Top 5 Lighting Tips for Your Living Room

With the winter months fast approaching and the chilly evenings getting longer, the lighting we incorporate into our living room interior becomes all the more important for creating ambiance and warmth.

The lighting you choose for your room can have a massive effect on the feel of the space. And when the rain, wind and snow force you to spend more and more of your nights tucked up in front of the telly with your loved ones, it’s essential that you get the lighting just right.

That’s why we’ve created this all important guide to choosing your living room lighting this winter; helping you make the choice that’s practical, stylish and effective.

Warmth

As the temperature plummets, it comes as no surprise that most of us want to inject warmth and comfort into our room. The easiest way of achieving this is with effective lighting.

It goes without saying that that you should opt for yellow lighting, as opposed to harsher and colder white light. You should also look for lamps which incorporate warm colours in their shades, like this beige faux silk shade. For added warmth, choose a brass or wooden design for the bass.

(Madrid Table Lamp, in Antique Brass, £49.50, available from Mail Order Lighting.)

Luxury

As a rule, I never actually use the room’s ceiling lights, with the exception of kitchens and bathrooms. However, if for whatever reason you need to use the ceiling light in your living room, you can detract from the somewhat harsh effect this has by choosing a design that incorporates jewels or crystals, for a look that’s opulent, charming and welcoming.

Take a look at the range of Dar lighting at Mail Order Lighting, for some great examples which incorporates these design features.

Modernity

A living room’s lighting isn’t restricted to your lamps and ceiling fixtures. Sometimes, when the weather turns particularly nasty, there is nothing better than the warm glow of a gorgeously inviting fire.

These days, you don’t even have to have a fireplace to enjoy the iconic notion of sitting by the fireside. Options like this SmegFlueless Gas Fire, available to buy online from John Lewis, make it possible for anyone to bring the warming glow and subtle lighting of a fire into their home.

Tradition

Nothing says cosy like traditional interior design features. While you may not want to completely transform you room into a testament to classic design, it is possible to enhance a room’s element of tradition with the addition of lighting.

Something like the classic Tiffany lamp adds style and sophistication to a space and incorporates gorgeous warm colours, perfect for battling the winter blues.

                                 (Raindrop Table Lamp, with Tiffany Glass, £63.36, at Mail Order Lighting.)

Function

I’ve never been able to see the beauty in reading or desk lamps. Even iconic designs, such as the traditional brass base with green glass shade, while undoubtedly a classic, should be confined to the study; and modern designs with their hinges and maneuverability… well they’re just plain ugly.

However, if you spend the majority of the winter months lost in a selection of your favourite beach reads, dreaming of white sands and blue skies, then you’ll struggle to read by firelight alone. That’s why I’m a big fan of small reading lights like this one from Water stones, which can be attached to your book as and when you need it. What’s more, you can enjoy reading your favourite book in clear lighting and bask in the subtle and calming lighting of the fire. Sounds like total heaven if you ask me!

Jack Collier is an interior designer and decorator, with a passion for creating unique and beautiful room designs, writing on behalf of Mail Order Lighting.