Small Living Room Lighting Ideas

Small Living Room Lighting Ideas to Brighten Your Home

When it comes to adding the final touch to any space, we live by one majorly important rule: Let there be light! This motto is especially important in those smaller spaces where things can feel a little dark, dank, or cramped. Once you start to explore the wild world of lighting and light fixtures, you’ll learn that the right options will make your home feel larger and more comfortable, and they can offer fun, no-risk ways to experiment with different trends.

A couple of things to take into account as you begin this important journey: consider what activities you like to do in your living room. After all, your hobbies and preferred downtime to-dos will dictate the lighting levels your home needs.

For example, if you’re passionate about embroidery, needlepoint, or other detail-oriented pastimes, you’ll want a bright, crisp light that lets you perfect your masterpiece. If your leisure time includes a lot of low-stakes lounging (No judgement here!) or cozy movie nights, you can get away with a dimmer, warmer glow.

You’ll also want to consider the period your home was built in. Whether you want to reflect the old-school charm of a century home or keep things clean and modern to stay consistent with the vibe of your new build, there are plenty of ideas that can accentuate your aesthetic.

Finally, think about your favorite design elements in your home. Maybe your living room is home to your collection of coffee table books or some really beautiful molding you’d like to show off. You can use an indoor spot light to showcase the different features you like most—almost like how an accessory adds a little something special to an outfit. On the other side of the coin, if you have some areas you’d like to fix, like dark, shadowy corners, lighting can be a huge help. The right illumination can give any space an instant face-lift, without any major renovations.

Vintage Style LED Lighting

With retro vintage style light bulbs, you can celebrate Throwback Thursday, every day. These bulbs are customizable from the inside out: Pick your own filament, bulb shape, bulb size, and finish. Mixing and matching is a perfect way to show off your personal taste, especially in rooms that have limited space. And because our bulbs use LED technology, they’re long-lasting and eco-friendly. No matter which options you go with, they can help you make a stylish, green statement.

Wafer Downlights

When you have limited space and areas with lower ceilings, you can use wafer LED lights to add some much-needed illumination. These fixtures are easy to install and can be placed almost anywhere, thanks to the remote junction box. It’s the perfect solution for places that lack overhead lighting. No recessed housing required!

Pendant Fixtures and Lighting

If you have high ceilings, first of all: lucky you! Secondly, know that you can accentuate the soaring heights with pendant fixtures and lighting. These dangling light sources are still more efficient for your space than the traditional chandelier. And because of their length, they’ll draw the eye upwards, which helps to create the illusion of even more height.

We have tons of options across a wide range of styles—including our newly introduced industrial pendant lights. They offer a modern, metal aesthetic that are a definite upgrade over the standard lighting fixtures. You can even fold them from flat to a fully dimensional shape to create the exact look you want. The hardest part will be choosing which one to get!

Ceiling Track Lights and Spotlights

We’ve seen a big resurgence of people using LED track lighting in new and exciting ways. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with the traditional style. Ceiling track lights and spotlights are still a great way to showcase collections and other treasured items, and you can use them to give everyday décor a more elevated feel.

But we also love the idea of using these fixtures as “wall washing” lights. By integrating them onto the outer edges of rooms (like installing them along the ceiling or lining them along the bottom of the wall), you can create areas of interest and make an ordinary wall into a work of art. Quick tip: this kind of lighting can also help make any interior space into an interesting backdrop for photos.

Soft White Decorative Smart Bulbs

Soft white light bulbs are a classic for many reasons. They work in any space, with any fixture, and help every room shine. In the case of our soft white smart bulbs, you can even adjust the color temperature from a dimmed, relaxing glow to a bright, shining light, and everything in between. Plus, the new decorative bulbs come in multiple sizes and finishes that add a stylish look to easy-to-use smart control.

Cync Full Color Smart Bulbs

Unlock all the possibilities of your space with the fan-favorite full color smart bulb, which offers 16 million colors for you to choose from. Just install one in a fixture and then use the Cync App, powered by Savant, to tune it to your exact mood. Hosting a party? Go for a vibrant glow. Gaming until the sun comes up? Match lights to your favorite level. You can totally switch up your space with a single touch!

Bulbs for Your Favorite Activities

Did you know? You can find specific bulbs that help optimize your living room for your needs. Say your living room doubles as home base for playtime. You can use daylight LED bulbs to add an energizing glow. Or if you like to unwind with activities that require a clarifying shine (like reading), you can easily install bright white light bulbs.

No matter what kind of space you’re working with, or what you’re using it for, we hope you’ll use light to merge fashion and function. When you have your space all set up, we’d love to see it! Post a picture on social media and be sure to tag us (@GELighting).