Hand on heart: Do you walk into your living room and feel a bit like you're at a bowling alley? Walls to Left and right that seem to come towards you and a distant end that sinks into the semi-darkness? You are not alone. The "tube room" is an architectural classic - and one of the biggest challenges for anyone who wants a cozy, inviting home.
Most fail because they are fighting with the wrong weapons. They try to "slay" the room with a single, powerful lamp or line up lights like on an airfield runway. The result? The tunnel effect is only amplified. But what if we told you that your long, narrow room is not your fate, but your greatest opportunity? With the right lighting concept, you can visually widen it, give it character and transform it into a succession of beautiful, homely zones. This is not just an article with a few tips. This is your complete roadmap.
Before we hang a single lamp, we need to understand the core problem. A long, narrow room looks like a tunnel because our eye is inevitably led along the long walls to the end of the room. Anything that emphasizes this long axis makes it worse.
And what do most people do? They hang a series of spotlights along the ceiling or a long track lengthwise. This is a "light highway" that makes the eye shoot even faster to the end of the room. The room appears even longer, even narrower. Our aim must be the exact opposite: We must break the longitudinal axis and emphasize the transverse axis.
Say goodbye to the idea of lighting the room as a whole. Instead, think of it as a chain of smaller, cozy "mini-rooms". Each of these areas is given its own appropriate light. This not only creates a cozy atmosphere, but also breaks up the long, monotonous stretch for the eye.
Go through your room mentally. Where does what take place? Typical zones are
By defining these zones, you have already created the basis for your lighting plan. Each zone is now illuminated individually and appropriately.
Now comes the key trick to visually widen the room. We use light to emphasize the short walls and create visual barriers that divide the room.
Okay, the strategy is in place. But which lamps implement it best?
Believe me, wall lights are your best friend in the tube room. Especially models that cast their light upwards and downwards (up & down lights). Mount them on the long walls. What happens?
But the most important thing is that the light is emitted to the side, which emphasizes the wall surface and immediately makes the room appear wider. They shine transversely, not lengthways.
Floor lamps are perfect for marking out your defined zones. An elegant arc lamp leaning over the coffee table creates a clear "living room island". A slim reading lamp next to the armchair defines the reading corner.
Most people would hang a single pendant light in the middle of the room. Don't do that! This only creates a bright, lonely island in the middle and leaves the ends of the room in darkness.
If you love pendant lights, then take a different path:
If you want the wow effect, then indirect light is the way to go. It means that you don't see the luminaire itself, but only its soft, reflected light. This is the secret behind every luxurious hotel room.
A long, narrow room is not a planning mistake that you have to put up with. It's a blank canvas that calls for an intelligent director. By stopping fighting the length and starting to stage the width instead, you'll work wonders.
Break the monotony. Create rhythm, depth and interest through clever zones, playing with direct and indirect light and emphasizing the transverse axis. You will be surprised how your room suddenly breathes, gains width and becomes a place where you not only spend time, but where you really want to live and feel good. Your room has potential - you just need to give it the right light.
As the founder of BUYnBLUE and Lumoir Jewelry, I share my passion for unique designs and current trends. My goal is to inspire you and help you find the right designer pieces that emphasize your personality and bring you joy for a long time.
Optimum room lighting even without a ceiling connection
No ceiling connection? No problem! How to stylishly bring light into the dark Who hasn't been there? You move into a charming apartment in an old building or a modern loft and realize: in the middle of...
Read more
Which lighting in rooms with sloping ceilings? - Tips and tricks
Step-by-step instructions for perfect light in rooms with sloping ceilings Do you know the feeling? You walk into your attic, this room that is actually so full of character, and a feeling of en...
Read more