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Living room
The living room is the central room of the home with many different functions. Here, family and friends gather, read, watch television, play, listen to music and relax. Often, the living room is the biggest room in the home, reaching far into the middle of the house.
The many ways in which we use the living room place various demands on the lighting in the room – both daylight and artificial light. The size of the room and the dark areas often make interior decoration and lighting arrangements quite a challenge.
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Use the daylight as much as possible
When you organise the room in terms of the light, natural daylight should have a high priority. Take the daylight as far into the living room as possible, e.g. by choosing windows that provide a lot of light. A skylight provides the best possible light in the middle of the room.
Dark walls, furniture and carpets absorb a lot of light. Choose light curtains and window sills as well as light walls and ceilings – and do not draw the curtains unless the sun becomes a problem.
Position furniture so that you get the most out of the daylight. You can create a reading corner by a window and place the television in a darker area to avoid reflections on the screen.
Place a number of lamps that can be turned on or off as needed around the room. A good rule of thumb is to have 5-10 areas with lamps – but that is far more than most families have. You can use the lamps to unite – highlight – various groups of furniture in the room. You can also use daylight and lamps to light up small arrangements of knick-knacks or other items that you find particularly attractive.
Good lighting in the living room
- Use daylight rather than electric lighting. It is more comfortable, it is healthier - and it is also more environmentally friendly.
- Organise your furniture according to function: For example, the television should sit in a darker area while reading corners need light.
- Draw the daylight as far as possible into the room - and take special trouble with electric lighting in the areas farthest from the window.
- Choose windows that let in plenty of light, but also make sure you can screen out the daylight.
- Choose light curtains and window frames as well as light walls and ceilings. They reflect the light well and help to illuminate the room.
- Only draw the curtains when the sunlight becomes irritating.
- Dark walls, furniture and carpets and rugs 'soak up' a lot of the light. Use them as features in the room - in order to introduce contrasting elements.
- Use a selection of lighting points to create different functional areas in the living room: a reading corner, a sofa group, interior decoration, an eating area etc.