5 Ways to Tweak Your Living Room Lighting to Make It Feel Warmer — Expert Advice for a Space That's Both Snug and Elevated

Above all else, your living room should be a place of comfort. It's the main room in the home where the primary function is comfort and relaxation (outside of the bedroom), and in these chilly months, relaxation and warmth are more intertwined than ever. And for the warmest, coziest living room, your lighting scheme is key. But how can lighting make you feel warmer?

It's impossible to underplay the importance of lighting, both in how relaxing and how warm you feel, and there are key switches you can make to harness its benefits. While, of course, a big comfy sofa won't go amiss in your living room, if that sofa is sat beneath harsh lighting, you may as well be sat on a concrete block. And no time will you be more aware of the role of your living room's lighting than during the winter.

And while you may be tempted to crank up the heating even higher to help combat this, the warmth of your living room comes from far more than just your radiators. In fact, with the right lighting, your living room can feel positively snug — and our experts are here to tell you exactly how to achieve that.

1. Maximize Natural Light

As much as bringing in the right bulbs and light fittings can make a difference, nothing can quite beat the feeling of basking in the warmth of natural sunlight. And while we'd love to install a skylight and floor-to-ceiling windows in every room in the home, sometimes finding small ways to emphasize the natural light already there can be just as effective.

"I’d always advise prioritizing natural light where possible and planning your layout to maximize it," suggests Katerina Tchevytchalova, director at K’Arte Design.

This doesn't have to be complicated either, Katerina suggests simple tricks like "using living room mirrors or lighter wall colors to reflect light effectively." Finding ways to help the natural light bounce off your surfaces and fill the room can have a truly transformative effect on the space, making it not just feel warmer, but larger, too.

2. Layer, Layer, Layer

If there's one piece of advice any lighting expert and interior designer alike will give you, it's to layer.

The truth of the matter is, one single ceiling light is never going to give the inviting, cozy living room vibes you're looking for. "The key to making a room feel warm is layering your lighting rather than relying on a single source," explains Jo Plant, creative director of Pooky.

Instead, try to find numerous lighting options and spread them across your space, Jo suggests. "A combination of ambient lighting, such as ceiling lights, along with wall lights, table lamps, and floor lamps, allows you to create depth and softness within a space."

To help you with this, try separating lighting into different categories, and make sure you have something that fits into each one. "Think in terms of general, focused, and decorative lighting, combining ambient light with table and floor lamps, as well as accent lighting to highlight key areas," says Katerina. This approach means your lighting scheme won't just look good; it will function effectively, too.

Another helpful tool is to consider the eye-line of your lighting. Experts often say that prioritizing eye-level lighting results in a more inviting, comforting space, and Jo agrees, saying, "Lower-level lighting instantly feels more intimate and inviting than light coming from directly overhead."

To achieve this, she recommends utilizing a combination of lamps and wall lights, saying, "Wall lights are particularly effective as they cast a gentle wash of light across the walls, while lamps placed at eye level help to create a cozy glow throughout the room. Using lampshades made from fabrics like linen or silk will further soften the light and enhance that warm, comforting feel.”

This Soft-Pleated Fabric Table Lamp at M&S gives ultimate warm, cozy vibes.

3. Switch Out Your Bulbs

When you're looking for ways to introduce more warmth into your living room (or any room, for that matter), you cannot underestimate the effect that the right light bulbs can have on your space.

It all begins with developing some understanding of light bulbs — don't worry, it's not as confusing as it seems. But once you know what each number actually means, it becomes a whole lot easier to pick out the right bulbs for you.

The most important measurement to consider when you want to amp up the warmth factor of your home is the color temperature of your bulbs, which is measured in kelvins. For a "soft, welcoming glow," David Patton, from Quorum Lighting, suggests "Incorporating lighting in the 2000–3000 Kelvin range." Adding that, "Creating a warm, inviting living room starts with using multiple layers of light in the right color temperature."

Knowing the difference between warm light and cool light is key, and knowing which type to avoid in certain spaces and at certain times.

Ron Henderson, co-founder and president of Varaluz, has some helpful guidelines to bear in mind: "If you’re using LED lighting, make sure it mimics the glow of old-school incandescent light. Steer clear of anything labeled daylight, sunlight, or cool white — those bulbs may be great for garages and offices, but in a living room, they drain warmth faster than a bad paint color."

4. Work From the Outside In

When lighting a modern living room, the most common approach is to start with one centrally located overhead light and build around that. However, experts actually suggest that the opposite approach may fare better when it comes to creating warmth — and we have plenty of overhead-lighting alternatives to consider.

"Lighting walls, shelves, or architectural details rather than the center of the room helps create depth, while avoiding harsh contrasts," says Tyrone Cosway, from Luxone. Adding lighting to your cabinetry and around the perimeters of the room creates a cocooning warmth, as opposed to the harsh, unnatural glow of a singular overhead light source.

In fact, Ron says, "A single overhead fixture creates more problems than people realize." And it's not just down to looks either; this lighting style does no favors to the functionality of your space. "It’s often right in your line of sight when watching TV — or worse, reflected on the screen. Everything at the edges of the room falls into shadow, making the space feel smaller and less inviting. And let’s be honest: no one wants to crank a ceiling light to full brightness just to have a conversation. It’s a mood killer."

Of course, this doesn't mean you have to ditch your overhead lights entirely, but adding these extra layers of warmth is a good way to make overhead lighting feel less harsh.

5. Soften It Up

Finally, as much as placement and color temperature will make a difference, this is not to say the finish of your light fittings themselves is entirely irrelevant. In fact, the materials and finish of your fittings can help to redirect the overall feel of your living room, so knowing which lighting to buy is key.

For the warmest, most welcoming finish, Ron suggests steering clear of the ultra-trendy chrome decor. While it's great for a slick, modern finish, but when trying to create more warmth in a space, it's best to look elsewhere.

"Warm finishes like brass, gold, or soft bronze instantly feel more inviting than black, chrome, or silver, which tend to read cooler and more severe," says Ron. And, he continues, "Shape plays a role, too. Curves, rounded profiles, and organic forms register as welcoming to most people, while rigid lines and sharp angles feel more architectural — and often less cozy."

You'll want to seek out things that hark back to nature, either in form or texture, with a subdued softness rather than any sharp, harsh finishes. Ultimately, Ron says, "If warmth is the goal, softness wins."

If these tips aren't enough to fight off the chill in your home, why not try out some of our other ideas on how you can make a cold room feel warmer without touching the heating? They're sure to see you through until the end of this cold season.