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Lighting Design Dilemma living room

Advice on living room lighting desperately needed.

2 months ago

last modified: 2 months ago

I've replaced the graphic with one that has all the room measurements, except for the foyer that is 7' long.

The ceiling height is 8'. I have a 40"x60"-ish mirror and buffet lamps from my grandmother that will go on the back wall of the dining room so am not concerned about needing additional lighting there.

I'm building a house and need to tell the electrician where I want recessed lights installed in the living room, which is 14' x 16'. I'd appreciate any advice on how to best light the space to meet our needs and so there isn't a dead zone between the dining room and living room. The layout is so different from our current house that I'm struggling to visualize what makes sense. The dining room is 12' x 12' with a five-light chandelier and the foyer has a flush mount light. Ceiling is 8' high.

The TV is above the fireplace. We'll also be reading, using laptops, etc. on the sofas, so need decent but not overpowering light. The sofas may get shifted to the right so they are symmetrical with the windows, which would make a sconce a perfect solution for one sofa, and I've thought about a sofa table with a table lamp behind the other. The challenge is that I need to leave wide enough paths for someone in a wheelchair and I'm afraid these will make it feel too tight, even if they meet standard requirements.

Thank you all,

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Comments (9)

Yvonne Martin
2 months ago
We need exact measurements on your floor plan. Also, do you plan to have outlets on the floor to use for lamps for the floating couch?
Lynne thanked Yvonne Martin
kandrewspa
2 months ago
How high is the ceiling?
Lynne thanked kandrewspa
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Hello friends. I am afraid I need your help once again! We have finally settled on a new sofa, accent chairs and the place we are getting all of this from has agreed to also throw in a rug for us if I happen to like one from their suppliers. I fell in love with a rug they have as well as accent pillows I think will match well. We have also decided on the color of the accent chairs and the model of the sofa. My issue : I CANNOT decide on a sofa color!!! Everyone is telling me to do light grey but I am afraid it won't go with the rug I like. I am swayed towards a white sofa (it is more off white, I will post a picture of the swatch bellow) in order to flow with my chairs and everything else. I had spoken to the designer who did our plan and she said I can go with a white sofa no problem. Everyone is saying do light grey. I know I can pick another rug but I am SO In love with the one I have chosen and I think it will make the space... Can anyone advise me on what to do? I do like a light grey sofa but I also really like the colors in the rug...We have to order this week in order to make it in time for Christmas and I am very undecided. You have all been so helpful and if you aren't utterly sick of me, I would appreciate the advice! Here is the link to the sofa we have chosen: https://mikazahome.ca/product/sevan/ We will get the 89 inch modification sofa with a 9 inch arm on one side (you can see example in the photos) and a 5 inch on the other end. Legs will be like in the second photo on the side. Here is a swatch of the white that we had chosen (ignore the leather, it is the material swatch next to it). Photo of the accent chair: Photo of the rug: Accent pillows: We are also hesitating for the accent chairs - there is another chair we like but it is not as much of a good quality as the one above. I will insert a photo here - feel free to let me know which one would be better. In other words, which chairs? Which color sofa? Do I go with light gray sofa and change the rug or go with off white sofa? Thank you!
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muhammad haseeb
2 months ago
Given the size and layout of your living room, a good rule of thumb is to have at least one recessed light for every 4-6 square feet of ceiling space. Based on the dimensions you provided, you could potentially install 9-12 recessed lights in your living room to provide adequate lighting without overwhelming the space.

To avoid a dead zone between the dining room and living room, consider installing a few recessed lights in the ceiling along the shared wall to provide additional lighting in that area. You may also want to consider installing a dimmer switch for the recessed lights to allow for adjustable lighting levels depending on the task at hand.
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BeverlyFLADeziner
2 months ago
Here are my suggested locations for downlights. I think you will want ones with a gimble
Lynne thanked BeverlyFLADeziner
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Patricia Colwell Consulting
2 months ago
last modified: 2 months ago
IMO if yoou have enough lighting layered in a LR you do not needgimbals which often cast weird light on walls and art. If you have specail art pieces then those can be high lighted . I think in a DR 2 pot lights i enough above the buffet 5 light chandelier tells me nothing since IMO all chandeleirs should light the table and most light the ceiling . I think you will have some issues with llighting in the LR 2 floor lamps either side of the FP could help I like arc lamps to get light closer to the middle of the room Most laptops can be used even in dark rooms . The paths for a wheelchair are tricky so make sure every path is the right size . Any more help can only come after you post a to scale floor plan showing every measurement , windows , doorways and in thta kitchen the width of all the walkways too. Using graph paper makes it easier to do scaled drawings . tHe post that here in a comment you need to use jpeg format . Do not start another post on this space you are asking about.
Lynne thanked Patricia Colwell Consulting
Lynne
Original Author
2 months ago
Hi all -- thank you for the comments. I've updated the main post to include measurements on the graphics. The ceilings are 8' high. There is no floor outlet, but that's a great addition to my list.
Lynne
Original Author
2 months ago
For what it's worth: Ethan Allen Shelton is the sofa that I'm using - it's got the perfect combination of support, a comfortable arm to lean against for TV watching, etc. and style. It comes in 88" and 98." I'm having it done in a bench seat but keep going back and forth on the length.
PRO
BeverlyFLADeziner
2 months ago
I personally would rather have the walk-around space in the room than push a sofa a smidge too large in the space.

Are you sure you want facing sofas? Looks visually cramped to me
Lynne
Original Author
2 months ago
last modified: 2 months ago
I updated the main post, but in case this is easier: I've attached the floor plan with all the dimensions I could think of, and reduced the size of the sofa to the 88" version. To answer some of the other questions - the ceilings are 8' high; I have a large mirror and buffet lamps that I will use on the dining room back wall so am not concerned about light there. And, yes, I do want two parallel sofas. We are both loungers, feet up on the sofa, so it works well for us, especially with the TV mounted over the fireplace.

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