blog.castlegatelights.co.uk

Category: Living room lighting

What is accent lighting and how can it elevate your living room decor?
Accent lighting highlights particular features, spaces and objects, drawing your attention to them and enhancing the room’s ambience. With this in mind, adding accent lighting to your living room is the perfect way to elevate your space instantly.

Going from one-dimensional lighting to varied lighting levels will add intrigue and interest to your favourite features and centrepieces in your room, enhancing the overall feel of your living room.

If you’ve spent time beautifully decorating your living room, it’s time to add lighting to highlight your accent pieces. Accent lighting is the finishing touch to your well-designed living space. So, join us as we explore how to use accent lighting, where to place it and the primary accent lighting fixtures available to elevate your living room.

Table of contents
What is accent lighting?

Accent lighting is any lighting used to highlight a specific area of a room, object or architectural feature. Compared to task and ambient lighting, it is purely aesthetic, contributing to a room’s interior design.

Task and ambient lighting, on the other hand, have a more practical purpose, like helping you to complete tasks at night and providing general light to a room.

What is accent lighting used for?

Accent lighting is an interior design technique where you use light to highlight spaces, objects or architectural features. Adding accent lighting to your living space creates variable light levels to vary your lighting scheme for added interest or differing effects for different purposes.

Accent lighting also provides design appeal as it frames spaces and highlights design features, intentionally drawing the eye to your room’s centrepieces and unique design choices.

Types of accent lights

Accent lighting usually has a focused light beam to highlight an object or feature. Here are the most common living room accent lighting ideas to create an accented lighting effect.

Wall sconces

Although wall sconces can produce general ambient light, using them sparingly can highlight objects and features. Uplighters or up-and-down lights create a wash of light across the wall, which accents the wall texture.

Picture lights

Picture lights are a specific type of accent light that highlights wall art. These can elevate your living room by highlighting your favourite paintings, photography and framed wall art, adding sophistication to your interior wall decor. Enjoy your pictures and portraits after dark by installing picture lights.

Track lighting and spotlights

Track lighting and spotlights are also a great way to elevate your living room decor using accent lighting. Adjust the bright, focused beam to highlight where you want to illuminate, whether highlighting a particular seating space or an architectural feature.

Track lighting features spotlights powered by an electric current running through the ceiling-mounted track. The track allows you to reposition the lights for varied accent lighting. Alternatively, you can install more fixed ceiling or wall spotlights to highlight objects and features in your living room.

Downlights

Strategically placed downlights also work well as accent lights, producing a focused downward light beam to highlight objects, space and features.

Lamps

Lamps are a great way to add accent lighting to your living room. Use table or floor lamps to highlight a seating area, sideboard or design feature.

Accent lighting placement tips

When installing accent lighting, placement is crucial. If highlighting artwork, point the picture light towards the frame to maximise the light effect. You can also highlight artifactual features and decorative elements by focusing any directional beams towards them.

Manipulating the position of your accent lights is crucial for pointing the beam in the intended direction. Mount them on the ceiling or wall or place them on surfaces or the floor to achieve your ideal lighting effect.

Accent lighting techniques

There are various accent lighting techniques you can employ to create different effects. The obvious way to achieve accent lighting is by pointing the light beam towards the object or feature you want to highlight. Or, with some planning, you can use other techniques to elevate your living room decor.

For example, uplighting and downlighting will highlight features and create fascinating shadows to add interest to your decor. You can uplight a house plant, sculpture, bookcase or shelf to draw the eye’s attention.

Alternatively, you can use the wall-washing technique if you have a textured feature wall. As you cover the wall in light, it hits the textured wall and creates a mesmerising contrast between light and shadow, highlighting the feature.

Choosing the right accent lighting fixtures

When it comes to accent lighting, choosing the types of fixtures is crucial to get the best lighting effect. However, you have a creative licence to choose between materials that complement your interior decor.

Accent lights are usually on the smaller side or have focused beams to create a focused highlighting effect. If the lights are too big or produce a beam that’s too wide, the feature or object becomes lost in ambient light.

Matching accent lighting with decor styles

With so many lighting choices, the selection process can be overwhelming. However, with our vast array of lighting styles, you can find the perfect accent lights to suit your interior style.

Whether you have a modern minimalist interior style, live in a period property or enjoy eclectic maximalism, at Castlegate Lights, you can find accent lights to suit and enhance your living room decor.

Living room accent lights at Castlegate Lights

Accent lighting is a fantastic way to elevate your interior lighting scheme and complement your decor. By using accent lighting to highlight your favourite design features and draw the eye to your centrepieces, you add interest to your living room. Accent lighting allows you to diversify your lighting scheme rather than settle for the standard.

Whatever your home decor style, you can find the perfect accent lights to elevate your living room decor at Castlegate Lights. With so many styles and materials to browse in our living room lighting collection, you can complete your lighting scheme today.

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December 4, 2023
Big guide to the big light: How to choose a living room ceiling light
When planning living room lights, lighting scheme designers often start with the ceiling light. As the primary light in the room, it provides general and ambient light to the entire room, so it’s the best place to start. However, your ceiling fitting offers more than practical lighting; it completes the room’s design aesthetic.

As a centrepiece in the room’s ceiling, it is the piece of interior decor that draws the eye as you first walk into a room, so it’s crucial it matches the overall aesthetic or stands out with a bold design.

Whatever your interior style, we have all the living room ceiling light ideas you need to illuminate your living room.

Table of contents
Why do you need ceiling lights in your living room?

Ceiling lights are an integral part of your living room lighting scheme. They create practical general lighting so you can see but also contribute to the mood and feel of the room, often called ambient light.

Even if you illuminate your living room with wall lights or lamps, most will also have an overhead ceiling light to provide sufficient lighting to see your whole living room at night.

How to choose ceiling lights for the living room

The amount of choice you have when selecting a living room ceiling light can be overwhelming. So, here are our top things to consider when choosing a ceiling light for your living room.

Consider your living room size and layout.

When deciding on your living room ceiling light, always consider the size and layout of your living room, as this will significantly impact the size, type and placement of your light.

For example, if you have a small living room or low ceilings, you might want to avoid grand chandeliers and pendant lights with long hanging chains or wires. Instead, you might prefer spotlights, downlights or flush ceiling lights that take up less space.

Also, consider the layout of your living room when deciding on ceiling lights. Do you want a ceiling light directly in the centre of the room or suspended over a seating area to frame your cosy space? If you choose downlights or spotlights, you will need to stagger several fittings so they produce even ambient lighting across the room.

You may have a large or elongated rectangular shaped room. Therefore, you might want multiple ceiling lights to create balance and sufficient lighting.

Consider your style and aesthetic.

The style and aesthetic of your living room decor will also help determine what living room ceiling lights you should get. Whether you prefer modern minimalism, natural Scandinavian style, industrial chic, mid-century modern, maximalism, or you have a vintage period property, there are lights to suit your style in every collection.

Try to tie the living room ceiling light within the style of the room to balance the interior design.

Types of living room ceiling lights

Pendants

Pendant lights are a great way to illuminate your living room. They provide general ambient light to the whole room and create a stunning centrepiece in the middle of a room or do a great job highlighting a seating area.

Pendant lights work best in rooms with high ceilings. As the wire or chain hangs, the pendant light can protrude into the space if you have low ceilings.

With so many beautiful pendant light designs, you can choose one that will blend in with your style and aesthetic or draw the eye, creating a showstopping centrepiece that ties the whole room decor together.

Chandeliers

Chandeliers are a classic choice for living room ceiling lighting. You can’t go wrong with a chandelier in your living room, from grand, traditional styles that exude elegance and sophistication to modern interpretations that convey a flare for interior design.

Use a living room chandelier to create a gorgeous centrepiece, developing a talking point amongst your guests.

What size chandelier for the living room?

The size of your chandelier depends on the size of your living room. If you have a small living room with low ceilings, you don’t want to have a giant, cascading chandelier that protrudes into the space below. Instead, choose one with a short hanging chain and minimal arms for a more subtle look.

If you have a large living room, match the room’s grandeur with an oversized chandelier with more arms and lights. If you choose a small chandelier, your room might not be as well-lit, and the room will swallow the small light fixture.

Uplighters

Uplight ers are another delightful ceiling light option for your living room. Usually a flush fitting, most uplighters are suitable for low ceilings while adding style and grace to your living room.

Many of our uplighters take inspiration from the Edwardian era and the Art Deco period, meaning these lights are perfect for keeping your period property interior design authentic or are ideal if you love vintage decor.

The downward-facing domed shade is suspended on multiple arms, almost appearing like an upside-down lamp. The shade casts light upwards, and the downward light is shaded, creating a mellow and calming light ambience, perfect for creating a cosy atmosphere in your living room.

Flush ceiling lights

Flush ceiling lights are light fixtures that sit flush to the ceiling, making them a perfect way to light your living room if you have low ceilings.

With hundreds of styles and designs to browse, you can find a flush ceiling light for the living room that matches your interior style and aesthetic.

Use one in the centre of the room or multiple to create the ideal amount of light to illuminate your living room space.

Recessed ceiling lights

Another option for your living room ceiling lights is recessed lights. Although not the most popular living room light style due to the bright LED bulbs, it is possible to make them work. With the ability to dim many of our recessed lights, the recessed ceiling lights don’t have to be so glaring.

Recessed ceiling lights are set within the ceiling to create a seamless look, perfect if you want a minimalist aesthetic in your living room.

Where to place recessed lighting in the living room

If you’re using recessed lights as your living room ceiling lighting, you’ll want to choose a few based on the size of your living room. Note the beam width and ensure it will fill the room to create the ideal light amount for general lighting. Then, evenly disperse the recessed lights on the ceiling, maybe two-by-two.

How to light a living room with no overhead lighting

If a ceiling light in your living room isn’t to your taste, there are plenty of other options for lighting your living room with no overhead lighting. For example, you can use a selection of wall lights to create the same ambient lighting effect as ceiling lighting.

You can also use lamps to create general lighting. Select several table and floor lamps and arrange them around your living room for sufficient lighting. Just make sure to choose lamps big enough with wider shades to cast light around the entire room.

Living room ceiling lights at Castlegate Lights

Ceiling lights are a staple decor piece and provide essential lighting for your living room. They help create general ambient lighting so you can see in your living room, but they also add an interior design element that usually ties the whole room together.

Whatever your living room size or style, you can find a living room ceiling light to match at Castlegate Lights. Follow this guide of crucial considerations and browse our collection to find a living room ceiling light that matches your interior aesthetic.

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December 4, 2023
7 Best Living Room Lighting Ideas for a Cosy Living Room
Other than the bedroom, the living room is probably where we spend the most time. Whether you call it the living room, the lounge or the sitting room, it’s where we relax, wind down and spend time with the family, so it must feel warm, secure and comfortable. Sumptuous lighting can help achieve this relaxing mood. As a versatile room, you might also use it to host guests, so by adding various light layers, you can create a functional and relaxing space for multiple uses.

Whether you have modern or vintage decor, we offer hundreds of lighting styles to match your aesthetic and illuminate your living room. Discover endless options within our seven living room lighting ideas.

Table of contents
- How to light a living room
- What is the best lighting for the living room?
How to light a living room

Most living rooms will have multiple lights, including the primary light in the centre of the ceiling, which provides ambient light to the entire room.

The perfect way to illuminate your living room is through ambient lighting. Ambient lighting refers to the overall light in a space. It gives you a comfortable brightness level without glare and ensures you can walk around your home safely. You can use ceiling lights or wall lights to create ambient living room lighting.

You can then supplement the ambient lighting with accent lighting and task lighting. For example, add a table lamp to help you read in the evening or a floor lamp to illuminate a dark corner or highlight an architectural or design feature.

Swapping between multiple lighting sources can help you alter the living room’s atmosphere and purpose by changing the mood. You will need to consider the size of your space, what you want to use it for and how you want it to make you feel when planning living room lighting.

What is the best lighting for the living room?

If you want to replicate the feeling of warmth to ensure your living room is cosy, here are our seven best ways to light a living room to suit every family member.

Ceiling lights

When lighting your living room, start with your primary light, the ceiling light. Your ceiling light will illuminate your entire room, providing a general ambience. There are thousands of options to browse in various styles to suit your home, but here are the basics.

Pendants

Pendant lights are a fantastic option for living room lighting as they provide general lighting without being too harsh, perfect for creating a mellow, low-light ambience.

Many pendant lights come with downward-facing shades, so if you have a coffee table in the centre of the room, it will perfectly highlight the room’s centre, drawing people to the hub of the home.

Alternatively, you can opt for a more extravagant design that will provide interior design interest and become a focal point in the room that people can admire.

With hundreds of styles to browse, from industrial chic to ultra-modern artistic designs, find the perfect pendant light for your living room here at Castlegate Lights.

Flush and semi-flush ceiling lights

If you still want an ambient light effect in your living room but have low ceilings, your best option is a flush or semi-flush ceiling light. A flush ceiling light will provide general lighting to your living room without protruding into your living space.

Many flush lights feature a frosted diffuser to prevent a harsh glare from ruining the relaxing atmosphere in your living room.

Flush ceiling lights also have a more subtle quality. They can blend better into your decor without drawing too much attention if you have other interior features you want to showcase. Equally, your flush lighting doesn’t have to be boring. We offer hundreds of intricately designed flush lights that will pique your guests’ interest, look elegant and tie your living space together.

From modern and innovative designs to vintage-style crystal flush ceiling lights, find the perfect flush living room lights for low ceilings at Castlegate Lights.

Chandeliers

If you have a grand home or want to elevate the aesthetic of your living room, go all out with a chandelier. Elegantly hanging in the centre of the room, a chandelier will provide an exquisite centrepiece for your living room while also offering general lighting.

You can go extravagant and choose a chandelier with crystal beading and multiple arms, or opt for a more subtle light fitting.

Any of our chandeliers will create a “wow” factor in your living room if you use your living room as an entertaining space. From intricate and loopy designs fit for a ballroom to contemporary geometric patterns to complement your modern home, we have an extensive range of chandeliers to illuminate your living room at Castlegate Lights.

Wall lights

Another way to illuminate your living room is using wall lights. Depending on the light type and where you place them, wall lights can produce ambient light to the entire living room if you have enough dotted around. They can also act as accent lights. From candlelight fittings to up and down lights, create a mellow and relaxing atmosphere in your living room with wall lights.

Uplighters

Sometimes called wall scones, uplighters are a fantastic way to illuminate your living room. To use them as ambient lighting, strategically place multiple uplighters around the living room walls to create a welcoming and relaxing atmosphere.

Uplighters cast light upwards to create a low-light glow so you don’t have harsh lighting where you want to relax. If you have unusual texture on your wall, they can also highlight that texture.

From modern and sleek styles to art deco concepts, choose uplighters that best suit your living room decor from Castlegate Lights.

Picture lights

Picture lights are another fantastic way to use light in your living room. Use picture lights if you have any wall art, family portraits, paintings or photography you want to highlight.

Picture lights are accent light that subtly illuminates your framed art to draw the eye towards it without adding glare. Add another light layer to your living room and showcase any beautiful art you have in the evening and the daytime.

From sleek, minimalistic lines for contemporary homes to maximalist detailing for a vintage or traditional aesthetic, there is a picture light for every living room aesthetic at Castlegate Lights.

Lamps

Lamps are a great way to soften the mood in your living room. If you want a diffused, mellow light to help you relax and wind down after a long day, turn off your ceiling or wall lights and turn on the lamps. They also have illuminated dim corners that the ambient light might not reach. Lamps also provide task lighting where you need extra light to read.

Table lamps

Add multiple light layers to your living room with a table lamp or two. They will illuminate an end table or a console unit beautifully. With hundreds of stunning and innovative designs, the table lamp you choose will also add to the interior design of your living room.

Whether you’re relaxing and watching TV with the family, need extra light for reading or create a warm and welcoming atmosphere for guests, table lamps are essential for altering the mood of your living room.

From classically designed table lamps with pleated shades to ultra-modern table lamps with unconventional designs, there is something for every interior style in our table lamp collection at Castlgate Lights.

Floor lamps

Floor lamps also help add varying light layers to living rooms. Similarly to table lamps, floor lamps can beautifully brighten a dull corner of the living room, for example, by the side of a sofa or console table. Choose a floor lamp that complements the style of your living room. Many of our brands offer unusual and stylish floor lamps that add to your interior design besides being functional.

Floor lamps provide a more mellow light to calm the mood, perfect for relaxing in your living room with the family. Depending on the beam angle, floor lamps can also provide concentrated light to help complete tasks like crocheting or reading, especially a mother & child lamp, a miniature task light attached to the floor lamp neck.

Change the lighting atmosphere of your living room depending on your mood with a selection of floor lamps. With so many styles to choose from vintage designs to modern innovations, browse our floor lamp collection at Castlegate Lights and complete your living room lighting today.

Living room lighting at Castlegate Lights

Given how much time we use our living rooms, we need a space that works for multiple occasions. Whether winding down after a long day, cuddled up with a book or entertaining guests, you need multiple light layers to transform the mood of your living room for each occasion.

When planning your lighting scheme, always choose your ambient light first, then your accent and task lights to add varying layers. To start planning your living room lighting, visit our living room lights collection at Castlegate Lights.

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November 3, 2023