Small room lighting ideas
We’d all love our homes to be filled with bright, airy, open space - but in reality, many of us are limited on floorspace, not to mention natural lighting! Here at DFS we want to help you find your thing for even the littlest spaces in your home, and getting the lighting right can often make an overwhelming difference.
If you’re looking for small living room lighting ideas - or even small bedroom lighting - read on for our top tips on choosing lighting for a small space!
Match your lighting to how you use the space
According to our research, 35% of people credit ambient lighting as one of the things that makes their house feel like a home - and it’s especially important in the living room, where 47% of people prefer to watch TV while the room is lit by floor and table lamps.
Maintain that cosy feel by adding lighting exactly where you need it - a table lamp at your work desk, for example, is generally much more effective for detail work or reading documents than turning on a ceiling light. In the bedroom, bedside lamps are best at nighttime, as once you’ve gotten cosy, you don’t need to get out of bed to switch them off.
Choose furniture with built-in lighting
A great way to make the most of your limited floor space is to look for furniture that has lighting (or other additional features) built-in. For little living rooms, many of the sofas in our Storeaway range have the option of integrated reading lights, negating the need for an additional floor or table lamp, and saving you much-needed floorspace. This range also offers extra benefits like hidden storage, cupholders, and integrated charging - reducing clutter and offering convenience to boot.
Choose multi functional furniture pieces
With many of our bedrooms being on the little side, we’re always looking for more small bedroom lighting ideas, and this room can also benefit from furniture with built-in lighting. Our Panelle bed incorporates bedside lighting as well as bedside tables, negating the need for extra furniture around the bed and making it a great small bedroom lighting option.
For more beds with smart storage solutions, check out the Dietro or Santino, our range of divan storage beds, or even consider a TV bed - which can hide a TV in the footboard, ready to rise at the touch of a button.
Smart lighting offers excellent versatility
According to our recent research, while 51% of us have a smart TV, only 20% of people have opted for smart lighting in their homes. With so many options for brightness levels, switching on and off automatically, taking control remotely, and even different lighting colours - we think more people should consider swapping to smart lighting!
They’re even more practical in smaller spaces - it might be difficult to reach the switches of floor lamps if they’re tucked behind furniture, and you can adjust your table lamp’s brightness level to create a cosy vibe in seconds. While smart bulbs admittedly carry a higher initial investment, many brands of smart bulbs can last up to 25,000 hours - based on a usage of 3 hours a day, that’s up to 22 years. Not bad, eh?
Choose dimmable lighting where rooms are multi-use
Adaptable lighting is excellent for multi-purpose spaces! if you use your dining room as a home office, you might want as much light as possible, but for a romantic date night dinner? A softer, warmer light sets the mood much better. Traditionally, you might do this by switching off the ceiling light and upping the ambient light with a selection of floor and table lamps, but this isn’t always practical in a smaller space.
Installing dimmable switches for your ceiling lights - or switching to remote-controlled smart bulbs in your current lighting setup - can make just a handful of lighting options much more versatile, and lets you change the vibe at the flick of a switch.
Use ceiling and wall lighting to save floorspace
We all love a floor or table lamp, but when space is at a premium, ceiling and wall lights really shine. Wall lights are excellent to brighten shady corners, alcoves, and highlight wall art - or as alternatives to bedside lamps. And of course, no room is complete without a ceiling light, and there are plenty of options depending on the feeling you’re creating - from laid back and understated to sculptural, stop-and-stare options.
Fallen in love with a ceiling light that’s more work of art than practical piece? The best place to install these is above a dining table, or centre stage in a living room, where you can kick back and admire them in all their glory.
Add LED strips under shelving or cabinetry
This is a low-cost and clever hack that originated in kitchen design, but works just as well in living spaces. LED strip lighting is available in both mains powered and rechargeable versions, is easy to install, and can be used under built-in shelving, cabinets, inside wardrobes, and takes up virtually no space at all.
This super practical option lets you add task lighting exactly where you need it, not only saving space, but saving you money - which you could then invest in one or two stylish lighting pieces or home accessories to finish off your space.
Cut back on clutter
Excess clutter in a small space can make it feel claustrophobic - but it can also mess with your carefully constructed lighting scheme, blocking the spread of ambient light and casting odd, sharp shadows.
Don’t ditch all the decorative knick-nacks that give your space personality, but consider clever storage solutions for less aesthetically pleasing items. Magazines, remotes and kids toys can live inside a coffee table with storage, for example - or in a hallway, a console table is a great option for keys, gloves, and all the other clutter that tends to collect by the front door.
Your small space lighting questions, answered
Still have questions about the best lighting for small rooms? Read on for answers to some of the most-asked questions about lighting small rooms…
What kind of lamp is best for a small living room?
Many people decide to use tall and narrow floor lamps in small living rooms, as they take up less space and allow you to make use of odd corners, or gaps behind furniture. However, while this can be a great space-saving hack, that might not be the only option. We’d also recommend trying an oversized or sculptural table lamp in a small living room - as well as offering extra light, it acts as a stylish decor piece, which can take the attention away from the size of your room.
Do living room table lamps have to match?
Absolutely not! You can certainly choose matching living room table lamps if you enjoy symmetry in your space, but there’s no reason you can’t go for different shapes, colours and styles for your table lamps. A great way to ensure they work well together is to select lamps with features in common - for example, they all have brass elements, cream shades, or are mid-century inspired. But there are no hard and fast rules - if you want to use one ultra-modern lamp and one totally traditional, you do you! It’s your space, after all.
Where should a floor lamp be placed in a living room?
There are several considerations to bear in mind when deciding where to put a floor lamp in the living room. Will you be using it simply to light a dark corner, or do you need the light to fill a larger space in the room? You’ll also need to consider where you will safely plug in your floor lamp, as you won’t want loose cables trailing across the floor. Adding a floor lamp behind a sofa, especially one with an arch or angled arm, is also an excellent choice if you need a reading light for your favourite spot on the sofa.
What is the best light for a small bathroom?
For safety reasons, most bathrooms don’t have electrical outlets, which means you’re usually limited to mains lighting, like ceiling lights and wall lights. Most people choose to use spotlights in their bathrooms, but that isn’t the only option. While pendants and chandeliers aren’t particularly practical, flush and semi flush ceiling lights are great for small bathrooms, adding an extra decorative touch without getting in the way. Wall lighting above a sink is also an excellent option for small bathrooms, especially in combination with a mirror, as you can check your appearance easily even on the darkest of winter mornings.
What lights are best for a small hallway?
As we don’t tend to spend a lot of time lingering in hallways, ceiling and wall lights tend to be the best option here. For long, narrow hallways that don’t get much light, you might choose several flush or semi-flush ceiling lights, track lighting, or a row of recessed spotlights to light up the whole space. If you have a small hallway with high ceilings, you could consider multiple pendant lights, or a single larger, more decorative ceiling light, to make the most of the available height. If you’re planning on where to put your switches, it’s a good idea to include them at both ends of the hallway, making it convenient for you to turn them on and off as you move around the house.
What kind of floor lamp gives the most light?
Generally, table and floor lamps are the best choice when it comes to reading lights. This type of light is ideal for the concentrated light you’ll need to see the pages of your book clearly. A positionable table or floor lamp is the best option, as you can adjust it based on your preferred sitting position. If you’re using your floor lamp for a reading light, you’ll want to choose one with a more concentrated light source that doesn’t cover the bulb, like a spotlight, swing arm or arc lamp, rather than one with a fabric shade, which will create a more diffused light.
What are some small bedroom lighting ideas?
The classic lighting setup for a bedroom is a ceiling light in the centre of the room, and a table lamp either side of the bed - but there are plenty more small bedroom lighting ideas out there. If you’re lacking floorspace around the bed, consider a bed with built-in lighting, or positioning wall lights above either side of the bed. A floor lamp can also make a great addition to the side of a bed, and some even come with convenient built-in storage. If you have a full length mirror or dressing table in your small bedroom, consider adding lighting here too to help you get ready in the mornings - wall lighting is particularly useful for this.
More lighting inspiration at DFS
For more lighting inspiration and advice, visit our lighting hub to explore the latest lighting trends and ideas. If you’re ready to start lighting your small space, check out our range of ceiling lights, floor lamps and table lamps below.
