Living rooms are multifunctional: this is where we spend relaxing hours, watch television, read or sometimes work from home. A single ceiling light is not enough for all of this. The industry initiative licht.de recommends equipping a room with a floor space of 20 square metres with three, or better still, five lights. Lights are available in every conceivable design, colour and material, so there is something for everyone. Ideally, they should be dimmable.

In our latitudes, warm white light colours are usually preferred in living spaces. This corresponds to a colour temperature of 2,700 to 3,300 Kelvin. Good colour rendering makes the colours of the surroundings appear natural; a minimum of R_a 80 or higher is recommended. 

Indirect lighting for a pleasant atmosphere 
A ceiling light for general lighting provides basic brightness in a room and enables orientation. Floodlights such as floor and wall lights provide indirect light when directed at walls and ceilings and the reflections are reflected back into the room. The combination of direct and indirect light is perceived as particularly harmonious. Many floor lamps have both: direct light downwards for reading and indirect light upwards. Cleverly placed LED strips also provide indirect light, for example as a TV backdrop.

Light is most effective when it is not uniform throughout a space. Accent lighting with spotlights can be used to highlight pictures, sculptures, display cases and shelves. However, it should be brighter than the general lighting in order to be effective.