Your living room is the very heart of your house, where you spend the most time relaxing and being with your family and friends so you want to make it as welcoming as possible – which is where inventive lighting ideas come in.

Nothing is more unwelcoming or off-putting than a dark, dingy, unlit room so whatever space you have, you can use lighting techniques to brighten up dark corners, highlight space and make your living room a welcoming place.

It doesn’t have to cost a fortune, or become incredibly technical – it’s just about choosing the best lighting options for the room, so think about how much space you have and whether you want floor lamps or smaller ceiling lights.

Here is a quick round up of the five best living room lighting ideas to choose from – see which one works for you:

1. Simple, modern lighting

With lighting décor, less can be more so it’s the perfect room to try out unusual shapes or striking fixtures with a difference. Go for simple, modern, elegant silhouettes.

Floor lights with simple shades are great for corners and for when you don’t want to use the full overhead lights, relaxing in early evening, or curling up with a book for example. Keeping your lights simple will add a fresh, modern style to your living room, no matter what décor you have in the rest of the space.

2. Try wall lighting

If you want to create a cosy feel, with a warm glow at the edges of your room then opt for wall lighting – the light will reflect back into the room creating a less harsh effect than strong ceiling lights.

Our friends from Such & Such, online source for designer lighting recommend wall lights. These are also a great choice for a small room space as they don’t take up any space that you might want to keep for furniture or other décor. Try to keep them above eye level though – you don’t want to find yourself staring into the light every time you turn them on.

Wall lights don’t have to be hidden away, you can find beautiful ornate wall light fittings if you want to create a cosy look but with a unique design. Go for ornate fittings when the overall décor is simple, for a striking contrast.

3. Try an industrial approach

If warm and cosy is not your thing then why not try something a bit more dramatic like giant metallic pendant lights to create a real industrial feel to your living room.

If you don’t mind the harsh lighting it produces then this look can be a perfect option for a really modern, urban space – literally the total opposite of a cosy approach.

You can pair it with matching industrial floor lamps or side lighting, for when the main light is just too harsh.

4. Try lanterns and fairy lights

For a more ethereal feel to your living room and a totally different approach to lighting altogether why not try using fairy lights and lanterns? Fairy lights add sparkle and fun to any room, trailed around a picture, or mirror, or along the picture rail.

While lanterns can be bought in a range of sizes and colours, and filled with LED candle bulbs to create a riot of colour and a very soft lighting effect for your whole living room.

5. Don’t forget to include useful lighting

When you are designing your lighting features don’t forget to include purely functional lights as well. Think about if there is a corner of the room where you will be sitting and reading and make sure you include a floor light in that area.

If a portion of the room is set aside as office space then again you will need to have functional lighting included in this area, as well as the lighting you have chosen to match your overall décor and theme.

Functional lighting could be in the form of a simple desk lamp which you can fold out of sight when you have guests round, or when you are not using it, so it doesn’t interfere with your overall design.

Conclusion

Lighting can make or break a room and can really open up and improve small spaces so it’s really a case of choosing the right style to fit the room and to go with your overall décor and theme.

From industrial pendants to fairy lights, from decorative wall lighting to hidden away desk lamps, there is no end to the style options you can choose from when it comes to lighting up your living room.

Whether you want to create the illusion of more space through the clever use of light, or find decorative fixtures which perfectly match and enhance your colour scheme, one thing is for sure – the days of dusty old lampshades are over.