Need suggestions for living room lightining (floor, painting, ceiling, furniture)

[skubaman]

Hi All,
1940 San Francisco house, first owned house, first remodel. I need to make some decisions on lighting for the living room to tell the electrician.
Currently it's setup for sconces on all 3 walls. I am wondering about closing some of those sconces and putting 1 surface mount light on ceiling. With sconces on the middle of all walls how can I decorate, let's say put a picture on the middle of the wall? Maybe leave just sconce on back wall close to entrance.

Thoughts? If you are into the surface light idea, what would you use?

I am attaching a pictures,

Thanks so much

[Pitt Chick]

Personally, I would leave the sconces as I do not like overhead lighting in a living room.

What will YOU use the room for? Plan your lighting around that.
Floor lamps and table lamps are what I need/use in my living room.

Do you want a ceiling fan? Will that have lighting on it?

[skubaman]

No fan needed. Room with be for entertaining guests, chilling after work and watching TV.

If I live the sconces, should i just have pictures to the sides of them? I think would look weird. Maybe I can move the sconces higher in the wall, or do they need to be in the middle?

Thanks

[CptnRn]

The ceiling is relatively low, I would not add ceiling lights to it unless you desire a ceiling fan.

I would focus on your furniture and artwork first, then decide what lighting you need to enhance it all.

You could consider track lighting if you like the high tech look. It can be very flexible. Otherwise I would leave the sconce boxes, install outlets in them, cover them with artwork and add frame mounted lights or track lights to illuminate the artwork. Use floor lamps with up lights and reading lights to provide additional illumination where needed. Perhaps keep one of the sconce lights if you can find something really sculptural and nice that works there and still allows you to decorate the way you desire. Or use it for a flat screen TV. You will probably have to add a box for TV cables.

[K'ledgeBldr]

I like the idea of artwork lighting for the sconce locations- it would probably help with artwork placement especially large pieces.
Something like this-


This particular unit is from Troy Lighting- it's actually a plug-in. But a good electrician will know how to adapt it to the sconce box. If all the sconces are on one switch, change it out to a remote control switch with dimmer capabilities.

Use table lamps for task lighting.

[skubaman]

Gus thanks, but I think I was misunderstood. I don't really have artwork to display, I am not looking to light them. I might have framed posters, maybe simple painting, nothing that i need lights to show it off. My concern is about something different, the location of the sconces. With them being in the middle of the walls make it hard to put anything there. Any pictures/poster/etc... would need to go on one side of it, looking off if I don't have something on the other side. Does it make sense?

Thanks

[K'ledgeBldr]

It's really a simple decision-
If you don't like the current location of the sconces, change them.
If you don't like the idea of sconces at all, eliminate them.

Which leaves the question- where is the lighting going to come from? Or; better yet, where do YOU prefer it comes from? Ceiling fixture; fan/light or chandelier?
Or keep it simple- table lamps?

It's your house, you live in it- do what you want. But you did ask for opinions.

[skubaman]

Of course I can do what I choose, but I really don't know. It's first time I own a home and doing a remodel. I am looking for suggestions, that's all. I do appreciate opinions a lot, I was just clarifying something so people understand better.

Thanks