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Lighting ideas for your living room ceiling

Welcome to lighting ideas for your living room ceiling. From watching TV to enjoying a hobby or throwing a party, there’s a lot going on in this room. You need a mix of lighting for your different activities and to help create different moods. And ceiling lights can be a strong part of that mix.

A spacious and bright living room with a beige VIMLE sofa, a TONSTAD coffee table, colourful cushions and a blue throw.

Why do you need lights?

Lights do different things in your home. They can light up the room so you and your eyes feel comfortable and you can find the remote controls. They can light up specific things or spaces, like pictures on your wall or your sofa area. And they can help create and change the mood in an instant.

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A white REGOLIT/HEMMA pendant lamp hangs in a living room with a JÄTTEBO modular sofa and a LISTERBY coffee table.
A white stained oak veneer DYKARKLOCKA pendant lampshade with a lit light bulb inside it hangs from a ceiling.
A NYMÅNE ceiling spotlight with 1 spot is mounted to the ceiling and shines its light on a poster on a wall.
A bamboo MISTERHULT pendant lamp hangs over three black-brown LACK side tables standing in front of a sofa.
A 3-armed SIMRISHAMN pendant lamp hangs from the ceiling in a room with beige walls near an elaborate door.
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Lighting up your whole room

For things like tidying up or vacuuming, you need even light throughout your room. A light fairly high up, in about the middle of your room, can do the trick. A pendant, a ceiling lamp or a chandelier, for example. If you can dim it, you can turn it down at other times to give a soft, cozy light.

A REGNSKUR pendant lamp hangs over a SÖDERHAMN 3-seat section with a throw and an extra cushion with a DYTÅG cushion cover.
A black/white 8-armed STORSLINGA LED chandelier hangs from a ceiling in an industrial-style room with large windows.
A white stained oak veneer DYKARKLOCKA pendant lamp hangs from the ceiling above a TONSTAD coffee table in a living room.
A small-space dining area with a beige LINANÄS sofa, a black SANDSBERG table with three black ADDE chairs and BÄCKNATE lamp.
A white REGOLIT pendant lamp, which has a lit light bulb inside it, hangs from a ceiling in a living room.

Lighting up a special area

Why not hang a pendant or even some decorative LED light bulbs over your sofa area or dining table? You’ll get light for the things you do there, and you’ll create a cozy room within a room feeling. Plus, if you can dim the light, you can set the right mood in an instant.

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Three globe grey clear glass MOLNART LED bulbs hang from the ceiling above a LYCKSELE LÖVÅS sofa-bed and a rug.
A white PEKTOLIT pendant lampshade, which has a lit light bulb inside it, hangs from a ceiling in a room with green walls.
A white YTLÄGE pendant lamp hangs over a small table which stands at the side of a sofa against a wall in a living room.
Two NYMÅNE LED pendant lamps hang over a brown STRANDTORP extendable table and some black NORDVIKEN chairs.
A turquoise REGNSKUR pendant lamp hangs over a table which stands in front of a sofa against a wall in a living room.
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Smart lighting gives you more

You can dim and change the tone of the light of smart LED bulbs like these. So you can have brighter, colder light to set the table and warmer light for dinner. IKEA smart lighting is full of possibilities. You can even set up different lighting combinations or “scenes”, and save them in an app, ready for instant use.

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The wireless dimmer/power switch of a TRÅDFRI starter kit lies on a green table underneath a white ZEBRASÄV pendant lamp.
A white ZEBRASÄV pendant lamp hangs over a table with food on it. The light brightens and the food is replaced with a laptop.
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What can you do with a low ceiling?

If your ceiling is low, a ceiling lamp is a good way to spread light throughout your room. It’s best to avoid a chandelier or a pendant that hangs too low down in the middle of the room where you walk. A pendant hanging down over a desk, table or coffee table can work well.

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Two brass/grey clear glass SOLKLINT pendant lamps hang from the ceiling in a room which also has a wall lamp on one wall.
A chrome-plated/opal white glass DEJSA ceiling lamp with 3 lamps is attached to a white ceiling in a room with beige walls.
A NYMÅNE LED pendant lamp hangs over a black LISABO table and two black LISABO chairs which stand on a LOHALS rug.
A brass/gray clear glass SOLKLINT ceiling lamp is attached to the ceiling in a room with a white and green colour scheme.
A matte black KABOMBA LED ceiling lamp is attached to a ceiling in a room with tiled walls and white-framed windows.
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What about a high ceiling?

If you have a higher living room ceiling, you don’t have to worry about hitting your head on the light. So a chandelier or ceiling lamp or a pendant will all work well in the middle of your room. You can go for bigger pendants or why not hang up more than one?

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A black/white 8-armed STORSLINGA LED chandelier hangs from a ceiling above a sofa-bed and a SONHULT nest of tables, set of 2.
A RISBYN pendant lamp hangs above some modular LILLEHEM seating in a living room with IVAR cabinets on the wall.
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Highlight the things you love

Want to light up art on your wall, a display of your favorite objects on a sideboard, or a bookcase? Ceiling spotlights where you can adjust the direction of the light are great. The reflected light can add atmosphere to your room, too.

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A KRUSNATE ceiling spotlight with 4 spots is attached to the ceiling above some art on the wall and two storage units.
A NYMÅNE ceiling spotlight with 4 spots is attached to the ceiling in a room with a picture of flowers on the wall.
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Let your personality shine

Why not make a personal style statement with a pendant that stands out? These ones make a big impact even when they’re not lit. Some open out and change shape when you pull the string!

A close-up of a white VINDKAST pendant lamp hanging in a living room with red curtains. The lamp is lit.
A white RAMSELE pendant lamp hangs in a living room near a sofa with a throw hanging over one end. The lamp is lit.
A black IKEA PS 2014 pendant lamp hangs above a VOXLÖV dining table in front of two glass doors. The lamp is lit.
A KRAGSTA coffee table and a PERSBOL armchair stand in front of a leather VISKAFORS 2-seat sofa and a FLYGHÖJD floor lamp.
An EKEDALEN extendable table, with KRYLBO chairs and an URBAN junior chair around it, stands under an YTLÄGE pendant lamp.

Lots of what you like!

When it comes to lighting ideas for your living room ceiling, sometimes more is more! If you like the look of the pendant, why hang up just one?

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Five REGNSKUR/SUNNEBY pendant lamps hang from the ceiling above a beige VIMLE sofa and a STOCKHOLM nest of tables, set of 2.
Two HÖGVIND pendant lamps with 3 lamps hang from the ceiling in front of some curtains. The lamps are lit.
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Looking for more about living room lighting?

Like these tips on lights for your living room ceiling? You can find more bright ideas to help you light your living room here.

A farmhouse-style living room with plenty of framed works of art and books, two ESSEBODA sofas and some KRAGSTA tables.
Making the most of your living room lighting