Bedroom lighting ideas

3 January, 2019

Your bedroom should be inviting, comfortable, and calming. While your bedroom could be a space for other activities like dressing or reading, you should primarily be focusing your décor and lighting on achieving maximum serenity without compromising on style.

Here are a few tips to help you get the best light setting for your common bedroom activities.

Diffusing lampshades are also helpful for modern bedroom lights as they can create a soft atmosphere similar to indirect lighting on nearly any light fixture. Look for a fixture with a semi-opaque shade to get the diffused effect. Diffusing shades are a good way to incorporate colour into your room. A rich red shade will give off a warm, cosy glow while a soft blue will feel serene and spa-like.

Tip: Install colour-changing LED bulbs that can be easily controlled with a smartphone app and other smart home assistants. This will give you the flexibility to easily toggle between cool and warm colour shades. See how Philips Hue works.

Different functions need different levels of brightness. Dimmer switches are especially helpful in the morning when the full light would be too harsh, but you don’t want to get dressed in the dark. These can be added to your wall by an electrician or built into the lamps themselves. Aside from the practical use of dimmer switches, they have great mood lighting effects, too. Low levels of light in the bedroom create cosy and romantic vibes very quickly. 

Tip: Opt for a wireless portable easy to use dimmer switch that works with smart LED bulbs.The Philips Hue wireless dimming kits includes everything you need to get you started in no time.

Some master bedroom lighting ideas call for fixtures that provide soft, accent lighting around your bed frame to create a more relaxed atmosphere than a direct light source would. You can also choose fixtures that provide both direct and indirect lighting, and fixtures that cycle between the different types - direct, indirect, and both together. 

Tip: If your bedroom is very large, you can focus on combining indirect light sources - like recessed spotlights and lightstrips - with direct light sources like ceiling lights and pendants.

Even subtle decorative lights make a bold statement when used as wall art or to accent unique ceiling features (like a tray ceiling or an arch). Some master bedroom light fixtures to consider are small-scale neon signs, strings of fairy lights, or lightstrips. You can also combine the decorative and the functional with interestingly designed colour-changing table and floor lamps that provide warm and cool lighting for bedroom activities.

This will visually simplify the bedroom space and create a cohesive and intentional look. It helps to take inspiration from other finishes in your room, like hardware and furniture. A room where all metallic elements are brushed nickel looks much more soothing than a room with brushed nickel, brass, and oil-rubbed bronze. If your light fixtures use wood, plastic, or other non-metallic materials, try to keep them in the same colour family as other finishes within the room.

Tip: Choose smart LED light bulbs and lamps that are versatile, dimmable and colour-changing to get the best lighting for your bedroom. This will allow you to adapt the light intensity and colour temperature of your light sources to match the interiors of your bedroom.