How to Light A Living Room with No Overhead Lighting?

Sometimes you find the perfect place that you can call home, it has everything that you need. It has the ideal location, all the amenities, and all the right things that you always wished for but as the sun goes down you realize that something is missing, there seems to be no overhead lighting.

What are you going to do now?

Well, don’t let your heart sink so fast. If you don’t have overhead lighting your dream home can look a little gloomy and dark at nightfall. There are some challenges that come with having ceiling lights installed on your own, it can be against the terms of your lease.

If you try to get overhead lighting and any sort of damage occurs your run the risk of losing your security deposit and then there is always the problem of safety, surely you don’t want to turn your dream home into a fire hazard. So, what should you do?

There are several things that you can do to get around this issue safely. You just need to be open to new ideas and let your creativity take over. Here is how you can light a living room with no overhead lighting.

Floor Lamps – The most common solution is to go for floor lamps. But not just any floor lamp. You need to find the right floor lamp according to the floor space of your living room. If you have a large space, then you should go for a floor lamp that gives off less shade as you want the light to travel as far as it can. Go for a floor lamp that will eliminate ample light. If you have enough space for more than one-floor lamp, then you can probably go for more shaded floor lamps but the idea is to keep your floor space in mind when choosing the floor lamp.

[amazon box=”B07WFC14VR, B088P34X2K, B07T41842X, B078YR2WYQ, B01MFC2O83, B07YBBT8KZ, B071XVLJ54, B01BLDPEUK, B08J7Z45TR” grid=”3″]

Plug-In Pendant – This is a clever solution to your overhead lighting problem because it imitates the effect that you get with overhead lighting the best. Plug-In pendant lights are a kind of hanging ceiling lights that you can simply plug into a power outlet.

They give your living room a unique feel and provide more than enough lighting. There are a few prerequisites though if you want to go for this option. You are going to have to add some hooks to the ceiling to hang these lights from these hooks will allow you to drape the cord of the light. It is another great way to get around the lack of overhead lighting.

[amazon box=”B07Y4D3SL6, B078W62KH3, B085ZT3G5K, B0815WMD75, B081KQN2H8, B07S73SNZ6″ grid=”3″]

Desk Lamps – They might not be able to fill in the need for your sole lighting source but when it comes to aesthetics and functionality they work like a charm. Usually, desk lamps are smaller in size than conventional table lamps.

They work best when you need lighting in different spots without having to compromise on the aesthetics of your living room. If you have consoles and tables in your living room this is the lighting option that will work best to compensate for the lack of overhead lighting. Desk lamps are available readily in all kinds of styles, you can choose the ones that go best with the theme of your living room.

[amazon box=”B00VUTAFR8, B07Z4YRNRX, B00APAQSP6, B07DRKDFJS, B07YXWFC2W, B07Z3D1TGZ, B08NWPYJ6T” grid=”3″]

Sconce – This is a relatively new and creative way around not having overhead lighting. The best part is that sconces have dual functionality they offer you a decent-sized platform under the light which you can use as a table or as a place to put some decorations.

Since the light will be shining directly on top of anything that you place on the platform, this makes it a great way to highlight your decorations. The ideal placement for this lighting option will be next to any sitting arrangements, this way you will be able to get the most out of the functionality aspect of sconces. You can either have them wired or you can go for a plug-in option. Either way, they are a great alternative to overhead lighting. They look stylish and will elevate the look of your living room.

[amazon box=”B07DFLS5LS, B07RPSTMKK, B07T18HQYK, B07M6MNGZS, B07JBTCMJ7, B07XCCLN4H, B07L9VNCMZ” grid=”3″]

Hanging Edison Bulb – The recent boom of the industrial look has made these kinds of lighting fixtures very in demand and popular. If the idea of exposed bulbs sits right with you then this is the option that you want to consider to fill the shoes of overhead lighting.

Hanging Edison bulbs give you ample light and will give a very modern look to your living room. However, it must be said that these work best in conjunction with other light sources. They can not act as your primary lighting source, so keep that in mind. They are relatively easy to install since they come as a plug-in, all you will need is a hook to hand them from.

[amazon box=”B01ENLEZF2, B07HR8SB8V, B07BSDTQXD, B07VD1ZJ3S, B088WBGY6H, B08HVP6L86, B08J3Z2314″ grid=”3″]

No Shade Floor Lamp – Earlier we mentioned floor lamps with shades. No shade floor lamps are another variation that you should consider if you are a fan of the industrial aesthetic. You can pair these up with hanging Edison bulbs to give your living room a contemporary feel.

They are easy on the eye since their design is simple and clean. They give you the most amount of light out of any kind of floor lamp and look good while doing it. They work best in bigger spaces since they can be a little too bright in smaller spaces. So, keep that in mind when choosing these.

[amazon box=”B07QZZ24K7, B00PY9TAT4, 00000000, B00TU423N4″ grid=”4″]

Spotlight Floor Lamp – There is a difference between too much light and focused light. These floor lamps give you the ability to create a spotlight effect in your living room.

This means that even though you will have light in the whole living room you can choose to focus the light on a specific area as well. These are great if you have a lovely decoration piece that you want to highlight in your living room. Despite being very powerful they come in a variety of beautiful designs which means that they will not be an eyesore.

[amazon box=”B087MC9YQ6, B0794G2JKZ, B07R5JP6CT, B0838XGFNM” grid=”4″]

Window String Lighting – This is a very polarizing option. Some people absolutely love the idea of an array of string lights hanging down in front of curtains or a wall and some people hate it. It all comes down to a matter of personal preference, but they are a very good light source regardless.

They provide you with soft dispersed lighting for the living room which is great if you are looking to relax. They can not act as your primary source of light however and you will need to pair these up with an additional source of light. The dim light that they give is unique and creates a soothing atmosphere. Whether you find that good or bad is down to your personal taste.

[amazon box=”B01LLSNG1E, B08NT1XJ6C, B08BFM71CB” grid=”3″]

Mirrors – This is not a lighting source in itself but they act as an amplifier. If you have a single lighting source and you feel like it is not lighting the room up enough then all you need to do is install a few decorative mirrors and point the lighting source in their direction.

The light will bounce off the mirrors and spread all over the room. If you like mirror decorations, then you can get the most out of them and have them act as indirect light sources as well. They will make your living room look better and more well-lit. it is a win-win. But if you are not a fan of mirror decorations then this one might not be for you.

[amazon box=”B07R1XJNT9, B075XLRHNQ, B07952T5PY” grid=”3″]

Uplights – If you think about it overhead lights or ceiling lights shine the light down to illuminate the room. Well, since you can’t have them installed how about you flip the script and start to shine a light on the ceiling instead?

Uplights allow you to do this. These work best when you have a light color on the ceiling. Uplights target the light on the ceiling and it bounces back illuminating the entire room. The lighting effect that you get with these is soft light since it is not hitting you directly. It is a great option if you want a well-lit living room that is also soft. It creates a relaxing ambiance that is ideal for hosting dinner parties or having quality family time. They can act as your sole source of lighting if you like the feel that they create.

[amazon box=”B07W6SHBV5, B074H62XML, B01GPQM5WI, B076B6GYJW” grid=”4″]

All in all, there are plenty of different ways around overhead lighting. So, don’t worry one bit about it. Browse through the options that we have discussed here and see which one suits your needs the best. It’s good to have something different and unique when it comes to lighting, it can really elevate the look and style of your living room. Best of luck!