Family Room Lighting Tips

When designing a lighting plan for a family room, consider the variety of activities that occur there. You'll want to include general lighting for entertaining and watching television, task lighting for reading or sewing, and accent lighting for artwork, plants, and interesting architectural features. Dimming controls are also ideal for the family room because they allow you to design the lighting to suit each mood and activity.

Portable lamps deliver general, task, and accent lighting while giving you the flexibility to move the light whenever you want. Table lamps, floor lamps, and torchiers are available in a variety of styles to complement any decor. Small specialty lamps, such as clip-on lights, uplight cans, adjustable task lights, mini-reflector spotlights, desk lamps, and piano lamps, fill a variety of task and accent light needs. These lamps are available with incandescent, tungsten-halogen, and energy efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs.

Bar

• Bars can be lighted from above with recessed lights, track light fixtures, or mini pendants that hover intimately over the bar.

TV

• Glass shelves and glassware can be accented by recessed adjustable fixtures or lighting within the unit. The use of low-voltage lighting fixtures with xenon or halogen bulbs emit a bright white light that will highlight what you want to accent.

Fireplace

• Fireplaces made of brick or stone can be emphasized with properly placed recessed downlights installed in the ceiling over the mantle to create an intriguing grazing effect across the surface. Wall sconces can be installed directly on the fireplace and are an attractive addition that draws attention to the fireplace area while providing general lighting for the living room.

Under-cabinet Kitchen Lighting

• Under-cabinet lighting is ideal for lighting countertops. They should be mounted as close to the front of the cabinets as possible to avoid glare reflecting off work surfaces. Choose from today’s most popular light sources, such as xenon, halogen, or fluorescent. The size of the fixture depends upon the light source you select.

Reading

• Reading requires task lighting that comes from behind the reader’s shoulder. This can be accomplished by placing a floor lamp either at the right or the left of the reading chair. The bottom of the shades should be located at eye level to avoid glare.

Game Table

• Game tables require bright, even overhead lighting. Shaded lighting pendants equipped with either incandescent light bulbs or energy efficient compact fluorescent tubes are one solution. Installing two recessed downlights over each half of the table also works well.

Paintings & House Plants

• Paintings can be highlighted with xenon or halogen picture lights. These lights should be mounted to spread a beam of bright, white light across the face of the painting.
• House plants can be accented by aiming an uplight can at the wall behind the plant, creating a dramatic silhouette of the plant against the wall.³

For more family room lighting tips, schedule an appointment with a Wolfers lighting expert.