Bedrooms are probably the main room in your house that you spend time in when it’s completely dark, completely bright and completely somewhere in between. Therefore, making sure your bedroom lighting design is just right is essential to making it a comfortable place to relax, sleep, rise and shine each morning and to go about your day.
Bedrooms aren’t just for sleeping they are also for relaxing, just hanging out and may even double as a home office or other space. As such, several different types of lights are needed to provide the right mixture of atmosphere and utility. When you properly balance the lighting, it will create a beautiful, comfortable space.
Let’s first take a look at various bedroom lighting types and their benefits to find the most effective lighting plan.
Bedroom Lighting Guide: Types of Lighting
The bedroom is that space of your home where you need flexible lighting, from dark to bright and somewhere in between. Knowing how to layer the lights in your bedroom is key. Generally, bedroom lighting is performed in three layers, mentioned below.
- Ambient lighting
- Task lighting
- Accent lighting
Ambient lighting
A bedroom is a place for relaxation and rest, and lighting plays a major role in creating suitable conditions for that. Ambient lighting allows you to create an atmosphere for an appropriate mood. Ambient light, also known as general light, is the foundation of your bedroom lighting plan. General lighting serves the same purpose as natural sunlight – providing enough light to the bedroom. This type allows you to perform day-to-day tasks like cleaning, making the bed, finding things, folding clothes, and so on.
Ambient light is most adequately provided by different forms of ceiling fixtures like pendant lights, flush mount ceiling lights, and chandeliers. This type of light is also best achieved with portable floor lamps. When these lights come with the possibility to dim, it allows users to adjust these lights depending on their activities and mood. Regardless of what lighting fixture you use, make sure it provides a clean, bright and attractive light.
Task lighting
Besides good general light, you need localized lighting to perform specific activities like reading, working, getting dressed and applying makeup and so on. There is a vast range of task lighting options. Swing arm sconces are one style of task lighting which can be mounted at the top of the bed for bedside reading. This will not only make a stylish wall decor, but its adjustable heads will also keep the lights away from your partner. It also allows some table space to free up. Task lighting also includes closet lighting, which is also important, as it allows to have a better visual of what’s inside the closet.
In addition, pendants and desk lamps can be used to incorporate this type of lighting in the bedroom. Obviously, everyone’s needs differ, and those requirements will decide what type of task lighting is needed. For instance, swing arm lights are more appropriate for focused reading. If you want to create a more soothing ambiance, you can choose to include artistic table lights or pendants.
Accent lighting
Finally, there is accent lighting that turns the bedroom into a homey, cozy, and inviting room. This type of lighting tends to focus on objects like furniture and accessories present in your bedroom and helps in setting up the right mood. Basically, these lights provide a dramatic effect and take people to the visual tour. For instance, when lights are placed behind large floor greens, it will draw attention to that corner. Similarly, a soft glow can be best achieved by installing portable can lights on the floor behind movables.
Recessed lighting, wall sconces, and tape lights are some examples of accent lights which contribute in additional visual appeal of the bedroom. As a result, this comfy atmosphere will help you unwind after the daily grind.
Why Is The Proper Lighting Important?
While adequate light encourages positive feelings, bedrooms are given the least importance in terms of lighting. It may be because it’s not a place where much of the working doesn’t take place and the primary purpose of the bedroom is just to support sleep, which means a deliberate lack of light.
Fact is, no one is going to appreciate how beautiful the room is until they see it. Yet, light is more than something that simply lets anyone see. It plays a key role in the livability, and comfort of any space.
These factors determine the influence of proper lighting on your bedroom space.
Use Color with Lighting
Colors play an integral part in creating the proper lighting in a bedroom. While light-colored shades make the room feel spacious or bigger than it is, dark-colored shades do the opposite. All the light coming from the source doesn’t mean it’s usable; it depends on how reflective the environment is. Use yellow light to bring out your wall colors. While flush mount fixtures provide bright general lighting, floor lamps and table lamps can be used for soft indirect lighting.
Lighting helps in building the right tone
Proper lighting can make a huge difference in setting the right tone to your bedroom. For instance, dimmers can instantly alter the mood of a room.
Lighting helps in adding ambiance
You might have everything in your bedroom including, bed, duvet, intricate accessories, potted plants. What’s missing? It’s a pendant light. This trendy type of light fixture can add elegance, and unique touch to a room you wake up in. However, pendant lighting looks best with high bedroom ceilings, usually of 10 feet or more than that.
Lighting Improves Spaciousness
Whether it’s natural or man-made lighting, both of them assist with the illusion of space. For a gloomy room, figure out how to bring in full-spectrum natural light. Or else, it will feel cramped. This could get even worse if movables are placed close to each other.
It’s crucial to understand the importance of proper lighting in the bedroom. And, the most adequate lighting plans incorporate all three layers of light to meet the needs of people.
Conclusion
Your bedroom is a lot more than just a sleeping space. In fact, it is a place to read, work and spend family time. Make sure to invest in adequate bedroom lighting. By combining lighting layers and different functions, instead of having a single glaring light, you can create a bedroom that’s practical as well as inviting room for the rest. When you are renovating your bedroom discuss your lighting options with your contractor.
