The living room should be a soft island of illumination that invites people in to relax and converse. Layering the light creates an environment that is humanizing and dramatic at the same time. Wall sconces and torchieres can generally provide the ambient illumination, which softens shadows on people’s faces. Recessed adjustable fixtures or track lighting can be utilized to provide the necessary accent light.
This should be the most dazzling of the rooms, with the greatest variety of moods available from the lighting.
There will be times when the look will be bright and warm as if a roaring fire were filling the room with soft illumination.
People are naturally drawn to light, so they congregate where there is the greatest amount of illumination.
Other occasions call for a more intimate feeling. The ambient lights are dimmed and the accent lights are brightened. This helps make a larger space seem cozier for a smaller gathering.
The way it was……………
As most of us were growing up, the living room was an off-limits area, used only when company came. There was a certain austerity or coldness about it that kept everybody out. Much of this had to do with the lighting itself. Usually, there were two table lamps on either side of the sofa and an additional one on top of a chest or a floor lamp next to a chair. Each had its own linen shade.
When you turned on the lamps, these shades visually overpowered the room causing everything else to fall into secondary focus. They also created a glare factor which made the space uncomfortable.
Layering With Lighting……………
With the introduction of light layering where specific fixtures perform specific functions, the decorative fixture, such as table lamps and chandeliers can be dimmed to a glow of light without dominating the space.
The most important light for the living room is ambient light. This is what does the best job of humanizing the room. It fills the volume of the room with light so it seems as large and open as possible while, at the same time, softening the shadows on people’s faces so that they look their best.
The second part of the layering approach is accent light. These particular recessed fixtures would hightlight objects in the room, such as art, sculpture, plants, and tabletops. They are what add dramatic dimension to a space. Without this type of lighting, the room would appear flat, the way the outside looks on a cloudy day. On the other hand, without ambient light the space would have a museum-like quality where all the objects are illuminated but the seating areas and people are in darkness. This is why both types of lighting are essential.
A third necessary function is task light. This is light by which you do work, such as reading, sewing, or writing. In a living room situation, pharmacy-type reading lamps by the chairs or sofa would be used for reading, and a light above a bar would allow some work light on the countertop.
Once these three aspects of lighting have been incorporated into the chandeliers, candlestick wall sconces, and attractive table lamps can do what they do best – be decorative. They are what add sparkle to a well-lighted room.
