Apartments

Living room Lighting Design for Apartments

Place light where people work or read faces. Layer task light over ambient light and test glare from occupied positions.

Explore the ideas
Open living and dining area with a wood partition and television unit
Living room inspiration: a visual boundary between shared zones.

Plan in this order

  1. Mark tasks, viewing angles and screen locations on the furniture plan before placing fittings.
  2. Separate regularly used tasks from the room's general lighting so each can be controlled independently.
  3. Test the proposed fitting and finish sample together. Glossy finishes can reflect a bright source directly into view.
Worked example

A floor lamp beside the sofa creates screen glare and leaves the reading chair dim.

Aim a shielded reading lamp at the chair and use indirect ambient light behind seating; check both views after dark.

How to test it

Check the space in daylight and after dark. Stand and sit where people actually use it, and check controls from the entry.

Apply it to this space
Layout
Keep a direct entry-to-balcony route clear; group seating around conversation rather than across the walkway.
Detail
Use a low media unit and layered ambient and reading light to keep sightlines open.
Trade-off
A larger sectional increases seats but consumes flexible floor area.
  • Map door swings and walking paths
  • Check glare on the screen at daytime
Living room with green and rust-colored seating around a low coffee table
Living room inspiration: conversation seating with a clear central table.

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Details worth a closer look

Photographs for design inspiration
Living room with a television wall, wood shelving and a glass partition
Living room inspiration: media storage beside a glazed divider.
Living room arranged with an L-shaped sofa and wall shelving
Living room inspiration: seating grouped around a shared focal point.

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