Best Lightroom Settings for Interior Photography

Getting the right settings in Lightroom can turn a dull room photo into something bright, clear, and ready to wow. It doesn’t have to be complicated. This guide gives you straightforward settings to make your interiors look inviting without going overboard.

If you want even more tips, check these out too:

• How to Edit Indoor Photos in Lightroom Without Losing Natural Light
• Lightroom Tips for Photographing Small Rooms
  

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Why Interior Photography Needs Special Settings

Indoor photos can be tough. You’re fighting weird color casts, mixed lighting, and dark corners. The goal is to make rooms look natural, balanced, and clean.

Problems you often see:

• Orange or blue color casts from lights
• Blown-out windows
• Dark shadows with no detail
• Flat, lifeless images

Recommended Lightroom Settings for Interiors

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Best Lightroom Settings for Interior Photography:

• White Balance: Correct for natural colors.
• Exposure: Small adjustments.
• Highlights: Reduce to keep detail.
• Shadows: Lift to show corners.
• Whites/Blacks: Balance contrast.
• Tone Curve: Gentle S-curve.
• Color Mixer: Fix casts.

1. White Balance

Always fix this first. Indoor lights are often too warm.

• Use the eyedropper on something neutral like a white wall.
• Adjust Temp and Tint for natural color.
• Don’t make it too cool or too warm.

2. Exposure

Be subtle. You don’t want to blow out the highlights.

• Adjust Exposure slightly to correct overall brightness.
• Check both bright windows and dark furniture.

3. Highlights and Shadows

Highlights often get too strong, especially near windows.

• Reduce Highlights to keep window detail.
• Lift Shadows to reveal dark corners.
• Avoid flattening the image too much.

4. Whites and Blacks

These sliders fine-tune contrast.

• Increase Whites slightly for clean light.
• Lower Blacks gently for depth.
• Keep it balanced so details aren’t lost.

5. Tone Curve

Use this for controlled contrast.

• Make a gentle S-curve.
• Lift Shadows just a bit.
• Drop Highlights slightly.
• Avoid harsh angles in the curve.

6. Color Mixer

Indoor lighting can throw weird colors everywhere.

• Go to the HSL/Color Mixer panel.
• Adjust Orange, Yellow, or Blue channels if colors look wrong.
• Desaturate or shift hues gently to keep things real.

Example Settings Table

Adjustment	Suggested Range	Notes
White Balance	Eyedropper/manual	Fix indoor warmth
Exposure	+/- 0.2	Small tweaks only
Highlights	-30 to -50	Recover window detail
Shadows	+30 to +50	Open up dark corners
Whites	+5 to +15	Add clean brightness
Blacks	-5 to -15	Subtle depth
Tone Curve	Gentle S-curve	Adds soft, natural contrast
Color Mixer	Subtle corrections	Fix color casts

If you struggle to keep your interior edits steady across a whole gallery, check out our guide on how to stay consistent in Lightroom.

Use Presets for Quick, Reliable Results

You can dial in these settings yourself every time, but that gets old fast. If you want consistent, professional results in one click, check out our Interior Presets for Lightroom.

They’re built for real indoor challenges:

• Fix color casts
• Balance tricky lighting
• Brighten rooms naturally

They’re also a great fit for real estate photos. Check out also our professional Real Estate Presets for Lightroom.

Final Advice

Keep things natural. Don’t overdo adjustments. Your goal is to make the space look inviting and real.

If you’re editing tricky spaces, you might also want:

• How to Edit Indoor Photos in Lightroom Without Losing Natural Light
  
• Lightroom Tips for Photographing Small Rooms