I have a large living area, what kind of lighting should I use?

Question

I have a living area that has never been used except for looks, and I would like to use it as the main living room. It is called a den, it's approx. 32ft x 16ft. I only have one old chandelier hanging in the center. It uses 7 light bulbs but doesn't put off enough light for the whole room. I was wondering what kind of light fixture I could use to make the room brighter.

Answer 1

If you currently have only one chandelier, you probably only have one junction box (the junction box is what gives electricity to your light fixture). A good option for simply providing more light would be to install track lighting (I know it sounds like a blast from the 1980's, but bear with me). Track lighting would allow you to use the existing j-box and spread light through the room. And it has come a long, long way since the 80's. Check out IKEA. They have very cool, modern track lighting and cable light suspension systems. You might also want to try Tech Lighting or 2thousanddegrees. They all have good websites.

Good Luck

Answer 2

I might be a bit late answering this question but I would 1. Move the stereo (Perhaps onto the coffee table and put next to a wall, perhaps where the plug is by the door, not the one with the radiator and obviously far enough away that the door doesnt slam into the table when opened). This should let more light into the room and make it warmer. 2. Switch the small table with the lamp on and the telly around, so the small table is in the corner instead of the TV . More heat will come from the radiator then on colder days. 3. Hang a big bright colourful picture onto the Plain wall, where you have the picture lying on the floor, or several small paintings, but definately that are bold and bright, you could try orange and cream, a few painted patches (geometric shapes perhaps) painting on the wall might help, from those sample paint pots, which might be a cheaper alternative. I am thinking, sort of lime green and bright orange, just not too much so that it becomes tacky, just enough to look modern and add colour. Or maybe bright pink (if you fiance would approve, I know my boyfriend wouldnt). Or even literally splatterings of colour, just flick the paint onto the wall, saves properly painting...that could be fun and different, just for that one wall though. 4. If you dont like the tableyou could cover it with a brightly coloured cloth, that matches the paint you splattered on the walls :) 5. If on a budget too, you could sew patches into the curtains of material that match the colours you have splattered or painted on the walls, and the cloth you covered the table with. That way you could change your curtains completely with minimum costs. That's all I can think of for now...

Answer 3

Task lighting, which works like spot lighting different areas, is the best. Pot lights recessed into the ceiling gives you spots of light for tasks as well as drama. A pot light directed toward a picture really makes a picture stand out, and you can direct light at all the walls on which you'll be hanging pictures. Use lamps next to chairs for reading. Having a dimmer on overhead lights helps for setting a soothing evening mood, but if all your lighting is overhead (such as the chandelier) it will cause your body to cast shadows on any tasks you are trying to perform and makes the room appear dim. It will be this way no matter how many overhead lights you use. It is better to have indirect lighting to cut glare and avoid casting shadows. Indirect lighting would be like a wall sconce that directs light up the wall or down the wall, or pot lights that highlight pictures on the wall.

Answer 4

Any lights that reflect up off the white ceiling and use bright bulbs will obviously make it brighter and larger. Pot lights are good to use if you want to brighten the entire room fairly evenly. Use a lot of task lighting around the room as well so that there is plenty of light for the things going on in that room.

Answer 5

in a room like that you want a couple of different light sources so you can sit in a nice bright room and play board games or in a dim quite room with light just right for reading. so you could in stall a lighting fixture with a bigger light source but with a dimmer then you want to a a floor lamp and a table lamp. Gl

Answer 6

Try changing the light bulbs from 40 to 70 watts or change it to halogen lights or change the color of your walls or put small mirrors on the walls to reflect more light.
Last but not least change the chandelier to a different kind of light fixture.You can also go to a hardware store and ask for advice, it might sound like patronizing but go to Home Depot,they can help you.

Answer 7

with a room that size, the way to go is accent lighting..aka lamps. it makes it more homey. if you just want to go for a lot of lights, then you can put can's up in the ceiling (recessed lighting). just remember to put a dimmer switch on it. my parents put about 7 lights in their kitchen and the big joke is you could land a plane in there it's so bright.

Answer 8

put up two big strips......inexpensive and very effective as you can turn the covered bulbs in any direction...on a painting,, etc...you will, in effect have about 10 lights coming down from the ceiling....least expensive and best way to go...

Answer 9

the torch floor lamps with the up light works well to light big areas and most of them have switches that will go from dim to bright light.

Answer 10

Try cove lighting. See this for an example of what it looks like:
http://www.pegasusassociates.com/products/covelight/covelt.html