Living Spaces

Layering light in your living room

Many living rooms rely on a single ceiling light, which can leave the space feeling flat and harsh at night. Good lighting works in layers. Ambient light provides general brightness, task lighting helps with reading or working, and accent lighting picks out art, shelves or plants. Together they make a room feel warm and inviting.

Try a floor lamp beside a reading chair, table lamps on side tables and a small lamp on a bookshelf. Warm white bulbs suit living areas best. With load shedding still a reality for many households, rechargeable lamps and a few lanterns are worth keeping on hand, and the right ones look good too.