Scandinavian lighting for living room

Plan for three light sources at three heights: a pendant or chandelier in the centre of the living room, a wall light as accent lighting, a floor lamp next to an armchair. Scandinavian living room lighting combines a simple shape (tube, globe, oval) with metal, aluminium, glass or fabric, in black, white or beige, and LED lighting.

What is Scandinavian living room lighting?

Scandinavian living room lighting pairs a simple shape, often a tube or a globe, with materials such as metal, aluminium, glass or fabric. The dominant colours are black, white and beige, with LED lighting and colour temperatures from warm white to cool white.

Scandinavian living room lighting style

The Nordic style works through restraint: straight lines, no ornament, honest materials. In this collection it comes through mainly in black or white metal and aluminium, with tube and globe shapes, sometimes a note of copper or brass. Pendants find their place above a coffee table, while a linen wall light brings the textile touch that warms the room.

The minimalist current goes further in purity and relies on round volumes or slender tubes. A pleated fabric pendant, such as the Velina fabric pendant with its 60 cm oval shade, illustrates this register well: the light is wrapped, diffuse, never frontal.

Scandinavian living room lighting, modern

Modern Scandinavian lighting keeps Nordic simplicity and adds a more assertive material: glass, brass, steel. The light stays indirect or dimmed, the structures become lighter. To explore this more contemporary register, browse the modern style lighting and the design pieces for the living room, where golden finishes sit alongside matte black.

Living room chandelier: which model for a modern living room?

For a modern living room, a chandelier with a metal or glass structure, in warm white 2700-3500K, works with pared-back furniture. The models in the collection use GU10, LED or E14 sockets and range from 60 to 150 cm. A large chandelier suits wide rooms, hung in the centre.

Modern living room chandelier

A modern living room chandelier plays on transparency or geometry rather than classic drops. The Xilo chandelier, in metal and aluminium with a copper finish, comes in several diameters and with an LED socket, with warm, neutral or cool white temperatures: handy when you want to move from a cosy mood to a sharper light. The Lilo chandelier, in metal and glass with a GU10 socket, stays on a single warm white, more inviting.

The Vira chandelier and its brass structure suit living rooms that already have character and are looking for a statement piece, with dimming possible. For a more industrial mood, the Seni globe chandelier and its eight black and gold glass globes run on E14 sockets, in warm white.

Living room chandeliers for a large room

In a large living room, the centrepiece has to read from a distance. The luxury models and the black pendants draw a strong silhouette without overcrowding. Keep the structure airy: light passes through, the view is not cut off.

Large living room chandelier: what size and height should you plan for?

A large living room chandelier is often 80 to 150 cm in diameter or width, like the Xilo, Lilo and Vira models. The suspension height stays adjustable on most hanging lights. For a living room, choose a chandelier in proportion to the room, without dropping into your line of sight.

Large living room chandelier

The general rule of lighting is that the fixture should take up about a third of the width of the area to be lit. In a living room 4 m wide, aim for a chandelier around 100 to 130 cm. Any bigger and the room feels crushed; any smaller and the chandelier gets lost. Suspension height is set by ceiling height and use: the more you walk under it, the higher it goes.

Living room chandelier: what size above the table?

Above a table, allow around 70 to 85 cm between the bottom of the fixture and the tabletop. A model such as the Cocoon pendant, available in several diameters, adjusts easily within that range. To compare hanging options, see the pendants for the living room and the dining room pendants.

Living room wall light: where to place it and how to aim it?

A living room wall light goes above a sofa, a console or a bookcase to create accent lighting. The models in the collection are in metal, aluminium, linen or fabric, with GU10, E27 or LED sockets, IP20 and warm white or cool white. An adjustable version lets you direct the beam.

Living room wall light

The Wiye wall light fixes without permanent drilling thanks to its removable bracket: useful when renting. It runs on GU10, with three possible temperatures, and accepts a dimmer. The Lumière Nordique wall light, in steel and linen, brings a softer, more enveloping light, also on GU10.

For a stronger textile feel, the Harmonie Nordique wall light combines wood, metal and fabric on an E27 socket. Wall lights also come in light tones, see the beige tones, or in a rawer vein with the copper finishes.

Adjustable wall light for reading

Next to an armchair, an adjustable wall light beats a ceiling light: it focuses light on the book and leaves the rest of the living room in half-light. The Lueur Flexible wall light, in metal and acrylic, is aimed by hand and comes in a dimmable version. Allow for fitting at seated shoulder height, around 1.20 m from the floor.

Living room floor lamp: how to light a reading corner?

A living room floor lamp goes next to an armchair or a sofa for localised lighting. The Élégance Scandinave floor lamp measures 164 x 40 cm, combines wood and fabric, uses an E27 socket and 12 W. Globe-shaped models spread a soft, decorative light.

Living room floor lamp

A floor lamp is chosen first on height: the shade should reach eye level when you are seated, around 1.40 to 1.60 m from the floor. Any higher and the light falls on you; any lower and it lights your knees. The Élégance Scandinave, with its wooden base and textile shade, suits living rooms in natural tones and modern kitchen decor when the two rooms open onto each other.

To widen the search, the floor lamps gather the models in this family.

Globe living room floor lamp

A globe floor lamp spreads light in every direction: it lights without creating hard shadows and works as much as an accent source as a decorative object. Place it in a corner, near a plant or a shelf. This type of fixture is often chosen to create an original living room light that stands out without dominating the room.

What paint colour for a bright living room with Scandinavian lighting?

For a bright living room, light tones such as white, beige or taupe reflect more light. With Scandinavian lighting, a warm white 2700-3500K warms cold walls, while a neutral white 3500-4500K stays true to colours. Glass and aluminium materials spread light without absorbing it.

Bright living room paint colour

A light wall is not everything: the bulb temperature changes how the tone reads. On off-white or pearl grey, a warm white drifts towards ivory in the evening, a neutral white keeps the grey. A cool white, rarer in a living room, gives a sharp, slightly clinical look, better kept for an office or a hallway.

Reflective surfaces matter too: a glass shade or an aluminium structure bounces light back to the ceiling and brightens the room without adding a source. This is one of the benefits of LED living room lighting solutions, which combine low consumption with even light.

Modern living room decor

Modern living room decor rests on a few well-chosen pieces: a low pendant above the table, a discreet wall light, a textile floor lamp. Keep to one colour family and vary the materials. If you are after a more singular approach, look at home lighting as a whole before settling on a style.

Halogen or LED for the living room: which to choose?

The fixtures in this collection are mostly LED, with power ratings from 6 to 100 W depending on the model and warm, neutral or cool white temperatures. An LED bulb uses less than a halogen for a comparable output and lasts longer. For a living room, favour an E27, GU10, G9 or GX53 socket depending on the fixture.

Halogen in the living room

Halogen has the advantage of instant start-up and a warm rendering, but it heats up, uses more and wears out faster. It remains useful when an older fixture requires a filament bulb, provided you respect the maximum wattage stated on the socket. On a new fixture designed for LED, it is better to stick to the technology recommended by the manufacturer.

Some models in the collection, such as the black aluminium pendants, have the LED source built in: nothing to choose, nothing to replace, but also no latitude on temperature. Conversely, a fixture with an E27 socket such as the Élégance Scandinave floor lamp leaves you free on temperature.

LED bulb for bathroom and living room lighting

Choosing a bulb comes down to three checks: the socket, the maximum wattage allowed and the temperature you want. A bulb that is too powerful in a socket rated for less can damage it. For damp rooms, what counts is the fixture's ingress protection rating, not the bulb: see the IP44 lights for use in wet zones.

How to install and look after Scandinavian living room lighting?

The fixtures in this collection are IP20, for indoor use. Installation means fixing the bracket, connecting the wires and screwing in a bulb of the right socket, E27, E14, GU10, G9 or GX53. A soft cloth is enough for care. Some models accept a dimmer to adjust brightness. The collection has 1594 products.

At what height should a pendant hang above the dining table?

As a rule, hang between 70 and 85 cm above the tabletop, a little higher if the fixture is wide. On a height-adjustable pendant, set the cable once and for all, cut the power before working, then check that the view across the room stays clear when you are seated. Design pieces with a large shade often need a centimetre or two more.

Scandinavian lighting for a garden room: what to check?

An indoor IP20 fixture does not go outside. For a terrace or garden room, look for at least IP44, and IP65 near a water point. The outdoor collections cover these uses, for example the pool lights or, for a garage, the garage lights.

Frequently asked questions

Before ordering, check three things: the socket, the height available under the ceiling and the white temperature you want in the living room. Once those are settled, the rest comes down to material and shape. Secure payment, tracked delivery, returns available and Designix customer service to help you choose.