Top Lighting Ideas to Brighten Up Your Bedroom

The bedroom requires a full lighting spectrum. From concentrated task lighting to complete darkness, everything that happens in your bedroom requires a different level of illumination. That’s why we are here to help, presenting you with the best lights for the bedroom.

Your bedroom probably already has a ceiling light fixture, but that hardly creates the peaceful setting most of us crave in our bedrooms. There are so many options for illuminating your most sacred space. Here are what we believe are nine of the best lights for bedroom use.

Bedroom Brilliance: Exploring the Best Lights for the Bedroom

1. Accent Lighting

Accent lighting is a secondary source of bedroom lighting. Ambient light is the light that already exists in a space, whether it’s daylight or a dominant light source, such as a table lamp or an overhead fixture. Accent light is the opposite and is directed at a specific thing you want to illuminate, like artwork or a dim corner.

Track lighting is a common form of accent lighting, but track lights are more commonly seen in a living room than in a bedroom. Picture lights are excellent for illuminating a favorite bedroom painting or portrait.

Even though the purpose of accent lighting is to showcase specific items, it should have a subtle effect. Attention should be on the item itself, not the light source. Even so, it adds to the entire room’s overall ambiance when you choose attractive accent lighting fixtures.

Hampton Bay 8.5 in. Brushed Nickel Accent Lamp With Frosted Crackled Glass Shade

Home Depot’s Hampton Bay Brushed Nickel Accent Lamp features a stylish crackled glass shade. At just 8.5 inches tall, it’s small enough to rest among your decorative objects and showcase them without taking over.

This modern, cylindrical accent lamp takes a 60-watt bulb and has three light intensity levels powered by the touch of a finger. One touch provides a warm nighttime glow, while the highest setting considerably brightens the immediate area. Illuminate a dark bedroom shelf or tuck it in a bathroom or laundry area.

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2. Ceiling Fans

A ceiling fan can make your bedroom feel up to five degrees cooler in warm weather. During the wintertime, you can reverse the direction of the blades to keep heated air circulating smoothly through your room.

While older ceiling fans all looked alike, thousands of new ceiling fan designs exist, making it possible to find one that’s perfect with your bedroom decor. Although some interior designers shy away from ceiling fans, they are a practical way to maintain an optimal living temperature.

You probably already have a light fixture in the middle of your bedroom ceiling. It’s a relatively simple DIY job to replace it with a ceiling fan, but it may be best to hire an electrician to make the switch. Keep your overhead light capabilities by purchasing a new ceiling fan equipped with a light kit.

Hunter Pelston 52-in Matte White LED Indoor Ceiling Fan with Light

The Hunter Pelston 52-inch Matte White LED Indoor Ceiling Fan comes with a three-branch light kit with cylindrical clear glass shades. This four-blade model has streamlined blades and simple brackets that fit well with modern, contemporary, or farmhouse styles.

Bedroom ceiling fans must be the right size for the job – not too big or too small. This 52-inch fan blade span is best for medium-to-large-sized bedrooms.

One reason to love this fan is the “Installer’s Choice” three-position mounting system. It can be flush mounted against the ceiling, hung from a high ceiling with a downrod mount, or angle-mounted to a slanted ceiling. You will pay a little more for this flexibility, but Hunter’s overall quality is worth it.

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3. Chandeliers

Say the word “chandelier” and an ornate, glass-beaded ceiling fixture comes to mind. One of the more elegant forms of overhead lighting, the elaborate chandelier of the past has undergone a simpler, subtle makeover. You can still get golden fixtures draped in beaded crystal strings, but you can also find modern versions without a crystal in sight.

Although the word still defines a multi-branched ceiling light, chandeliers have moved beyond entryways and dining rooms into the bedroom. Usually fitted with incandescent bulbs, modern chandeliers also work with energy-saving LED bulbs. Be sure to check the color temperature of any LED lights you place in the bedroom, as warm-hued bedroom lighting is preferable to cool.

LALUZ Farmhouse 9-Light Rustic Chandelier With Wood Bead Strings and Bronze Metal Arms

The LALUZ Farmhouse Rustic Chandelier is a great medium-sized chandelier for those who need a fixture that complements farmhouse, vintage, and transitional interiors. With burnished bronze curved arms and strands of plain wooden beads, its neutral colors meld well with any bedroom color scheme.

At just over 25 inches in height, it might not work as an over-the-bed fixture in a room with low ceilings. However, it’s perfect for tall or vaulted ceilings as it comes with a 59-inch chain. Its price point is on par with other chandeliers of similar size and style.

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4. Flush-Mount Ceiling Fixtures

Flush mount ceiling fixtures are great when your room has no headspace to spare. These low-profile bedroom lighting fixtures mount flush with the ceiling and come in a huge variety of sizes and styles. This is the type of bedroom light you see in most newly built homes; a simple light bulb or two covered in a decorative or bowl-shaped cover.

Many homeowners replace these simple general lighting fixtures with ceiling fans, pendant lights, or chandeliers. However, well-designed flush-mount fixtures make great bedroom ceiling lights. Just be sure to choose a cover made of a marbled, frosted, or colored material to keep it from being too bright for a bedroom.

Warrenton 1 – Light Simple Circle LED Flush Mount

In offering the Warrenton 1 – Light Simple Circle LED Flush Mount fixture, Wayfair proves that you don’t need to spend a lot to find a sleek, slim bedroom ceiling light. Its simple circular design comes in four sizes, from 5 to 11 inches in diameter. Its narrow frame comes in four finishes: black, polished chrome, satin nickel, or white.

One unusual thing about this fixture is that it has built-in LED lighting. This means that you will never have to climb a ladder to change the bulbs. However, the downside is that when it eventually burns out, you will have to replace the entire fixture. These lights can be installed on dimmer switches to allow you to adjust the light level throughout the day and night.

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5. Pendants

Pendant lights are a type of ambient lighting. Pendants hang from the ceiling on a long rod or chain. This means they’re an ideal ceiling light choice with high bedroom ceilings of 10 feet or more. Pendant light styles trend toward modern and contemporary decor and are an excellent alternative to ordinary bedside lamps.

A pendant with a strong bulb can work as task lighting over a vanity or dressing table. Pendant light fixtures need to be placed over the bed or other pieces of bedroom furniture. Like flush mount lights, pendant light fixtures need covers that help soften their visual impact on the bedroom.

Kristella 1-Light Crystal and Chrome Pendant

Part of the Home Depot Decorators Collection, the Kristella 1-Light Pendant features elegant crystal glass framed in sleek, modern chrome. More pricey than many pendant light options, it will add a welcome touch of bling to a simple modern interior.

This mini-pendant is the perfect alternative to a nightstand lamp. You could also hang a trio of them over a vanity for an elegant task-lighting solution. One nice thing about the Kristella Collection is that it includes several larger coordinating light fixtures. Options include one, four, and six-light pendants, a semi-flush mount light, and two sizes of vanity light fixtures.

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6. Recessed Fixtures

Recessed lights are the unsung heroes of many excellent bedroom lighting plans. Not really meant to be noticed, recessed lighting fixtures provide the task lights you need without drawing any attention to themselves. All that’s visible is the bulb surrounded by a simple ring of white, bronze, chrome, or black metal. Some recessed light fixtures have embossing or other decorative details, but most are decidedly plain.

Ideally, recessed lights will be placed on a dimmer switch so you can control the amount of general bedroom lighting at any time. Most can be fitted with an energy-saving LED or compact fluorescent bulb.

Halo Warm White Round Dimmable Recessed Downlight

Sold in an affordable six-pack, Halo Warm White Round Dimmable Recessed Downlight fixtures can be bought with 5 or 6-inch diameters. They come with torsion springs that pull the trim tight to the ceiling. A diffuse lens keeps the light from becoming too intense.

It’s easy to replace old recessed light fixtures with these Halo lights. Even those with minimal DIY skills find installation relatively simple – another reason these lights are a budget-friendly choice.

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7. Sconces

A wall sconce is a light that attaches to the wall on a decorative bracket. Wall sconces make great bedside lights, but they’re under-utilized in bedroom decor. This is unfortunate because the soft wall light is ideal for nighttime reading, especially if the sconce is on a swing arm that allows you to direct the light where needed.

Recommended sconce height is usually six feet above the floor, perhaps a bit higher if your ceilings are taller than usual. Install upward-facing wall sconces above eye level so that the bulb isn’t visible. If you hang a sconce over a nightstand, make sure that any table lamps are appropriately scaled so that the two types of light fixtures aren’t visually competing with each other.

VILUXY Wood Wall Sconces 2-Pack

We found a wall sconce that complements a wide variety of interior design styles without being boring – something that’s not easy to do. Made of wood and metal, VILUXY Wood Wall Sconces merge well with retro, industrial, farmhouse, and modern home decor.

These indirect lighting fixtures feature a three-dimensional wood batten set atop a matte black base. We love how the arabesque shape adds curves without over-feminizing the design. Sold as a set of two, this can be an affordable addition to your main bedroom’s lighting scheme.

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8. Standing Lamps

Standing lamps are lamps that rest directly on the floor. They’re excellent bedroom lighting options to brighten dark corners or create cozy https://nextluxury.com/home-design/reading-nook-ideas/reading nooks. A floor lamp is easy to move when you want to rearrange the bedroom and a new lampshade can completely transform its appearance when you’re ready for a new look.

When tucking a floor lamp into a reading area, make sure the light is focused downward for the best book page illumination. If you don’t have room for a separate table in your reading area, look for a floor lamp that has a built-in table around its post.

LEPOWER Wood Tripod Floor Lamp

A tripod base is what separates the LEPOWER Wood Floor Lamp from more conventional standing lamp designs. Made of rubberwood, each lamp’s sleek posts are available with a matte black, walnut, or dark brown finish. A basic cylindrical linen shade gives off a modern midcentury vibe while softly diffusing the light throughout the area.

It takes a 40 to 60-watt incandescent bulb, or you can substitute a more energy-friendly LED bulb instead. It has a footswitch for easy use and merges well into vintage, modern, retro, and traditional home decor.

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9. Table Lamps

Table lamps are often the little things that make the biggest impact on bedroom decor. Traditional table lamps feature a bell-shaped lampshade over a simple ceramic, glass, or wooden base. Newer table lamp styles have metal bases in nearly unlimited finishes and shapes.

Traditional Tiffany lamps have intricate stained glass shades and can be very expensive, although affordable knock-offs are readily available.

When choosing table lamps for your bedside tables, be careful to keep size and scale in mind. You don’t want the lamps to vanish in a larger bedroom, but you also want to avoid giant lamps that overwhelm your nightstand surface. Ideally, bedroom table lamps should be between 24 and 36 inches in height.

Safavieh Lighting Collection Melville Grey Wash 24-Inch Lamps

These Safavieh Melville Grey Wash 24-inch Nightstand Table Lamps are sold in a pack of two, providing good value for the money. Wood-like resin bases are sculpted into dramatic curves and finished with a grey wash that allows them to blend into cottage, farmhouse, and traditional interiors.

The off-white drum lampshades are covered in 100% cotton and the lamps can use up to a 100-watt bulb. They come with LED bulbs and are well-packed so they arrive ready to plug in and enjoy.

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FAQs

What is the key to selecting the correct bedroom lighting?

Choosing the ideal bedroom lighting involves considering both functionality and ambiance. Begin with a central overhead fixture for general illumination. Next, incorporate task lighting, such as bedside lamps or wall-mounted reading lights, to provide focused illumination for activities like reading or working. Lastly, add accent lighting through elements like decorative string lights or wall sconces to create a cozy and inviting atmosphere.

How does lighting impact the mood of a bedroom?

Lighting significantly influences the mood of a bedroom. Bright, white light can make the space feel more energetic and alert, suitable for morning routines. Warm, dimmed lighting, on the other hand, induces relaxation and sets a tranquil ambiance for winding down in the evening. Consider using dimmer switches or smart lighting systems to easily adjust the intensity and color of the light to match different moods.

What is the best way to layer lighting in a bedroom?

Layered lighting is key to a well-balanced bedroom. Start with ambient lighting, such as a ceiling light or chandelier, to evenly illuminate the room. Add task lighting through bedside lamps or adjustable wall fixtures for specific activities. Incorporate accent lighting, like string lights or hidden LED strips, to create a warm and inviting glow. This combination allows you to adjust the lighting based on your needs and the mood you want to set.