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Bedroom lighting plan


How to plan bedroom lighting: Expert tips to perfectly light your space

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(Image credit: Future)

When you know how to plan bedroom lighting well, it can have a transformative effect on a space. 

Choose the right mix of lighting and you can alter the function and feel of a bedroom, giving an area washed in bright light an instantly cozy, relaxed mood simply by the flick of a switch.  

There's nowhere more worthy of a lighting makeover than a bedroom. As well as being a space in which we relax, unwind and rest each evening, we also need it to be well lit when getting ready each morning and this can be achieved with smart bedroom lighting ideas .

'When planning your bedroom, make sure that lighting is part of the plan from the very start as retrospective planning can sometimes lead to compromise,' advises Rohan Blacker, founder of lighting specialist, Pooky.

'The first thing to consider when planning your bedroom lighting is what you need on a practical level,' explains Niki Wright, founder of Lightsandlamps.com . 'The minimum number of lights in a bedroom is probably two: a ceiling light and a bedside lamp or pendant, but there really is no maximum.'

Discover below how to plan bedroom lighting successfully to ensure your room can easily switch from soothing to energizing.

1. Know your lighting types before you plan bedroom lighting

(Image credit: Turner Pocock)

'Layering your lighting is the key to creating the perfect balance of warmth, cosiness and function in your home,' continues Pooky founder, Rohan Blacker. 'This is particularly important when thinking about bedroom ideas as you will need a combination of task and ambient lighting solutions for relaxation, reading or getting dressed.'

There are three main lighting types that you should be aware of and should be incorporated into your design. These are ambient lighting (or general), task and accent lighting.

(Image credit: Future/Paul Raeside)

Ambient lighting

Ambient or general light is the main light, usually via a pendant or ceiling light, that a room receives. It's perfect when you're doing general tasks, from getting ready in the morning when it's still dark outside and choosing your outfits for the day or just looking for something in your room.

More functional than mood setting, it's a must in any space, even though you may not use it that often.

'Different bedroom ceiling light ideas provide an opportunity to be more creative,' says Rohan from Pooky. 'Choose a colorful or ornate piece to provide a focal point in the room, or for the more adventurous, a chandelier is a great addition to a bedroom to create a sense of grandeur.'

If your ceilings aren't very high, or you or your partner are quite tall, you can either look to installing a pendant above the bed to ensure you don't walk into it or install recessed ceiling lights for a comprehensive wash of bright light.

'Consider hanging pendants over each bedside table for an interesting alternative to a table lamp or wall light,' Rohan adds.

(Image credit: Future)

Task lighting

Used to highlight an area for a specific 'task', like reading, this type of lighting is always found by the bedside and often, depending on the size of your room, elsewhere in the room where you need some well-defined light. 

'Dressing tables, wardrobes and reading nooks are areas where more focused task lighting is required,' suggests Peter Bowles, founder and MD of Original BTC .

Top expert bedroom lighting tips include using angled lights and table lamps for bedsides, while wall lights, floor lamps and mirror lights are a good choice for the rest of your space.

'Keep bulbs shaded with material as opposed to with glass,' suggests Pooky's Rohan, 'unless you want to use the light source for reading. If you’re a book lover, directional wall lights are far more effective than wall or table lamps with lampshades, but they are far less equipped to create warm, ambient light. Consider whether you have room to install both.'

(Image credit: Original BTC)

Accent lighting

Pretty self explanatory, the job of accent lighting in a scheme is to highlight certain areas in a space. Picture lighting and bedroom wall lights provide you with an alternative to using your main ambient light, when you need to brighten your bedroom.

2. Consider the placement of light switches carefully

(Image credit: Future/Davide Lovatti)

'First and foremost, the bedroom is for relaxation, so using lighting with dimmers is ideal for mood lighting and creating the perfect ambience,' says Niki Wright.

If you want to install dimmer switches for full control on your lighting, you'll need to check the lamps and bulbs before you buy, as some may not support dimmers. 

The placement of light switches, too, can also help with convenience. 'Position switches near the doorway, as well as by the bed, so you don’t have to get up to turn them off and return to bed in darkness,' suggests Peter from Original BTC.

3. Think creatively

(Image credit: Benjamin Moore)

Just because a light is a functional item, doesn't mean you can't be creative in your choices. The combined form and function of a lamp can combine beautifully to give out a wonderful glow. Take a look at the latest lighting trends for a steer on what styles are popular and decide from there.

Rohan agrees. 'Think about what feel you’re after in the bedroom - pretty and feminine, warm and cosy, something with a more opulent flavour - then utilise your lighting scheme so that it will help you create that feeling.'

Fabric shades

Depending on the weight and colour of fabric used, these can give out a beautifully diffused light and are an excellent choice if you want to create a softer glow. 

A great alternative to a bedside task light, a table lamp with a fabric shade will bathe your bedside in a soft glow.

'Whatever the fitting, bedrooms are the perfect room in the house to experiment with shades, using brighter bedroom colour ideas or patterns to add accent tones to scheme, perhaps to match a throw or a scatter cushion,' says Rohan from Pooky.

'Whether it be bold in colour, in pattern or a bit of both - we have seen an uplift in sales of our brighter, more vibrant shade varieties. Maybe customers are pairing with more neutral pared back interior schemes, or perhaps just finding the confidence to go for a more adventurous design,' he says.

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Space savers

If you don't have room for a bedside table or would rather a clutter-free space, consider wall lights or small pendants as an alternative for small bedrooms .

'Think creatively - floor lights with adjustable arms or even a pair of low-hanging pendants can make dramatic bedside lights,' advises Peter.

(Image credit: Future/Tom Leighton)

'Consider different types of light fitting, not just the light they provide,' suggests Peter. 'Wall-mounted lights are great space-savers in small, low-ceilinged rooms and are ideal for creating a clean, boutique hotel look.'

(Image credit: Original BTC)

Simple form

If you'd rather your lighting take a back seat in your decor, there are plenty of options to choose from to make this work. Recessed lighting is ideal for ceilings, as well as inside cupboards and wardrobes, casting light only where and when you need it.

Choose lamps with a simple, unobtrusive design to blend in, rather than dominate, the decor.

(Image credit: Future/Davide Lovatti)

4. Introduce smart lighting

(Image credit: Future/Brent Darby)

Smart lighting systems, like Philips Hue , Lifx and WiZ can give you complete access to your lights via your smartphone.

'Smart lighting systems can be complicated, but if done right, they can really help to create the right atmosphere in the room at a touch of a button,' says Niki, 'and there is no better place for such a system than in the bedroom.'

You can set timers to have your lights switch on automatically in the evenings, as well as programming them to act as a SAD lamp, turning on each morning with a light that slowly goes from dim to bright, helping you wake naturally.

(Image credit: Pooky)

What lighting is best for bedrooms?

'Bedrooms are practical as well as relaxation spaces, so you'll need to plan your lighting accordingly,' says Peter from Original BTC.  

The aim, he advises, is to 'create a layered scheme that will work at any time of day and across the seasons - cozy in winter, light and airy in summer.'

Every bedroom should have ambient and task lighting, no matter how small it is. A bright overall light and a separate focused light for reading are both essential. 

Larger rooms should include accent lighting too, and if possible, install dimmer switches on all lights. If it's too late to install dimmers, invest in smart bulbs. They too will give you full control over how brightly (and dimly) you want your lights to shine.

How many lights do I need in a bedroom?

Lightbulbs are now measured in lumens. Roughly speaking, this represents the light that each one gives out. The higher the lumen, the brighter the light. A traditional 40W bulb gives off 400 lumens, while a 60W bulb around 700 lumens. 

Generally speaking, a bedroom needs between 10 and 20 lumens per square foot of space so if you multiply your square footage by 10, 15 or 20 (depending on how bright you want it), you'll get the exact amount of light that the space needs. You can then divide this across a number of lightbulbs in light sources throughout the space.

Bear in mind that unlike kitchen and bathroom lighting ideas that need to be bright, bedroom lighting is mostly used at night so they tend to look their best when lit with low light. Even though you have a layered scheme that covers ambient, task and accent lighting, you'll rarely use all three types at once. It's far more likely that you'll light the space using  just task and accent lighting.

How bright should a ceiling light be?

As ceiling or pendants provide ambient light, they need to cast a bright light over the entire room when switched on to fill in the gaps that any focused task lighting or accent lighting may not reach.

Usually ceiling or pendant lights should be decorative when switched off and practical light sources when on.

There's much debate on whether to choose cool white or warm white bulbs for your lights. Cool light can feel quite harsh in a bedroom, with warm white feeling a far more organic choice for a sleeping space. It's really a personal choice so if you're not sure, install a smart bulb as they will give you the choice of both tones.

Ginevra Benedetti is Associate Editor on the Homes Content Team at Future. She has been writing about interiors for the past 16 years on the majority of Britain’s monthly interiors titles, such as Ideal Home, Country Homes & Interiors and Style at Home, as well as Livingetc and of course, Homes & Gardens. This naturally lead her into writing for websites like HomesandGardens.com.

How to Light a Bedroom

By

Sarah Lyon

Sarah Lyon

Sarah Lyon is a freelance writer and home decor enthusiast, who enjoys sharing good finds on home items. Since 2018, she has contributed to a variety of lifestyle publications, including Apartment Therapy and Architectural Digest.

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Updated on 06/03/22

The Spruce / Madelyn Goodnight

Your bedroom is where you start and end each day, and given that it's a space that's primarily just for you, it deserves some special attention! Ensuring that your bedroom has proper lighting will take this space to the next level. Unsure what to keep in mind as you shop for light fixtures or wondering just how many types to include in your space? We spoke with designers who weighed in on the top factors to keep in mind when looking for bedside lamps, sconces, overhead fixtures, and more.

Meet the Expert

Be Sure to Layer

Interior Impressions

Layering various forms of lighting in your sleep space is key, designer Alex Alonso notes. "For bedrooms—and almost every room—I always recommend at least three sources of illumination—task, decorative and ambient/general," he shares. "Layering all three is the fun part and the part that requires the most strategy." Alonso suggests mentally dividing a room into zones in order to get started.

For example, when it comes to task lighting, "I first identify what task and where it would be happening in the room," Alonso explains. "Whether it's reading in bed, a separate reading nook off to the side, or a small desk, you want the lighting to complement the space visually, but also not overpower and scream, 'I do my reading here; look at me!'"

Decorative lighting, Alonso say, is "your bedroom’s jewelry." Maybe this means selecting a bold chandelier—"it’s holding court in the room, but plays suit to all the other pieces," he comments. Bedside lamps can also serve this purpose. "Perhaps your decorative lighting is some really sculptural table lamps on your nightstands—lots of personality and lots of bang for your design buck!"

With regard to general lighting, one has even more choices. "Recessed lights are so common and inexpensive these days that getting them wrong is really a crime," Alonso notes. "That said, oftentimes they are overdone and you end up seeing landing strip rows of lighting, repetitively darting across your ceiling.  Be mindful of where the recessed lights go." In some cases, Alonso keeps recessed lighting on the perimeter of a room only.

Don't Forget About Lamps

Allison Elefante Photo for Lauren DeBello

As Alonso touches on, by no means should you solely rely on overhead lighting in your bedroom. After all, lamps are a key element to include in the space as well, designer Brian Brown comments. "To kick it up a notch, bedside lamps or pendants are another great layer that are crucial to function," he explains. But that's not all. "I like to add lamps on dressers as well," Brown says. "It pulls light into other areas of the room and gives you a more even glow all around."

Opt for Sconces If You Share a Space

Cathie Hong Interiors

Sconces add elegance to the bedside and leave the top of the nightstand clear, but that isn't their only benefit. "If you do a lot of reading in bed, an arm sconce is always a go-to," Alonso comments. "I always make sure to have the switches work independent so each person in bed can control their side without having to rely on the other person.  It’s a convenience that pays for itself in sleep hours!

Pick the Right Lighting Temperature

Ashley Webb Interiors

The right lighting temperature will make your time spent in your sleep space all the more enjoyable. "My favorite is a soft white bulb," designer Emma Beryl Kemper says. "It's illuminating without feeling sterile and works for ambient, task, and accent lights."

Alonso says that generally, he won't pick bulbs above 2700 Kelvin. "I love an amber glow in the bedroom. It’s a little moodier, softer, and warmer," he says. But if you must go up to 3000, that's completely your call based on your personal needs. "I’m very mindful of what other tasks beyond sleeping, streaming, or reading will be happening in the room throughout the day," Alonso adds. "If you have a desk and tend to do some office work during the day in the bedroom—especially these days when we’re all working from home—and your natural lighting isn’t so great, go for the 3000K."

Pay Attention to Scale

Alvin Wayne

When choosing light fixtures, pay close attention to scale. "A tip for bedside lamps is to keep the scale between 1/3 and 2/3 the width of the nightstand," designer Christine Vroom comments. "I tend to go closer to the 2/3 to fill in that space." Scale is equally important when it comes to overhead lighting. "If you have a large space with high ceilings, a large, statement light fixture such as a woven rattan pendant may make sense," designer Anna Franklin notes. "However, if you have a standard height ceiling, opt for something smaller scale that doesn’t hang too low."

As a general rule, designer Becky Shea likes to have overhead lighting hang eight feet above the floor. "Depending on the ceiling height, I work backwards to find my overall height, and I gravitate towards a diameter that is 1/4 to 1/2 the width of the bed," she says. "There's a lot of math that goes into design in order to make everything work!"

The number of bulbs your overhead fixture contains may also be dependent on room size, Franklin adds. "If it has more than two or three, it is likely going to be too bright for a smaller bedroom," she notes. "The more light bulbs, the brighter the space will become."

Bedroom lighting: 5 designer hacks

ReRooms has prepared designer hacks and important tips for organizing your bedroom lighting system.

For a modern person, the bedroom does not serve exclusively as a "sleepy kingdom" - in this room we read before going to bed, put ourselves in order after waking up and before going to bed. In the end, we just relax in it or, lying on a comfortable bed, watch our favorite series ... But all this is poetry compared to the fact that we spend a third of our lives in the bedroom.

Paradoxically, we try to carefully think over the design of the bedroom and its layout, but we forget about such a "little thing" as the organization of light: most often the lighting system consists of only a chandelier, which significantly limits our possibilities. In 2019, it is advisable to use other light sources. Modern design projects often include a multi-level bedroom lighting system, and this is no accident.

Room type

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One-room apartment

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Four -room and more than

Five -room apartment

euros two -room apartment

euros

exterior

House

9000 Kitchen

Hall

Combined bathroom

Children's room

Kitchen-living room

9Bathroom

Toilet

Cabinet

Studio

Style

Modernism

Scandinavsky

Modern classics

Contemporary 9000 American Classic

Ethnic

Swedish

Hi-tech

Pop Art

Country

Eco-style

Art Deco

Mediterranean

Constructivism

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Square, m²

An initial number of meters:

A final number of meters:

Rerooms publishes five design techniques for organizing lighting in the bedroom and explains, for the bedroom and explains, for the bedroom what do you need it for.

1. Put the lamps on the bedside tables

The easiest solution is to put table lamps on the bedside tables. To do this, you only need sockets on either side of the headboard or an extension cord, neatly hidden behind the headboard or behind the carpet. But the benefits are huge! For example, you can read before bed without using central lighting.

In addition, table lamps always look very sophisticated: they give a hint of tradition, thus creating peace and tranquility in the room. Particularly relevant now are light cone-shaped lampshades on glass or chrome-plated long bases.

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2. Hang wall sconces

If your bedroom is currently undergoing renovations, you have a great opportunity to run wires to connect wall sconces. They are good because they do not take up space on the bedside table, they favorably highlight the area behind the headboard, which is quite often distinguished by accent wallpaper, contrasting color or decor. Sconces on an adjustable base are very convenient - they can be moved tightly against the wall, and when reading, adjust so that the light falls correctly on the book.

Photo by ReRooms

Gold wall sconces in the ReRooms project

3. Use hangers

Ceiling hangers above the bed have become the most popular now. If you are confident in the layout of the room and the bed will not change its location until the next repair, feel free to use suspensions. It looks very stylish - a small chandelier will hang on a long cord at a distance of 50 cm and above above the bedside table. You can play with the design however you like. The main condition: do not choose chandeliers that are too large in diameter so that they do not interfere with you and do not overload the interior.

ReRooms photo

Hanging lamps in the ReRooms project

4. Pay attention to ceiling lighting

Ceiling light is the most functional. It scatters streams of light in such a way as to illuminate the maximum of the space around it. That is why design the location of the ceiling chandelier in the center of the room, drawing diagonals from one corner to another. Choose the chandelier itself taking into account such indicators: the size of the room, the height of the ceilings, the style of the interior. All these criteria will tell you what type of light sources to look for: a chandelier with one lamp or eight horns, ceiling chandeliers or pendants, wrought iron or chrome base.

Photo by ReRooms

A lamp with thin suspensions in the ReRooms project

5. Decorate the headboard area with light

This technique is considered one of the favorites of architects and designers. The headboard area is worked out quite carefully, and there are options here: make it look like a niche and illuminate it with spotlights, hang a lot of decorative small pendants, decorate the headboard with solid LED or fluorescent lighting. It looks spectacular, and from a practical point of view, such solutions are functional.

Photo by ReRooms

Suspension lamps and LED strip in the ReRooms project

how to organize the lighting in the bedroom

Lighting designer Ingo Maurer once bluntly stated: "Bad light makes a person unhappy." Do we want to be miserable in our own bedroom? The question is rhetorical. The place where we sleep should create peace and comfort. Knowing how to organize the lighting in the bedroom, you will give the room the right atmosphere and emphasize the dignity of the interior.

Things to consider when planning lighting

Lighting needs to be planned well in advance. If you are renovating a room, then of course the layout scheme should be thought out in advance, and the electrical wiring should be done at the stage of installation or starting finishing of walls, partitions, and ceilings.

We sleep in the bedroom - that's understandable. But do not forget that this is also a place to relax, and a place to read books before going to bed. Some interiors have a work desk in the bedroom. And who is against watching TV before going to bed, lying on the bed? Ultimately, we understand that the bedroom is a kind of multi-purpose room.

To organize the space in such rooms, designers use zoning techniques. Light control is one of these techniques. Conventionally, all the lighting in the bedroom is divided into day, evening and night. Daylighting mainly uses natural light from a window. With a lack of such light, it is reflected and redirected by such surfaces as: mirrors, light walls, glossy interior elements.

Artificial lighting is used as the main lighting in the dark and as a solution to the functional tasks of the bedroom.

What to consider when designing a bedroom

Designers divide all artificial lighting into 4 tiers:

If you stick to this arrangement, you can visually add volume to the room, and controlling the tiers of light will make it possible to change the mood of the room. Using the lower tier of lighting, you can create a chamber mood in the interior. The same entourage with the included upper tier is unlikely to work. Light control systems deserve a separate article.

When drawing up a plan for the placement of lighting fixtures, consider the placement of furniture, since the placement of fixtures depends entirely on it.

Some bedroom lighting design rules

Lighting zoning in the bedroom

To distinguish zones, it is necessary to combine general (diffused) and local (directional) lighting.

Central zone. The bedroom needs soft and diffused light, designed for general lighting at night. Usually a chandelier or ceiling lamp is used as a source. The location is the geometric center of the room. It is also often placed in the center of the space above the bed.

A chandelier with exposed light sources (lamps) and many reflective elements (eg crystal pendants or mirror elements) can only irritate the eyes. It is better to opt for a model with fabric lampshades. In small bedrooms, you should not use large chandeliers; it is better to give preference to overhead lamps with a small height.

Bedside area. Bedside light - local lighting. Its task is to comfortably read or work on a laptop in the dark. Lamps of this zone not only perform functional tasks, they are usually not unimportant elements of decor.

Table lamps on bedside tables, some pendant lamps, wall lamps (sconces) act as such lamps. Sometimes there are versions of the headboard with built-in lighting. It is worth taking care of the possibility of directing the light and adjusting the brightness in order not to disturb the sleeping partner.

Workplace. Many contemporary bedrooms have a work desk area. This is where a table lamp comes in handy.

Tolomeo from the Artemide factory

If there is only a reading chair in this area, it is best to use a floor lamp or a lamp with a flexible leg.

Mirror. A dressing table can be located in the bedroom, which also needs proper lighting. Designers advise using the following combination of devices: a central diffusing lamp above the mirror plus a lamp on each side.

Various interior elements that require separate lighting: wardrobes, ceiling contours, niches, podiums, paintings, sculptures. False ceilings open up the widest possibilities for the designer's imagination.

Lighting design is not just harmoniously matched and beautiful lamps, but a whole area of ​​design where they study the interaction of light and space, the effect of color and light on the psychological and physical state of a person, his mood and emotions.

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