb.