MATCHING YOUR LIGHTS TO YOUR LIVING ROOM DESIGN *

Your living room is one of the most important rooms in your house. It's where you relax after a long day at work, laugh with friends and watch endless hours of Netflix, so it has to be functional and look good. As well as the way you decorate, the lighting is important, too. Good lighting can make your living room feel warm, cosy and inviting. So here are some lighting ideas to match your living room design.

Shabby Chic, Romantic and Girly

This type of living room is cute, quirky and full of personality. Featuring pale pinks, adorable floral patterns, and a vintage feel, a shabby chic living room is romantic, soft and relaxing. The lighting here is really important, as the wrong style can throw the whole room out of balance. An ultra modern lighting here is a definite no-no! Instead, choose a chandelier with romantic floral touches, fairy lights for an extra feminine touch, and vintage style floor lights with embroidered shades. Choose lighting in rose gold, silver, or copper to bring the theme together.

50 Shades of Magnolia

If you live in a rented property, then unless you have an amazing landlord, you're probably prohibited from painting walls and redecorating. So what can you do with your living room when the walls are in boring shades of cream? Create a feature wall by making art gallery, poster or mirror wall, add colour with cushions, rugs and accessories and then go crazy with your lights! In a cream room you have endless choices, so let your creative side shine through with lava lamps, neon signs, or even novelty lights in the shape of flowers and dogs.

Bold and Beautiful

If you love colour, then your living room is a great place to express it. While everyone else is choosing sofas in neutral shades, you've chosen a bright patterned fabric, painted a bold feature wall and accessorised with a colourful rug – go you! If your living room is an eclectic mix of design and colour, your lighting can pull it all together. Choose a bold retro ceiling light in your main colour and add rope lights around mirrors or cornices for an extra statement.

Modern and Minimal

For some people, too many accessories just means clutter. If you're one of these people, you have probably decorated your living room in a minimal style, with carefully placed pops of colour, clean lines or a monochrome pallet. For this design, think of a square leather sofa, a plush faux fur rug and gloss finish furniture. In such a stylish space, the lighting has to be subtle but stylish. Choose a contemporary ceiling light such as a modern chandelier or steel pendant and finish with matching table lamps.