How to Light a Living Room With No Overhead Lighting
Updated: Apr. 18, 2024
No overhead lighting? No problem. Check out these sparkling ideas on how to light a living room with no overhead lighting, curated to make your space more interesting and functional.
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If you’re searching for ideas on how to light a living room with no overhead lighting, here are a few bright ideas to inspire you.
Adding lamps and task lighting is certainly important for functionality, while twinkle lights or art lights can create a focal point. Opening up the corners of a room with lighting creates depth and coziness. When choosing lighting for your living room, think about the color temperature and brightness of the bulbs, as well as how the shade diffuses light for a softer glow.
As an Interior Designer, I always encourage my clients to consider lighting as the jewelry of their space. With so many unique lighting options available, it makes sense to add style to their function. Think of lighting as art. A sculptural piece that adds texture, form and a potential focal point to a room. Like art, designer lighting can be a hefty investment, but if you fall in love, it’s worth it! Luckily you don’t have to spend a million dollars to add dimension, interest and functionality to your room since there are many affordable options to brighten up your world and artfully design your space.
When looking for ways to light up your life, without overhead lighting, think of your room as a painting, photograph or a scene on the stage. Light up those dark corners and create pools and puddles of light to make the scene more interesting. Eliminate the shadows or bounce some sparkles off of the ceiling or walls. Lighting creates a mood and the good news is that you can switch it up. With the push of a button, you are the magic behind the curtain, controlling what the audience sees and where their focus is directed. Add a floor lamp to that dark corner to illuminate the action, give your artwork the attention it deserves or set the stage with a magical reading corner.
Furthermore, light bends and bounces. If you need more light in your space, a lamp or pendant that is open at the top will send its beams to the ceiling where it will bounce and create more illumination in the space. Whereas a hooded shade will only direct the light downward, essentially cutting the output of the bulb in half.
And when you need task lighting in a room without overhead lighting, look for enough output (or lumens) that the fixture is capable of emitting. Light bulbs have traditionally been measured in lumens and color temperature. In filmmaking, a 5000 Kelvin fixture is used to simulate sunlight. In residential lighting, a 3000K bulb is a cooler bright white, whereas a 2700 bulb gives off a warmer glow. Since light is measured on a color spectrum 5000K is on the cool blue side and 2700K is closer to the red side, making the light appear warmer. It’s like editing a picture on your smartphone—warm it up or cool it down. You have the same control over the live shot of your house. But be aware, the color temperature of the light may make your wall color or furnishings appear different.
Since the advent of light-emitting diodes, more commonly known as LED lights, reading the label on a bulb has become a little more confusing. The lumens is the amount of light that the source emits. A light bulb that specifies 820 lumens is approximately equivalent to an old-school incandescent 60-watt lamp (even if the LED only uses 9 watts of power). For instance, in the kitchen, a 100-watt bulb with 1600 lumens output may not be enough light to light the entire room (or see the dirt on the floor). But it will certainly give you enough light to do the task at hand. You might need five times that amount of light in the kitchen. In that case, look for a multi-light fixture that can pump out more brightness to illuminate the entire space. Overhead lighting won’t help those dark corners, like under the cabinet, though. This is where you need to add a pool of task lighting. But be sure to check that color temperature and please, try to avoid fluorescent lighting.
Sheri Kaz/Family Handyman
Floor Lamps
Floor lamps are a brilliant choice to light a living room with no overhead lighting. They’re typically tall, their base sits on the floor, and they plug into an outlet. Great for tucking behind furniture, floor lamps fit into corners or other tight spaces because of their slim silhouette, and they can throw light in multiple directions.
I chose this sturdy drum shade floor lamp with an offset base to tuck against the wall next to my sectional. With the easy-to-reach dimmer switch, I can easily adjust the amount of light I need without getting up. Plus, the lamp head rotates for directional lighting, and it comes in five color choices to fit any decor style.
If you prefer task lighting, this uplight lamp has light lower down on the column. Some floor lamps throw light in all directions or impart a cozy glow. Other floor lamps throw light in multiple or more directed pathways, making them ideal for a living room without a ceiling light.
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Plug-in Chandelier
Are you dreaming of a crystal chandelier? This plug-in swag-style chandelier has all the bling you need in a chandelier to add some light to a living room with no overhead lighting. This pendant light has a 15-foot cord that plugs into a standard outlet and hangs from a ceiling hook.
It’s rare to find a chandelier that will plug into the wall, plus this one can also be hardwired when you move. Hang this beauty over your dining room table, in the entryway, or turn your dressing room into a palace. This chandelier uses five 40-watt E12 candelabra bulbs for plenty of light and sparkle.
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Arc Lamp
Arc lamps are one of the best ways to light a living room with no overhead lighting while directing the light where you need it. There are many kinds of floor lamps, but an arc lamp really sets a mood, especially if you’re a mid-century modern buff. The big arch is stylish and cool, but it also allows you to direct the light to a midpoint in the room or spotlight a great scene for a small-group conversation. It also works well for reading or crafting underneath. If you want it to throw more diffuse rather than directed light, maximizing the brightness in your space, opt for one with a drum shade.
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Uplights
Many uplights are meant to highlight something special about your room or to throw light, but not be seen. Those uplights often look like a can light set on a footed base. They’re great in corners, behind full-length mirrors and plants. This affordable corded accent light comes in six finishes and tilts to direct the light as needed. It even has a screw mount on the base if you want to mount it to the ceiling or wall.
But, some uplights are meant to be seen as well, so you can set them on tabletops, desks—almost anywhere within sight if you please.
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Table Lamps
They’re about as basic and quotidian as living room lighting gets—but your design options are endless. In my opinion, this Possini gold leaf and marble table lamp qualifies as room jewelry. It will certainly get noticed and be a shining star in your living room.
Table lamps sit on end tables or other furnishings, plug into the wall, and provide a glow. To make the most of your light, choose light or sheer shades. Metal and dark shades add drama but won’t replace overhead lighting, so keep that in mind. But there are certainly other ways to add lighting to a room without overhead lights.
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Plug-in Sconces
I love the light that a wall-mounted sconce provides. Sconces add another layer of interest to your lighting design. They can draw you into a room and create an ambient glow. Sconces look best in pairs to highlight a fireplace, artwork or bookshelf. You can use them to light up a dark hallway, bling up a bathroom or replace a bedside lamp with a space-saving wall-mount sconce.
You don’t need to be limited by the lack of existing electric work with this plug-in sconce. There’s no need to call an electrician if you have outlets nearby. Plus, this one is safe to use in bathrooms. The dual fixtures and frosted glass globes provide up to 80 watts of evenly diffused light. Glass or fabric shades in light colors help throw the most light.
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Art Sconces
If you need downlights to spotlight your art or other treasures, consider art sconces. Many options are plug-in or battery-powered, making ceiling access or an outlet unnecessary.
This plug-in LED picture light is dimmable (dimmer not included) and comes in five finishes and either 24-inch or 32-inch sizes. Just mount it on the shelf or wall and plug it in to see your art illuminated in warm 2700K light. This sleek American-made fixture also has a five-year warranty.
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Plug-in Pendants
Plug-in pendants are just like their ceiling-mounted counterparts without requiring electrical hard wiring. Insert a hook or hanger in the ceiling, hang the pendant, and plug it in. If your ceiling is sloped, a swag-style pendant is the perfect solution for easy installation.
Rice-paper orbs, rattan cages, blown glass in every color imaginable—your chosen style determines the type of light it will throw. From super fuzzy to diffused glass, there are endless choices.
This Margot Swag Pendant would look great on each end of the sofa for a modern industrial vibe. Plus, the pulley system makes it easy to adjust the height of these fixtures (which mount from the wall or ceiling). Customers love the flexibility of these plug-in pendants, and you don’t have to worry about toddlers knocking over a lamp. Grab this for an instant makeover in your living room without overhead light.
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Cove Lighting
Cove lighting is more of an ambient light. If you have crown molding or a way to hide an LED strip light or a bar light on top of cabinets in your living room, it will throw a sophisticated (and less in-your-face) light. The idea behind cove lighting is to not see the light source. The light bounces off the surfaces around the perimeter of the room.
This LED strip lighting is so versatile that you are only limited by your imagination. Since these lights are rated for outdoor use, they can be super-bright or dimmable. From 16 feet to 131 feet, these lights are available in seven lengths, in 6000K cool white or 2800K warm white.
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String Lights
While you may not want to drape your window frames or edges of a room in string lights year-round, they can still sometimes serve a purpose. These battery-powered fairy lights are adorable in a crystal vase and include a remote control to adjust brightness, flashing modes and a timer. Wrap them among photos or plants or artfully arrange them on a mantel to draw attention to your fireplace while adding some ambient light.
So affordable and adorable, these lights make any room magical. They’re available in 33 or 66-foot lengths and seven color choices.
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TV Backlights
TV backlights add a bit of a wow factor to your space. Some are LED rope lights, and others, like the Philips Hue, are either strip lights or a color bar. The Hue connects to Alexa or Nest, making it easier to set it on a timer or ask it to turn on before you walk into the room, saving a toe-stubbing in the dark until you locate a lamp.
These smart lights sync to the content on your TV screen with the Hue Bridge sync box for a sweet theater or gaming experience. If you love tech, you’ll love Phillips Hue.
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Outlet Lights
Outlet lights come in a variety of forms, but essentially, they can provide a nice cue in the dark to ensure you don’t trip or fall. The simplest way to get this kind of light is to plug a night light into the outlet, but it can also be hardwired into the outlet. You can add a louvered shade that casts light downward and looks flattering. Outlet lights with motion sensors are often used on or near stairways, but they can also be useful in a living room with no overhead lights. When you walk into the dark room the outlet light will glow so you can find another light source and flip the switch. In a pinch, you could also just use a plug-in nightlight.
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Candles
Candles throw a surprising amount of flattering light. Plus, you can choose candlesticks and holders that will complement the rest of your décor. Of course, candles won’t be your main light source in your living room, but they can be part of a layered lighting plan. However, while real candles are beautiful, you have to stay in the room with them when they are lit.
These Battery-operated flameless candles are much safer and more versatile, plus they’re smokeless and dripless. The best part is that they come with remote controls and timers! And for added realism, they’re made from wax.
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Novelty Art Lights
Add some whimsy to your nest with lighting that makes a personal statement. With the comeback of neon light artwork, you can get especially meta, but with these and other types of light-up art, you can add functionality, frivolity and/or a conversation piece to your space. Customize your message in a variety of sizes, colors, fonts and shapes. With three brightness settings, these custom neon lights will fit in any space for any occasion.
And if neon is too groovy for you, consider wall art with embedded lighting. It may not light up a living room without overhead lighting, but it’s a magical way to layer your lighting.
Rechargeable Battery-powered Lights
Consider adding light as art—or art as light with this gorgeous objet d’art. By day it poses as art, by night it’s breathtaking. This cordless lamp is a rechargeable battery-powered lamp that will be a conversation piece. Its cordless design can become the centerpiece for your dining table or set high on a floating shelf.
If you’re looking for a designer piece that takes the concept of room jewelry to the next level, check out the Melt line of lighting curated by Tom Dixon from the Swedish design collective FRONT. This truly stunning art piece won’t suffice as your favorite reading lamp, but it will certainly elevate your space with a mesmerizing dimension.
These lamps help to light a living room with no overhead lighting, but certainly won’t replace the power you could get with an overhead fixture. If you like the idea of a rechargeable lamp, be sure to look for the lumen’s output. They may not be much brighter than landscape lighting, but if you want ambiance and portability a cordless lamp will be a romantic addition to your home. Especially if the electricity goes out!
Originally Published: December 09, 2022
