There is a crucial need to learn about how to light a living room with no overhead lighting if you are one of those individuals who have no overhead lights in their living room.
This issue is popular with houses that were built about 20 to 30 years ago.
In case you find yourself in this situation and you are tired of making use of the alternative options that are made available.
Then you need to know about the basic principles to follow to bring the type of change you want to your living room.
There have been situations whereby houses with no overhead lighting make use of table and floor lamps, but these two options are never a complete answer or fix, as they can only cover a smaller area effectively.
So, to get the best of these options in a larger room, you may need to make use of larger units or make use of more than one lighting option.
What are the available lighting options for rooms with no overhead lighting?
You can consider using floor lamps, hanging lamps, or table lamps. In some cases, to achieve a brighter result, you can combine two or more options at the same time.
How to Light a Living Room With No Overhead Lighting
If your living room doesn’t have a ceiling light, you have nothing to worry about.
Over the last few years, there have been numerous development about how you can come up with various lighting options to fill this gap.
To light a living room with no overhead lighting, there is no need for any massive electrical components or accessories.
We aim to share with you some of the solutions you can rely on, save you some money, and as well as save you some time.
Different Methods
There are four (4) major methods you can adopt when it comes to the lighting of your living room in the absence of overhead lights.
- There is an option of the Floor lamp
- Hanging cable lamps can as well be considered
- Table lamps are not left out
- You can also make use of Wall Sconces
Different Lighting Ways
1. Positioning your floor lamp very close to a mirror in the living room
This is one of the numerous available ways to light up a living room that doesn’t have a provision for overhead lighting.
This approach has proved to be effective over time.
To start with, you need to buy a floor lamp of remarkable height. Once you have the floor lamp, the next thing is to position it close to the mirror.
You can choose to place the mirror on the wall of the living room, and it can also be placed on the floor of your living room.
Once you have the mirror and the light properly positioned, whenever you switch on the lamp, the light shines through the mirror and spreads across the living room.
This is one of the major ways which you can adopt if you want to get the optimum value for the money invested in getting a new lamp.
2. Positioning your floor lamp in a desired position in the living room
There are various designs of a floor lamp on the market. While making a purchase, make sure you go for a very tall floor lamp instead of the average or short ones.
The tall floor lamps ensure that light is widely spread across the room, thereby replacing the need for an overhead light.
3. The hanging cable lamps
After installation, this overhead lighting option has a feel that is similar to what overhead lighting offers in terms of looks and performance.
All you should do is get a cable that is long enough to extend across the ceiling, connect bulbs and as well attach sconces across different positions on the long cable pointing down from the ceiling.
You do not need to damage any part of the room while trying to connect the cable, all you need is a hanger or some other basic accessories that you can use to hold the cable conveniently.
4. Modern floor lamps placed at strategic locations across the room
Get yourself some beautiful floor lamps and place them across some selected or identified corners in the living room.
This provides beautiful lighting solutions that are like what you would get from overhead lighting.
Apart from making the living room look well lighted, these lamps can as well stand as means of decoration. Make sure you go for the modern designs of the floor lamp.
5. Look for tall floor lamps
In case you do not know, there are some designs of floor lamps on the market whose height is very close to touching the ceiling.
These types of designs of floor lamps give you a very close feel of what overhead would have delivered.
This is one of the easiest and fastest ways of attending to a need for overhead lighting.
Just as we have said previously, lamps like this don’t act solely as a lighting system, they as well beautify your living room.
If you do not have the time to start connecting or clipping cables, you can easily pick up this option.
6. Making use of wall sconces
For a living room without any provision for overhead lighting, making use of wall sconces is another great option you can explore.
Wall sconces give your living room the look and feel of overhead lighting in terms of light intensity and brightness.
While installing this component, no wiring is needed.
It is easier, faster, and very beautiful. When installing, you don’t need to make holes across your ceiling which may cause some damages.
Why looking out for wall sconces, make sure you go for the beautiful and attractive designs. These designs will improve the appearance of your home while giving it the lighting it desires. It is that simple.
7. Get some table lamps
This is one of the oldest ways of lighting a living room with no overhead lighting.
Although the light produced from these channels is always dull and not enough to get across the room due to their size, still they can be one of the solutions to your need if used and combined rightly.
To get the best out of your table lamps, you may need to combine the table lamps with the other two impressive options.
Consider using the table lamp with sconces, floor lamps, and other exciting lighting options of your choice.
At all times, make sure you go for lamp designs that are appealing to the eyes.
DIY Ways of Brightens The Living Room
In this section, we will be discussing the basic steps to follow while looking at how best to light a living room with no overhead lighting.
Below are the things you should put into consideration as you proceed, to find a lasting solution to the problem:
Be deliberate about your choice of appearance
To start with, you must have a preferred choice of appearance in terms of how you want the set up to be.
Decide if you will prefer your lighting source being a floor lamp, hanging lamp, wall chandeliers, or the combination of two or more options.
Have a plan about where to position the light
If your choice of lighting is the floor lamp or wall chandeliers, for example, it is important to pick the best position to place them.
Make sure you consider some strategic areas in the living room which will allow the light to spread across without any barrier. For the hanging light, make sure you locate the easiest position where you can easily connect it to the socket.
Make appropriate measurement
If you are settling for hanging lights, there is a great need for measurement.
You must be able to identify the distance between the ceiling, the walls, and the socket.
This will inform you about the length of the cable to go for, how best to hang your bulb, and the easiest way to connect to the socket.
Also, make use of a marker or pencil to identify the areas or positions where you will place the hooks.
For whatever measurement you come up with, make sure you add a few more length to it.
Know the actual wattage that you need
To know the actual watts your living room requires, all you need to do is identify the size of your living room.
If you know the square footage of the room, the process becomes easier.
All you need to do is multiply it by 1.5. Whatever answer you get is the number of watts that you should plan towards.
There is no need to go beyond the result of your calculation.
Buy your lighting accessories
Now that you have a very clear understanding of what you want, the next thing to do is to go to the store and pick up those accessories and tools needed for a successful installation or set up.
If you are settling for hanging lights, make sure you get the right light fitting for you and do not forget the hook.
Choose the type of bulbs you want. You can choose between LED and CFL.
If you are looking at a floor lamp, you should buy the lamp of your choice. Make sure your choice of a lamp is exceptional and unique.
Make the necessary connection
Now is the time to connect all the necessary accessories. Make sure all the accessories are rightly connected and in a way that enhances the beauty of your living room.
Consider the ease of operation
This is a big point to consider. There is no point in standing up from time to time just to turn your light on and off when there is an easy and better way to do this.
You can invest in a remote control that will help you make use of your lights and as well have control over it without leaving a position.
How do you light a dark room?
There are various approaches or ways on how you can achieve this. Some of the easiest and fastest tricks of lighting up a dark room include the following:
- You can change the color of the ceiling in the affected area using white paint. In most cases, a room whose ceiling is painted in any dark colors is expected to be dark. If you are not a fan of white, you can try out other colors like cream or pale yellow.
- Ensure you give natural light a chance to come in. Look at your window’s blinds, adjust accordingly to ensure they do not block natural light out completely.
- Make sure you make your lighting look as beautiful as ever. There is no big deal in making sure your choice of lighting looks as natural as possible.
- For rooms without overhead lighting, you can change the room’s appearance. Light up a dark room by making use of various lighting options and ensuring these lights are facing the ceiling and as well as the walls in such room.
- Make sure you go for bulbs that offer impressive lighting. The bulb you insert in this type of room must be as bright as possible.
- You may need to make use of a mirror in such a room. The mirror reflects and spreads the light that comes through it across the room.
- If the furniture in the room is dark, you may need to change such furniture and replace it with a bright one.
FAQs
Why should I aim the lights at the wall or ceiling of the living room?
When you do this, it ensures that the light spreads across all the areas of the room.
This is one of the ways you can get the best out of your light.
What if I don’t like the table and floor lamps?
If you hate lamps as a means of lighting, then you can consider the hanging lights or bulbs.
This type of lighting has a close resemblance and feel of overhead lighting.
Why are most homes in the United States of America devoid of Overhead lighting?
There are so many factors that may be connected to this. To start with, this reduces the cost of construction.
Also, most homeowners do not see a reason for overhead lighting which can be attributed to the wide use of lamps in homes.
Also, with most individuals, overhead lights bring about a reduction in the level of comfort experienced in the room.
Can I use dimmer switches for my living room lamps?
Yes, you can use dimmer switches for your living room lamps to create a variety of moods and ambiance.
Dimmer switches allow you to adjust the brightness of the lamps according to your preferences.
Can I use string lights to light my living room?
Yes, string lights can be used to add a decorative touch to your living room and create a cozy ambiance.
You can hang them on the walls or drape them over the furniture to create a warm and inviting atmosphere.
How can I make sure my living room is well-lit during the day?
To ensure your living room is well-lit during the day, you can use natural light sources such as windows and skylights. You can also use light-colored curtains or blinds to allow more natural light to enter the room.
Additionally, you can use reflective surfaces such as mirrors and glossy furniture to reflect the natural light and create a brighter space.
What are some common mistakes to avoid when lighting a living room with no overhead lighting?
Some common mistakes to avoid when lighting a living room with no overhead lighting include using too many bright and harsh lights, not considering the purpose and ambiance of the room, and placing the lamps in the wrong positions.
It is important to choose the right type of bulbs, position the lamps strategically, and create a cohesive and inviting atmosphere with the lighting.
Verdict
If you do not know what to do, finding an alternative for overhead lighting may be frustrating.
If you can follow all the highlighted points in this article, you will find this fun and useful.
The key to coming out on top is to ensure you know what you want from the start.
