18 June, 2024
The living room is where we spend much of our time when we’re at home. From entertaining guests to relaxing on the couch after a long day, the lighting in your living room plays an important role in creating the right mood or helping you relax. Read on to find out how to light your living room beautifully for any occasion with these living room lighting ideas.
Find the right fixtures and lamps for the living room
The three layers of lighting are ambient, accent, and task. Whether your living room is large or small, you’ll need several sources of each. A skilfully chosen mix of these three types of lighting has the power to transform the atmosphere of your living room.
![A softly lit living room with a combination of pendant light, recessed spotlights, wall lights, and table lamp. A softly lit living room with a combination of pendant light, recessed spotlights, wall lights, and table lamp.](https://www.philips-hue.com/en-ca/explore-hue/blog/stylish-living-room-lighting-ideas/_jcr_content/root/responsivegrid/section_component_17317441/responsivegrid/image_component_copy_1808484822.signifyimg.82.1280.jpeg/1718094153607.jpeg 1280w, https://www.philips-hue.com/en-ca/explore-hue/blog/stylish-living-room-lighting-ideas/_jcr_content/root/responsivegrid/section_component_17317441/responsivegrid/image_component_copy_1808484822.signifyimg.82.769.jpeg/1718094153607.jpeg 769w, https://www.philips-hue.com/en-ca/explore-hue/blog/stylish-living-room-lighting-ideas/_jcr_content/root/responsivegrid/section_component_17317441/responsivegrid/image_component_copy_1808484822.signifyimg.82.601.jpeg/1718094153607.jpeg 601w, https://www.philips-hue.com/en-ca/explore-hue/blog/stylish-living-room-lighting-ideas/_jcr_content/root/responsivegrid/section_component_17317441/responsivegrid/image_component_copy_1808484822.signifyimg.82.522.jpeg/1718094153607.jpeg 522w, https://www.philips-hue.com/en-ca/explore-hue/blog/stylish-living-room-lighting-ideas/_jcr_content/root/responsivegrid/section_component_17317441/responsivegrid/image_component_copy_1808484822.signifyimg.82.301.jpeg/1718094153607.jpeg 301w)
The key to creating the right lighting atmosphere in your living room is to choose the right light fixture to complement every activity that you and your family do in the space. Also, keep in mind that the light fixtures and lamps should complement the interior design and furniture of your room.
Living room ambience lighting
Ambient lighting, often referred to as mood lighting, illuminates the whole room uniformly. If you’re looking for living room ceiling lighting ideas, then the key is to combine two different kinds of overhead lighting fixtures to achieve the right balance of light whilst adding visual interest and ambience.
Elegant living room lamps
Table and floor lamps are a simple and flexible way of adding pops of light around your living room. When you add color-capable smart bulbs to your existing living room light fixtures, you can dim them down low and set them to any color you like. If you’re looking for something sleek and elegant, go for a Flourish or Iris table lamp. Want to brighten up a dull corner? A Signe gradient floor lamp, with its slender profile can tuck into the smallest spaces. When you’ve got your living room lamps positioned, set a light scene across all of them to match the mood — party, movie night, or relaxing on the sofa!
Light fixtures for task lighting
Task lighting for living room pastimes such as reading, and family game nights can be enjoyed more easily with low hanging pendant lights, ceiling lamps, or floor and desk lamps. The best part about pendant lights is that they do not get in the way of movement in the room — no power cords to trip over!
![A couple read a magazine together with the help of a table lamp set to cool, bright light A couple read a magazine together with the help of a table lamp set to cool, bright light](https://www.philips-hue.com/en-ca/explore-hue/blog/stylish-living-room-lighting-ideas/_jcr_content/root/responsivegrid/section_component_17317441/responsivegrid/image_component_copy_285807425.signifyimg.82.1280.jpeg/1718094154605.jpeg 1280w, https://www.philips-hue.com/en-ca/explore-hue/blog/stylish-living-room-lighting-ideas/_jcr_content/root/responsivegrid/section_component_17317441/responsivegrid/image_component_copy_285807425.signifyimg.82.769.jpeg/1718094154605.jpeg 769w, https://www.philips-hue.com/en-ca/explore-hue/blog/stylish-living-room-lighting-ideas/_jcr_content/root/responsivegrid/section_component_17317441/responsivegrid/image_component_copy_285807425.signifyimg.82.601.jpeg/1718094154605.jpeg 601w, https://www.philips-hue.com/en-ca/explore-hue/blog/stylish-living-room-lighting-ideas/_jcr_content/root/responsivegrid/section_component_17317441/responsivegrid/image_component_copy_285807425.signifyimg.82.522.jpeg/1718094154605.jpeg 522w, https://www.philips-hue.com/en-ca/explore-hue/blog/stylish-living-room-lighting-ideas/_jcr_content/root/responsivegrid/section_component_17317441/responsivegrid/image_component_copy_285807425.signifyimg.82.301.jpeg/1718094154605.jpeg 301w)
Light fixtures for accent lighting
When it comes to living room lighting ideas, get creative with accent lighting! Accent lights are designed to highlight special features — like fireplaces, or individual objects, such as pictures. Accent lights can even be an eye-catching statement themselves.
Philips Hue Lightguide bulbs are a perfect example! Handblown and made of crystal-clear glass, Lightguide bulbs are a real statement piece. The reflections from the inner tube and coating create a unique light effect that complements the bulb’s unique shape. Choose from small globe, large globe, ellipse, triangular, and Edison. Use them in your existing table lamps (no shade required!) to perfectly match your decor. Or why not suspend them over your coffee table or reading corner using the matching fabric-wrapped cord and elegantly shaped cover.
![Three Lightguide bulbs suspended in a cluster and set to pink, orange, and blue shades of light. Three Lightguide bulbs suspended in a cluster and set to pink, orange, and blue shades of light.](https://www.philips-hue.com/en-ca/explore-hue/blog/stylish-living-room-lighting-ideas/_jcr_content/root/responsivegrid/section_component_17317441/responsivegrid/image_component_copy_56329819.signifyimg.82.1280.jpeg/1718094154967.jpeg 1280w, https://www.philips-hue.com/en-ca/explore-hue/blog/stylish-living-room-lighting-ideas/_jcr_content/root/responsivegrid/section_component_17317441/responsivegrid/image_component_copy_56329819.signifyimg.82.769.jpeg/1718094154967.jpeg 769w, https://www.philips-hue.com/en-ca/explore-hue/blog/stylish-living-room-lighting-ideas/_jcr_content/root/responsivegrid/section_component_17317441/responsivegrid/image_component_copy_56329819.signifyimg.82.601.jpeg/1718094154967.jpeg 601w, https://www.philips-hue.com/en-ca/explore-hue/blog/stylish-living-room-lighting-ideas/_jcr_content/root/responsivegrid/section_component_17317441/responsivegrid/image_component_copy_56329819.signifyimg.82.522.jpeg/1718094154967.jpeg 522w, https://www.philips-hue.com/en-ca/explore-hue/blog/stylish-living-room-lighting-ideas/_jcr_content/root/responsivegrid/section_component_17317441/responsivegrid/image_component_copy_56329819.signifyimg.82.301.jpeg/1718094154967.jpeg 301w)
LED strip lighting ideas for the living room
For whatever activity you’re doing in the living room, you’ll need the right ambience. And a smart way to get it right every time is with indoor LED strip lights. They give you the flexibility to adapt your living room for any mood and every activity — from a romantic night-in to an all-out gaming session.
Since your living room includes different lighting areas, it’s important to consider a variety of options. The Philips Hue lightstrip collection includes a range of smart LED strip lights that can be used for long surfaces like ceiling coves or smaller spaces such as bookcase shelves.
Explore our strip lights and find the lightstrips that best suit your living room.
Lightstrips are also an incredibly versatile way to accent furniture with smart light. Bend and shape them to get light and color just where you need it.
Others living room lighting options
If your living room is large or lacks natural daylight, you should consider all the light sources that you will need to brighten up your room evenly. Recessed spotlights with wall lights are a great combination to overall illuminate a large room. For dark corners or reading nooks, opt for tall adjustable floor lamps or pendant lights that provide light from above. LED lightstrips are perfect to create a soft yet even light effect in dark or shadowed spaces like behind the TV, showcases, or indoor plants.
Tip: Use a light scene in the Hue app to match the mood you’re trying to create. You can save your favorites so you can easily select them whenever you want!
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*When a bulb displays "Up to" a certain number of lumens in its specifications, it displays the maximum lumen output of the bulb. It shows how bright the bulb can get at 2700 K (White bulbs) or 4000 K (White ambiance or White and color ambiance bulbs). Learn more about brightness.