3 min readPictured above: a Kobel + Co. designed living room with varied lighting options.
When it comes to design, any small detail can make or break your entire scheme, especially in a space as central as your living room. Typically, the space where we entertain, relax, and lounge most often, the living room is constantly evolving and adapting, so putting together the perfect design for this space can feel intimidating.
While details like paint color, couch choice, and furniture scale are all important factors to consider, they aren’t the easiest to swap out when your home needs a quick reset.
If you’ve been looking to refresh or upgrade your living space but can’t find the time to take on a full redecorating project, we asked designers for the fastest—and easiest—way to bring a more expensive feel to your living room. And guess what? They all said the same thing.
A Case for Layered Living Room Lighting
“Nothing cheapens a room faster than cold overhead light,” says Marie Cloud, principal designer at Indigo Pruitt Design Studio. “Luxury is often just good lighting.” As you evaluate your space, take a step back and a good look at your lighting options. If you spot harsh fluorescents, a lack of levels, or the cringeworthy boob light lingering in your space, that’s where you’ll want to start plotting your design plan.
“Good lighting softens everything it touches and instantly makes a space feel more considered,” says Mallory Robins and Elizabeth Bennett, the design duo behind the Kansas City design studio, Kobel + Co.
Cloud, Robins, and Bennett all agree that the fastest way to elevate your living room is to address your lighting issues. After all, lighting has a major impact on how we see, feel, and experience a space. The color and intensity of your bulbs can impact the tone of your paint as well as the overall aesthetic of your living room. For example, table lamps bring an academic flair, while floor lamps bring a much cozier vibe by casting light at eye level to eliminate shadows and glare. Robins and Bennett recommend taking a more layered approach to your lighting schemes by mixing the two—or a few—options in place of overhead fixtures.
“The quickest way to make a living room feel more refined is to stop relying on overhead lighting. Layer table lamps, floor lamps, and picture lights to create pockets of warmth throughout a room,” Robins and Bennett explained.
While Cloud isn’t for fully abandoning overheads, she does want you to mind your watts and tones. For the North Carolina-based designer, clinical-feeling bright white bulbs are the enemy of luxury.
“Swap your bulbs to warm white,” says Cloud, who also recommends bringing more variety into your lighting options, like lamps and sconces, as well as a plug-in dimmer to allow you to set the tone of the space with intention rather than relying on the sun path and plain luck.
Bonus: Add a Conversation Piece
If you’ve already tackled your lighting designs, but still feel like your space is lacking luxe, there is one other thing you can try before breaking out the drop cloth. Chances are what you're craving isn’t a fresh coat. It's a statement piece. “We'd invest in one piece of original art, even if it's small,” Robins and Bennett agree.
For Cloud, it's less about canvas and more about character. “Visit a local antique or vintage shop to find one statement piece that resonates with you,” she says. “Nothing in a big-box store can compete with an item that has history and character. That is the piece guests will ask about every time.”
