Though not the same as chandeliers, pendant lights can enhance your living areas and provide a more lively feel. Below are some pendant lighting ideas for your living room to inspire your new look.
Fancy Centerpiece Pendant Light Ideas
Tough chandeliers don’t qualify as pendant lights because they have too many light bulbs; you don’t have to go simple if you want to decorate and illuminate your living room with a pendant light.
There are great ways to jazz up your living room lighting. One of them is to make it look fancy with only a single pendant light and a unique lampshade or other decorations.
1. Jeweled Lampshade
Adding a jeweled lampshade is one of the most commonly found and beautiful ways to decorate a pendant light that serves as a centerpiece. If done right, this effect can make your pendant light look like a chandelier, though you can use cheaper alternatives to the classic crystal chandeliers.
In addition to looking beautiful when the light is on, some jeweled or crystal lampshades can also cast light onto the surrounding area and your walls. If you have a high ceiling in your living room, this is one of the best pendant light ideas for your living room.
2. Intricate Wooden Lampshade
There are other intricate and beautiful lampshade ideas you can buy or make yourself, many of which get made from wood. Some of these patterns include swirling patterns or even individual shapes that overlap to create something that seems like it belongs in a science lab.
Whether you use the more traditional swirl-type lampshade or want to make a scientific-looking one, you’re sure to leave guests admiring your lighting arrangement.
3. Basket Lampshades
Basket lampshades are also a popular and beautiful way to decorate your living room while adding a centerpiece. Though they are widespread, there are many different versions and designs of these basket lampshades. If you have more than one pendant light in your living room, this decoration can also be a great way to make a theme.
Adding a few pendant lights with these basket lampshades in different colors allows you to create a relaxed atmosphere or theme.
4. Use A Paper Lantern Design
In addition to the baskets mentioned above, you can use other decorative pieces to create a wonderful and relaxing atmosphere in your living room. One of these decorations is the traditional paper ball lantern.
Not only can you make these types of lampshades yourself, but you can also buy them in an array of different colors that can help you make your living room a magical place. Similar to the baskets, you can add more than a single light to your living room to create a theme or color combination that you can replicate or use to inspire furniture changes.
5. Go Old-school
If you love retro or vintage things, one great idea to pull your home together is to add retro lampshades to your pendant lights in your living room. There are many different retro-styled lampshades available, and you can find anything from multicolored cones to old cage-style lampshades to add to your pendant lights.
With so many different options, you will undoubtedly find one that works in your living room. Again, as with some of the previously mentioned ideas, you can use an array of colors to make your new lights fit your aesthetic or create a theme to help tie everything together.
Non-Centerpiece Lighting Ideas
Though having single light in the middle of your living room is a brilliant way to draw attention, not everyone wants that. Instead, there are other ways you can use pendant lighting to ensure you get a well-lit room without drawing too much attention.
There are a few different ways to allow your pendant lights to create an atmosphere or a theme without being the center of interest in your living room. Some methods include using color-matched lamp shades along your walls or adding light to specific areas in your living room.
6. Line Your Walls
Like many people who use recessed lights, you can add pendant lights around your room to light up the space without being the main attraction. Adding pendant lights with lampshades that stick to the color you use in your living room allows you to create light that illuminates the space without causing anyone to stare.
Alternatively, you can use the same method with colorful lampshades to create an atmosphere similar to how outdoor events use colored lights. If your living room already has a theme, you can use pendant lights, as described in the previous section, to serve as both decoration and a light source.
7. Direct Attention With Lighting
If you have a display case in your living room with some unique objects, it’s only natural that you may want to show this off. If this is the case, adding pendant lights to highlight this area of your living room can be a great way to draw attention. Doing this is especially effective if your living room has a dimmer light setting.
In addition to drawing attention to a case like the one mentioned above, adding pendant lights to specific sections of your living room can also do wonders. For example, having a pendant light to light up a bookshelf and reading area can create a wonderful atmosphere for any bookworm.
8. Use Pattern Pendant Lights
Though pendant lights usually have one light bulb, if your light bulb gets contorted into a strange shape, this can make for an excellent and unique-looking light piece. Using tube lights that get made into different forms can be a great way to add extra character to your living room.
These lights can work great as a centerpiece of your living room or as an additional light that creates an atmosphere. However, these lights are more common in modern or minimalistic spaces.
9. Create A Layered Pendant Light Ceiling
Though this idea isn’t for everyone, one unique way to make your living room well-lit and memorable is by adding many pendant lights on different layers. This concept involves having a few lights on different levels around the room.
Though this may sound simple if the lights aren’t too bright, this can create a unique and cozy feeling in your living room. However, it is essential not to hang too many lights since this could have an effect that always makes your living room look cluttered.
