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7 Bedroom Lighting Ideas

Often when we plan a new bedroom design, we’ll pay close attention to the furniture and colour scheme, but only get around to lighting at the end. This needs to be more than just an afterthought. In a bedroom, the space needs to be bright enough in the morning to help you get ready for the day, and intimate and atmospheric at night to make you feel relaxed. To achieve this, a combination of light sources is the best approach, and in the bedroom there are a range of possibilities. Here are 7 bedroom lighting ideas you’ll definitely want to switch on to.
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Bedroom lighting ideas – variety of lighting

1. Planning your bedroom lighting

Lighting a room can be a real art form, and your bedroom lighting ideas should allow you to add detail and drama. Typically, a bedroom will have multiple light sources, on the floor, walls, bedside and ceiling.

Before you start, ask yourself a few questions. Is the fixture intended to be mainly decorative, adding a pop of colour or intrigue, or will it serve a specific purpose, such as a reading light? Add in energy-saving bulbs, dimmer switches and LED lighting, and you can start to become quite playful with your design.

But you don’t have to think conventionally – pendant lights hanging from the ceiling are very popular now, while subtle strip or spot lighting can be used to great effect, highlighting wall art or other items. Incorporate different areas of the room into your plan, with white bedroom furniture and mirrors to help reflect the light, making a small space appear larger.

SHOP LIGHTING

Bedroom lighting – white and gold ceiling light

2. Ceiling lighting from above

Look up! What would you choose as the perfect bedroom lights décor for your ceiling? The list of available ceiling light fixtures is quite long, with flush lights, pendants, spotlights and chandeliers.

Flush lights might be better in a room with a low ceiling, or for something higher try pendant lighting, which hangs down – also good for spotlighting a certain area or feature, such as a dressing table. For modern ceiling lights, try a spotlight – many use LED ceiling lights, so are long-lasting and environmentally-friendly. A chandelier can add a touch of glamour and reflect light around the room, with some great modern designs to add texture, pattern and a bit of ‘wow’ factor.

If your approach is to be decorative, the ceiling lights could tie into the theme of the rest of the room, injecting a pop of colour if needed. Try a lampshade that helps to boost your design.

SHOP CEILING LIGHTS

3. The power of pendant lighting

Highly versatile and very popular, pendant lighting should definitely be considered as one of your bedroom lighting ideas. This is hanging lighting, and in many cases height adjustable.

The styles and colours of pendant lighting are varied. Glass light pendants are good for shedding maximum brightness, or you can choose one to suit the theme of your room – a black pendant light against a white wall looks striking in a monochrome setting, for example.

Modern pendant lighting could suit an industrial-themed room too, with thick metal cabling and perhaps a copper light shade. Cluster pendant lights can add detail, or – for a modern design touch – hanging pendant lights instead of bedside lamps are both stylish and space-saving.

SHOP GLASS LIGHT PENDANTS

Bedroom lighting ideas – five shade pendant light
Blue Butterfly Art

4. Bedroom lighting that brightens up your walls

Wall lighting is perhaps the least considered of the various types of bedroom lights décor available. If you have a large room lacking in natural light a flush wall light could be the answer, bringing instant brightness to any area that needs it.

Wall sconces come in a range of space-saving designs too. Position one or two next to a mirror or dressing table to help you get ready in the morning without the full-beam glare of a powerful ceiling light. Similarly, you could highlight selected wall art, a set of shelves or an architectural feature.

You don’t have to settle for flush wall lights either – try a wall fitting with the light itself on the end of an adjustable arm as an intriguing bedside lamp alternative. Or try a flush light the same colour as your wall if you prefer a more discreet look.

SHOP LIGHTING

5. Be floored by floor lamps

A floor lamp is a quick and easy solution for adding instant light to your bedroom – just plug it into the nearest socket. With so many designs available, standing lamps deserve to be part of your bedroom lighting ideas.

These tall lamps come in a range of variations. The traditional style consists of a long, thin stand and a lamp shade; and modern versions can feature clusters of lights on top of the stand instead, or some other sleek and stylish design. There are also curved stands that resemble a huge desk lamp, while a spotlight on top of a tripod stand evokes Hollywood glamour.

Bedroom lighting ideas – multi-stem floor lamp

Try introducing a black floor lamp to your bedroom with an accent chair next to it – hey presto, you have a cosy reading corner. Or for a minimal, uncluttered look, put frosted glass floor lighting in front of a white backdrop or a mirror, which also gives the illusion of more space.

SHOP FLOOR LAMPS

Bedroom lighting ideas – white marble table lamp

6. Lamps with a good bedside manner

A bedside lamp is an essential piece of bedroom lighting décor – if we need to get out of bed in the middle of the night, it’s good to have an immediate source of light available. Plus it’s also handy if you want to read a book before turning in.

These table lamps come in a wide variety of designs, shapes and colours. The traditional option has a short stand and a lamp shade, but with so many other styles the choice here is huge. You can use bedside lamps as accent pieces, introducing shots of colour, texture and pattern to match the theme of your room. And they don’t need to stay beside the bed, table lamps can find a home on different bedroom furniture.

Also consider which type of bedroom lamps you prefer – standard lamps, with just one lighting setting; or a touch lamp, with its touch-control dimmer functions offering a number of intensities, allowing you to alter the ambience. Finally, if you are going to buy a bedside table lamp to be proud of, make sure you have the perfect bedside table to place it on.

SHOP TABLE LAMPS

7. Reading lights, nightlights and highlights

After floor lamps, bedside lamps, ceiling lights and wall lights, what other bedroom lighting ideas are there? Consider a few smaller solutions, which could have a big impact.

First of all, do you think you might need a dedicated reading lamp? Something much smaller than a bedside lamp, attached stealthily to your headboard that avoids waking your partner if you want to read late at night? It could also provide white or off-white light if your table lamp does not.

LED strip lights are a modern touch, and can be used in a variety of ways. Run them under the bed to give it a floating effect, or use them to backlight and showcase wall art. Hiding them behind accented wall panels adds drama and highlights architecture, and can guide you in the dark.

SHOP LIGHTING

Bedroom lighting ideas – metal task table lamp

We hope that you feel inspired by our bedroom lighting ideas. For more home styling tips, visit our Home of Inspiration

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