You use your family room, or great room, for a number of purposes, from entertaining guests and watching TV to reading your favorite books and playing games with the entire family. At LightStyles in Cornelius, we love helping people find the perfect family room lighting for their home, and we can provide you with a number of different fixture options for each layer of lighting that you need. As with any room, your family or great room needs distinct lighting layers, from the ambient lighting on the ceiling to the task lighting next to the couch. We can help you choose chandeliers, pendants, wall sconces, lamps, and much more. Visit our showroom today to get started!

Ambient Lighting Options

The first layer of lighting for your family room is the ambient lighting. This is provided by the ceiling or overhead lights, and should be sufficient for the general illumination of the room. You can install a new chandelier or ceiling fan in the center of the room, and with the right bulbs, the fixture will be bright enough to light the entire space. It’s important for the light to reach the walls and corners of the room so that you don’t have unwanted shadows or dark spots.

If your family room is truly great in size, you might need more than one overhead ambient fixture for the space. You can install multiple hanging lights or ceiling fans, while also adding recessed lighting around the perimeter of the room. This will ensure that the room has plenty of light, while also balancing the amount of illumination in each area of the room.

Before you begin shopping for new ambient fixtures for your family room, it’s a good idea to measure the space. Once you have those dimensions, we can help you find the appropriate lighting that will brighten the room and fit perfectly. You don’t want a fan or chandelier that feels too big or too large for the space, as that can throw off the room’s comfort and ambience. As for lighting styles, we can show you countless options to fit your personal tastes and preferences.

Accent Lighting Choices

The next layer of lighting in your family room is the accent fixtures. These lights include wall sconces, floor and table lamps, and any other fixtures that illuminate the middle and lower layers of the room. They can help accentuate furniture and decor, while also making the room brighter and more inviting.

Again, the size of the room will determine how many accent lights you’ll need. You might want to put wall sconces on either side of the fireplace, while you set a floor lamp next to your favorite chair or couch. Table lamps can function as both accent and task fixtures, which we’ll cover next. Pay special attention to corners and other areas where the ambient lighting isn’t as bright — adding accent fixtures to these areas can make the room more appealing and dynamic in terms of lighting.

When looking at accent lighting styles, you’ll want them to match or complement your ambient fixtures. We can show you specific lighting brands or designs that offer both ambient and accent lights, making it easy for you to choose the best options for your first two layers of lighting.

Task Lighting Possibilities

Task lighting is important in many rooms, the family room included. If you like to read or scroll on your phone in the evening, then a well-placed table or accent lamp can provide the perfect amount of task light. If you have a table set up for family games and activities, such as puzzles or board games, a pendant or island light above the table can function as a task fixture.

Since task lighting provides illumination for the lower layer of the room, where you sit and relax or play games as a family, you won’t need a ton of light fixtures. Two or three well-placed lights can provide all the lighting you’ll need, while also balancing the illumination from your ambient and accent fixtures. Your task lighting styles can be the same, or similar, as the first two layers, making the room feel complete in terms of lighting design and layout.

Home Entertainment Zone

A major focal point of many family rooms is the home entertainment zone. You’ve purchased a new flat screen TV, mounted it on the wall, and connected your cable service, game consoles, and more to it. What about the lighting? You don’t want a glare on the screen, which makes recessed lighting an optimal choice for this zone. You can put table or floor lamps next to the couches and chairs you have for theater seating, and once the show or movie is playing, you can turn the lamps off and dim the recessed lights for that true “cinema” feel.

Lighting Controls

When thinking about new lighting for your family room, it’s important not to forget about new lighting controls. Each fixture, or set of fixtures, is going to need a switch or dimmer. For your ambient lights, you can install a switch near the entrance of the room so that you can turn the overhead lights on and off as you enter and exit. If you’re installing a ceiling fan, think about adding a variable speed remote so that you can set the rotation where you want it, as well as reverse the rotation based on the time of year.

For your wall sconces and other dedicated accent lights, you’ll want a switch or dimmer for those as well. These controls can be near the ambient light switches, but make sure you’re able to easily access them when you need to turn an accent light on or off. For example, if you want to turn on the sconces above the fireplace, place the switch in a convenient location.

Your table and floor lamps will be controlled by their own individual switches or pull chains. You’ll want to place them in spots where their cords won’t be a tripping hazard while people are walking through the room. Floor outlets can be a prime solution for this problem, and we’ll gladly talk to you about updating the wiring in your family room.

Last but not least, dimmer switches are a great option for family rooms. You can place your sconces, recessed lights, and other fixtures on dimmers, giving you the ability to set the levels where you want them based on time of day or the mood you want to set at any given time.

Find Your New Family Room Lighting

If you’re looking for new family room lighting, we hope that you’ll choose LightStyles for all of your fixtures. We’ve proudly served Cornelius and the Lake Norman area for many years, and we’d love nothing more than to show you what we have in stock. You can work with one of our lighting experts to plan and design your new family or great room, and once the space is finished, we know you’ll love using it for years to come.