Living Room Lights

A living room is asked to do more than one job. The same space is used for reading, for watching a screen and for having people over, and each of those wants a different amount of light. One ceiling fitting on one switch cannot serve all three at once.

The way around it is to light the room in layers. A ceiling light does the general work and reaches the corners. A floor lamp or a table lamp beside the seating handles reading. Something low and warm carries the evening once the main light goes off. This collection gathers the fittings that suit each of those layers, so a room can be lit as a set rather than one purchase at a time.

What's in this range

There are 44 products in this collection, priced from 50 to 2,000 AUD. Heights run from 2.4 cm for the slimmest surface fittings up to 180 cm for a full standing lamp, and shade diameters run from 6.5 cm to 40 cm. The wattages recorded on these products sit between 7 W and 40 W. Materials listed across the range include aluminium, metal with acrylic, ABS, and woven bamboo or rattan shades.

Both kinds of light source appear here. Some fittings have the LED built in, which means there is no bulb to change. Others take a bulb you buy separately, and the sockets listed are E27 screw and G9. Colour temperature is listed where the fitting offers a choice, including warm white, a tunable warm to cool setting, and a three step 3000K, 4000K and 6500K option. On dimming, of the products that record it, eleven are listed as not dimmable and four as dimmable. Controls include foot switches, knob switches and touch on and off.

How to choose

Start with the ceiling light

The ceiling light is the one switched on at the door, so pick it first and pick it for the whole room rather than for a corner. Once that layer is settled, everything else is added on top of it. If you want to compare the flush and semi flush options on their own, the ceiling lights range lists diameters and mounting for each one.

Add a lamp beside the seating

Reading light works better close to the reader than overhead. A standing lamp next to an armchair or at the end of a sofa gives you a second circuit you can switch on alone, which is the point of layering. The taller models in this range reach 180 cm, high enough for the shade to sit above a seated shoulder. The floor lamps range lists the height of every model in centimetres.

Integrated LED or a socket you can refill

An integrated LED fitting is thinner and needs nothing from you after installation. A fitting with an E27 or G9 socket lets you change the bulb, and lets you change its colour or its brightness later by changing the bulb rather than the fitting. Neither is better in general. Decide whether you would rather never think about it again, or keep the option to adjust.

Warm light or cool light

Warm white suits a room used in the evening, because it reads as relaxed. Cooler white reads as alert and suits a room that doubles as a work space. Several fittings here let you switch between settings, which is worth having if the room changes use through the day.

Check whether it dims before you count on it

Dimming is not standard across this range, and a dimmable LED needs a dimmer built for LEDs. Fitted to an older dimmer it can flicker or buzz. If dimming matters to you, read the dimming line on the product page rather than assuming it.

Frequently asked questions

How many light fittings does a living room actually need?

Most living rooms are served by three: a ceiling light for the room, one lamp near the seating for reading, and one low accent light for the evening. A large or long room usually wants a second lamp at the far end rather than a brighter ceiling fitting.

Should living room lighting be warm or cool white?

Warm white is the usual choice for a room used mainly at night. If the room is also a study or a home office, a fitting with a switchable colour temperature covers both uses. The Kelvin values available are listed on each product page.

Do I need an electrician?

Any hardwired ceiling fitting must be installed by a licensed electrician in Australia. Floor lamps and table lamps in this range plug into a power point and need no wiring, which is why they suit a rental.

Are bulbs included?

It varies by product. Some fittings have the LED built in, some come with an E27 bulb, and some take a bulb that is not supplied. Each product page states which of the three applies, along with the socket type.

What suits a room with a low ceiling?

A flush mounted fitting sits close to the ceiling and keeps the head height clear, while a hanging light drops into the room. If you want the look of a hanging light in a room where a long drop will not fit, the shorter models in the pendant lights range list their drop and diameter on each page.