Our bedroom redesign has finally begun and one important aspect has been to re-address the lighting. Lighting is so often an afterthought but it’s as important as the colour scheme and textures we choose to decorate with. If you’re looking to create better lighting for your bedroom or going for a complete redesign you may want to read on.
The Ultimate Guide To Lighting Your Bedroom
Bedroom Velvet Dark Blue With Black and Gold Suspension Lamp – Delightfull
Our bedrooms are multifunctional spaces. Getting the lighting right will create the perfect place to unwind and relax and for some, be able to study/work. Flexible and easily controllable lighting is key in bedroom spaces.
Setting The Mood
Vita Eos Feather Lampshade Light grey – Cloudberryliving
Lighting can affect us on an emotional level too. Too bright and we can feel uncomfortable. Overall lighting in bedrooms should encourage calm and tranquillity whilst providing additional functional task lighting for other activities.Ideally, lighting in your bedroom should be bright in the morning to aid dressing etc and intimate and atmospheric at night.
Lighting & Colour
Lighting is as important as the colour choices you make. In fact, the lighting you choose for any space will affect how you perceive colour especially the amount, quality and type of light. As a rule, brighter coloured rooms require less light than their darker styled counterparts.
Make A Room Feel Larger
Light can help draw your eye around the room so layer your lighting and highlight areas and not just your bed!
Spreading light around the room can make a room feel larger than it is. Position light at different height levels around the room to help draw the eye towards it. Don’t forget shadows are just as important so restrain yourselves from lighting your bedroom up like Blackpool. Without shadow and shade in our spaces, they will lack both texture and depth.
Abigail Ahern Bedroom Makeover – Abigail Ahern
Here, in addition to the decorative pendant light, wall lights and table lamps help spread the light around Abigail Ahern’s stunning bedroom space. Mixing up the style and types of lighting will not only add interest but helps the eye travel especially when placed at different heights.
Include Lighting In Your Budget
If you’re starting from scratch make sure you include lighting in your budget as you may well need additional plug sockets, re-wiring and channelling of wall lights and so on.
Plan Your Lighting
Here task lighting is required for the desk, chair and bed area as well the chest of drawers which doubles up as a dressing table. – The Interior Editor
If you are starting from scratch like we are, you’ll need to plan your furniture. Once you’ve drawn a furniture floor plan (see here how to draw your own), you’ll have a better idea as to the areas within your bedroom as to where you need to light. Even if you’re not, you may want to make a note of areas in your bedroom that need more or better quality of light. Armed with this knowledge you’ll be able to give considerations to the different lighting available and what you need to change.
Natural Light
Natural light is without the doubt one of the most important aspects to consider when lighting your room. Ensure your bedrooms receive as much natural light during the day by ensuring curtains are easily drawn back, and that furniture doesn’t block light coming into your room.
Choosing the correct window treatments such as blackout blinds or curtains will ensure you get the best night sleep. Blinds offer more versatility for daytime dressing as you can alter the amount of light the room receives whilst providing privacy. Or opt for a combination of sheer blinds and curtains for the best of both worlds.
Bedroom – Ikea
If you can utilise natural light by placing dressing tables or workstations nearer windows to make the most of natural daylight. For nighttime use add a table lamp or overhead light to these areas.
Mirrors
Image – Scandinavianshop
Mirrors are especially great at reflecting and bouncing light around a room. Place behind bedside lamps, or near windows to reflect light into the room. The larger the mirror the more light will be reflected. You could also opt for mirrored finished furniture such as bedside tables.
Cost Effective
Atelier Grande Wall Light – Ylighting
Of course, you don’t have to start from scratch if you’re wanting to improve lighting in a room. You can always review your lighting by changing bulbs, lampshades and adding additional plug-in lighting like this Atelier Grande Wall Light above.
House Doctor – Lampensnoer e27, brons Image – Shopinstijl
Get creative with your lighting. If your budget doesn’t stretch or you live in a rental property where channelling wires into walls are prohibited consider using existing lighting fixtures.
Accessibility
Fab Guest House, Brighton – Anglepoise
Make life easy for yourself by ensuring your lighting switches are accessible and close by. The last thing you’ll want to do is have to get up to turn the lights off.
Switches
If you’re layering your lighting, it’s important to have one circuit for overhead lighting which is dimmable and additional indirect lighting sources on another.
WiFi Smart LED Bulb with Voice Control, Adjustable, Multicolor, Dimmable, No Hub Required, Compatible for Android iOS Smartphone – 6 Watts 100-240V [Energy Class A+] – Amazon
Ceiling Lights
Ceiling lights whatever your choice, be it a single pendant, chandelier or downlights offer your bedrooms general lighting to move around the room. They shouldn’t be the only form of lighting.
Decorative Lighting
Image – Nordicdesign
Like the clothes you wear define your style and personality, decorative lighting in your bedroom can really set and reinforce the style of the room. Decorative ceiling pendants are often the first thing you’ll see when entering a room and are perfect for creating interest within bedroom spaces.
Wall Light Simone – DelightFULL
Of course, task lighting can be decorative too and these Simone wall lights really make a statement and add interest to this contemporary style bedroom above.
TASK
In addition to overhead lighting, creating localised pools of light within your bedroom space ensures that tasks can be carried out with ease.
Bedside Table Lamps
Image – Urbanlife
When choosing bedside lighting, table lamps are one of the most popular choices and probably the most used source of light we use in the bedroom. Opting for larger lamps for the bedside, particularly if there aren’t any other lamps, will provide more ambient light as well as a better reading experience. They also provide soft background light.
Lampshades
When choosing your lampshade be careful of your colour choices. Lighter coloured shades allow more light to filter through than darker shades.
Lighting Goals
Overall your bedroom lighting should be soft and glare-free to create the perfect place to unwind and relax.
Glare-Free/Diffused Lighting
Maret Discoco Pendant – DMlights
Glare-free options like this Marset Discoco 35 Grey are a great option for ambient/task lighting to the bedside. Light is diffused by the petal-like discs providing a softer indirect lighting effect.
Hanging/Wallmounted
Asia Pendant Light by Cattelan Italia – CHAPLINS
Hanging or wall mounted bedside lights are great at freeing up space on your bedside so perfect if space is tight.
When installing make sure they are the correct height as you’ll want to more than light up the bedside table, you’ll want to be able to read by it. If going for bare bulbs, make sure they fall higher than your eye level when sitting in bed to avoid glare. You’ll also need to ensure switches/plugs are located close to the bed for ease of turning on and off.
Image – Creca
If you’re an avid reader, you may want to opt for LED task lighting to your bedside. They provide a comfortable lighting effect as they’re a cool to touch light source that are perfect for bare arms and fabrics.
Flexible Task Lighting
PASTORIUS Wall Light – DelightFULL
When deciding on your bedside lighting flexibility can be key. Wall lights on arms provide greater versatility for reading/writing in bed as they can be positional whether you’re sitting or lying down.
Add Balance
Image – Homeedit
Using symmetry in the bedroom provides visual balance which in turn creates a calming effect. Lighting can help reinforce this with the use of bedside lamps for example.
Balance & How It Works – The Interior Editor
You can read more about symmetry and balance here.
Asymmetrical
Image – Architectureartdesign
Asymmetry, whilst harder to achieve, can create a more visually interesting space. Here, lighting has been used to accentuate and reinforce the asymmetry of the wall behind the bed with its hidden alcove lighting and the use of hanging pendant lights.
Light Up Your Wardrobes
Lunetto Bed and Wardrobe by Team 7 – Wharfside
Consider lighting the front of your wardrobes with LED downlights. Doing so will help light be reflected in the room (making it appear larger) but will also provide some light inside the wardrobes. If you’re not a fan of downlights, then LED strip or attachable over cabinet lights, are great alternatives. And they only require a plug to be nearby.
If you’re planning your light from scratch think about having led downlights installed above your wardrobe opening and window areas. These tend to be forgotten about and become lifeless areas without light.
Feature Lighting
Image – Architectural
Consider incorporating lighting into joinery like this contemporary bedroom above. It’s the perfect way to create a feature in your bedroom space.
Image – Amazon
Floor washers used under the bed or bedside tables provide great night lights. They create a floating effect which works well in contemporary styled bedroom spaces. Some are motion activated or timer controlled like this one here available on Amazon.com and $15.99 it’s affordable too.
Alternative Lighting Ideas
Image – Lights4fun
Use fairy lights to provide ambient mood lighting. In this instance, they help spread light across the wall in areas where task lighting doesn’t reach.
Black Marv Floor Lamp – Loaf
Floor lamps are a great alternative to table lamps. They provide a different height level of light. They’re also good at freeing up bedside table surfaces. This fabulous Marv marble based floor lamp by Loaf has been used on its own for more of a minimalistic look, but you could easily fit a bedside table due to its slim base.
Amour neon sign – Grahamandgreen
Not all of us read in bed so you might want to opt for something more fun like this fun neon sign (available from Graham and Green).
Right, I’m off to do some more bedroom planning. I hope you’ve found today’s post helpful.
As always, thanks for stopping by!
Maria x
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