How to Create a Well-Lit, Modern Living Room

Lighting is an elemental factor for any space, able to invoke the right feeling at the flick of a switch or the gradual phasing of a dial. “Light is a powerful thing. It’s able to shape our moods, improve our focus and help us unwind,” says SONNEMAN founder and lighting designer Robert Sonneman. Not all living spaces are filled with natural light, however, and must be lit from within. We’ve created a guide on how to brighten a dark living room, creating a well-lit modern space with lighting.

Often one of the most high-traffic spaces at home, your living space requires a mix of lighting as eclectic and varied as the activities that take place in the room itself. We use our living spaces for everything, be it entertaining friends and spending time with family to working from home and unwinding after a long day.

When designing your living room, don’t be tempted to let lighting take a backseat to furniture selections or spatial configurations—creating the right lighting sequence is equally important. Discover our guidelines for how to brighten a dark living room space.

How to Brighten Up a Dark Living Room

When considering lighting ideas for dark living rooms, there’s a number of pointers to keep at top of mind during the design process, from mastering multiple layers of light to illuminating every corner.

Master the Mix

Multiple layers of light can render a unique harmony within your living space. You’ll need more than one source of lighting in your living room, ideally a combination of ambient, accent and task luminaires.

Start From the Top

Emanating from the ceiling, ambient lighting creates a foundational layer of light, diffusing an all-encompassing glow throughout your living space during the day and night. You can opt for chandelier lighting that serves as a modernist centerpiece and common axis by which furniture revolves, or you can integrate recessed downlights to create a schema of light that mirrors your living room’s spatial planning. When planning out how to brighten up a dark living room, combine two types of luminaries for a more dynamic approach.

Incorporate Subtle Accents

Equal parts form and function, accent lighting provides an additional layer of light. Depending on your living room’s spatial design, accent lighting can highlight art and architectural details that make your space unique. Incorporate wall mount luminaires within your living room’s architecture to amplify its warmth or vibrancy, balancing its mood for the time of day or activity at hand.

Illuminate Every Corner to Brighten a Dark Living Room

When thinking through how to brighten up a dark living room, consider even the smallest corners within your space. Certain areas will require more focused light, like reading nooks or secretary desks. Experiment with amiable luminaries that functionally illuminate your specific task at hand—this can range from hanging pendant lights to table and floor lamps that can pivot at a moment’s notice.

Once you decide on the right mix of lighting elements for your living room, you can start discovering the luminaires that adhere to your style. Shop SONNEMAN’s Living Room lighting today to take your lighting ideas for a dark living room from concept to reality.