Bedroom Lighting Guide
- Posted on
- By Sally Edwards
Bedroom Lighting Guide
by Sally Edwards, Studio Co-ordinator
The bedroom needs to work across all times of the day and night - it's where you get dressed in the morning, pause for a mid-afternoon rest and snuggle in before shutting down for the night. A good bedroom lighting scheme needs to cover all this, feeling like the calmest, most relaxing space in the house, whilst also looking great too.
The good news is that building a beautiful bedroom scheme is one of the easiest (and most enjoyable) jobs in the home. Here's our guide to getting the fundamentals right, followed by three of our favourite ways to style a bedroom from top to toe.
Understanding bedroom lighting layers
A well-lit bedroom relies on three types of lighting working together.
Ambient lighting sets the overall mood of the room. This is usually your central ceiling light - a pendant, chandelier or flush fitting - and it should give you enough general light to move around the room and find what you need in a wardrobe.
Task lighting is there for the things you actually do in bed: reading and scrolling, for example. Bedside table lamps, wall lights and reading pendants all fall into this category - they're arguably the most important layer of the three.
Accent lighting is there to add that luxuriant finishing touch - a floor lamp in the corner, a wall light either side of a console or on a dressing table. Accent lighting adds warmth and depth and can also be used to highlight a favourite piece of furniture or art.
What's the best ceiling light for a bedroom?
It depends on your ceiling height and the scale of the room. A larger bedroom can carry a proper statement chandelier or drum pendant with real presence. A smaller room, or one with a lower ceiling, is often better served by a semi-flush or flush fitting that sits close to the ceiling without eating into your headroom.
Whichever you choose, remember that your central light is very rarely the one you'll actually use in the evenings. That job falls to the bedside lighting - which is where the real decision-making happens.
Where should bedside lights be positioned?
As a general rule, the light source should sit at roughly the right height for reading when you're sitting up in bed. The ideal height for a bedside table lamp is usually between 50 and 80cm, depending on the height of your bedside table.
If you're using pendants or wall lights either side of the bed, aim for the bottom of the fitting to sit around 70cm above the top of your bedside table. Any higher than that and you'll be reading in shadow. Any lower and it'll shine straight in your eyes.
It's a detail that's easy to overlook when you're planning a room, and a hassle to correct once the electrician has been and gone, so it's worth double-checking measurements before anything goes on the wall.
If you can, fit dimmer switches to your ambient lights and choose bedside lamps or wall lights that take a dimmable bulb. Bright light in the run-up to bed isn't what we need - a dimmer enables you to wind the lighting levels of the whole room down gradually, rather than flicking a switch from "on" to "off".
Pairing style with function
Once the practical layers are sorted, the fun part begins - because a bedroom doesn't have to commit to a single look, and it certainly doesn't have to be boring! Here are three of our favourite ways to dress a bedroom scheme from the current Lightbox collection, each one using a mix of ceiling, wall, table and floor lighting so you can build the whole room cohesively.
Scandi Natural
If you want your bedroom to feel like a deep, relaxing breath out, this is the one. Scandi Natural leans on soft, pared-back materials - real marble, linen, brass and paper - so the whole room feels simple and uncluttered but genuinely luxurious.
Start with the ceiling. The Belle Pleated White Paper Shade and the Ville Paper and Chiffon Ruffle Shade are both easy-fit shades that slip straight onto your existing pendant. They cast the kind of soft, textural, diffused light that a Scandi room thrives on - and there's no rewiring required.
For bedside pendant lighting, the Mialla White and Opaque Glass Scandi Pendant is a beautifully architectural alternative to a bedside table lamp - the long fluted glass shades add real interest above bedside tables, and take up no surface space at all.
For a soft wash of light across the wall, the Aura Tapered Linen, Marble and Brass Wall Light is another lovely alternative to a bedside lamp, whilst the Oslo - Scandi Brass and Marble Floor Lamp and matching Oslo Table Lamp let you carry that same aged-brass and marble finish into a reading corner for an understated co-ordinated look.
Other bedside lighting options are the Glossy Marble Table Lamp - created by renowned Danish designer Maria Berntsen and available in a beige marble and a soft pink jade - and the Tre Brown Marble Scandi Table Lamp. These choices bring real natural stone to the bedside and, because natural marble varies from piece to piece, each lamp is unique.
Pictured: Glossy Table Lamps and Tre Table Lamp
The beauty of Scandi Natural is how easily all of these pieces mix and match. Marble, brass and linen are neutral enough to layer harmoniously within your room. The space will still feel calm and considered rather than cluttered, because every piece is speaking the same quiet, luxurious language.
Vintage Country Charm
If Scandi Natural is a deep breath out, Vintage Country Charm is a warm hug - rattan, antique brass, and pretty period detailing that gives a bedroom real charm and personality together with a lived-in, characterful feel.
When we think of country-style elegance, we immediately think of Laura Ashley. Below are some gorgeous pieces from this classic British designer, perfect for adding bucolic style to your space.
The Laura Ashley Hasfield 3 Light Semi-Flush Ceiling Light is the ideal starting point for a country-inspired room with more modest ceiling height. Its natural rattan shades and antique bronze finish create an instantly rustic yet elegant feel.
If your room has a little more headroom to play with, the larger Laura Ashley Hasfield 5 Light Pendant Ceiling Light makes a real feature of the same rattan-and-bronze combination and hangs a little lower, for a more dramatic focal point.
For larger spaces, the Sorrento 6 Light Drum Shade Chandelier in Ivory and Brass is a striking choice. Sophisticated and elegant, this fitting makes a refined country-house statement, and can be paired with the matching wall light, floor lamp and table lamp for co-ordinated polished-country chic.
And for something more delicate, we'd recommend the Laura Ashley Shamley Beautiful Teardrop and Crystal Beaded 5 Light Chandelier. Its cream painted framework is festooned in light-refracting crystal teardrops and beads, lending a soft sparkle and glamour to your space on a bedroom-friendly scale.
Pictured: Laura Ashley Shamley Beautiful Teardrop and Crystal Beaded 5 Light Chandelier and Hemsley Plug-in Wall Light
Moving onto the bedside, the Hemsley Antique Brass Classic Table Lamp with Ivory Silk Shade is a real Laura Ashley classic - pleated ivory silk sits over a warm antique brass base to create timeless and elegant bedside lighting.
The matching Hemsley Plug-in Wall Light is a great addition to any vintage styled bedroom and is one of our best-selling bedside options. Its plug-in function means that no electrician is required, and the adjustable head means you can angle the light precisely where you need it for reading. And for a fully co-ordinated look, add in the Hemsley Antique Brass Floor Lamp with Ivory Silk Shade.
We'd also recommend luxury designer David Hunt's beautiful Hopper Table Lamp. It's an favourite of ours here at Lightbox - a delicately crafted hare made in David Hunt's signature bronze resin finish with antique brass metal work and coordinating braided cable. It's a lovely way to bring a bucolic charm and gentle humour to a dressing table or windowsill and has serious country credentials - each piece is made to order in the Cotswolds.
Within the same range is a jolly pig, a charming puddle duck and a wise owl - all of which would elevate any pastoral-inspired interior.
Floor standards are an important but often overlooked element of accent lighting. We'd recommend the Ferna Ribbed Glass Brass Floor Lamp as a graceful, unobtrusive piece which will harmonise easily within your decor. And where you want to lean towards the quirky side of country, the Sonsy Brushed Aged Brass and Rafia Floor Lamp is an inspired choice, its unusual arm design lending an unexpected twist to rustic elegance.
Pictured: Sonsy Floor Lamp and David Hunt Hopper Table Lamp
Jack Inston, our in-house Lighting Designer with over thirteen years of experience in designing luxury residential schemes, has the following design tip:
"In a bedroom with real vintage character, don't be afraid to mix your metals a little - antique brass and bronze patina sit together far more comfortably than people expect, and it's exactly that layering of warm, slightly imperfect finishes that gives a room its sense of history."
Whichever combination you choose, Vintage Country Charm relies on that mix of natural materials - rattan, hessian, aged brass and bronze - alongside just enough sparkle or whimsy to keep things feeling pretty rather than heavy. This styling is perfect to create a charming refuge to retreat into at the end of a long day.
Hotel Glamour
For a bedroom that feels like checking into your favourite boutique hotel every single night, Hotel Glamour is the style to go for - the highest quality materials, striking silhouettes and, crucially, neutral tones that are restful on the eye once the lights are dimmed low.
If you have a generously proportioned room and want a real showstopper overhead, the Filey Modern LED Glass Drum Gold Statement Pendant is exactly that - a brushed gold ring intersected by hundreds of twisted, illuminated glass rods. It's a serious statement piece, best suited to a bedroom with the scale to carry it.
Pictured: Tai Single Light Wall Light in Gold and Filey Modern LED Glass Drum Gold Statement Pendant
For something a little more classic but every bit as eye-catching, David Hunt's Rex Modern Brass Chandelier is a stunning choice. This gorgeous chandelier is supplied with 8 handmade dark almond cream satin silk shades, made with 100% silk and a hard backed rich bronze laminate inner, washing warm light onto the arms. It is made to order in the South of England and is a highly luxurious addition to any space.
For a timeless and restful ambience, we'd recommend the Townhouse collection. The Townhouse 6 Light Drum Chandelier sits beautifully within both contemporary and traditional settings and can be easily paired with the matching Townhouse 3 Light Drum Chandelier, twin wall lights, single wall lights and table lamp for co-ordinated elegance within your bedroom setting.
For bedside reading, few pieces do the job as elegantly or as practically as the Hotel LED Dual Light Bedside Reader Wall Light in Polished Chrome. With its adjustable gooseneck reading light and separately switched main light it is genuinely hotel-spec, and a brilliant space-saver either side of the bed. It is also available in Antique Brass.
Where a truly discreet of reading light is required, we'd highly recommend the Kaye Minimalist Bedside Wall Light. Available in White, Satin Nickel, Sand Black, and Antique Brass, the Kaye harmonises seamlessly into within any interior, whilst providing the highest quality functionality.
For a highly glamorous, stylised wall light, we'd recommend the Tai Single Light Wall Light with Glass Rods. This luxurious glass rod fitting is inspired by classic Art Deco design and adds clean-lined elegance and a hint of decadence to bedroom settings. It comes in a range of sizes and finishes - including gold, antique brass, polished nickel, black and bronze - and can be paired with the matching pencil pendants, ceiling pendants and other wall lights within the collection.
Other eye-catching and opulent pieces include the Bonsai Delicate Solid Brass Tree Table Lamp and the Eucalyptus Large Solid Brass Leaf Table Lamp. Both combine the highest quality materials with stunning visual design. The Bonsai's delicate stylised tree is made from solid brass and sits on a dark marble base; a stunning sculptural focal point for any room.
Pictured: Bonsai Delicate Solid Brass Tree Table Lamp and the Eucalyptus Large Solid Brass Leaf Table Lamp
For larger spaces, consider placing the Bonsai in the vicinity of the much larger Eucalyptus. Both bring a glamorous presence to any space. The Eucalyptus, standing at nearly a metre tall, makes a real feature on a large side table or console.
What ties Hotel Glamour together is high quality and sophisticated restraint: solid brass, chrome and hand-finished silk in soft neutral tones that will harmonise with almost any existing colour scheme, rather than fighting for attention. It's a scheme that feels deeply indulgent without ever feeling loud - exactly what you want in a room designed for relaxation.
What colour temperature should bedroom lighting be?
Whichever style you land on, we'd always recommend a warm white bulb of around 3000K throughout the bedroom. Anything cooler starts to feel clinical rather than cosy.
Consistency matters here too. Mixing warm and cool bulbs within the same room means your lighting layers will clash rather than work together, so try to keep the same colour temperature across your ceiling light, bedside lamps and any accent lighting in the room.
Key Takeaway
A beautifully lit bedroom starts with the basics - ambient, task and accent lighting layered together, bedside and wall lighting at the right height, and a warm, consistent colour temperature throughout.
From there, it's simply a case of choosing the mood you want to wake up and wind down in: we love the pared-back calm of Scandi Natural, the storybook warmth of Vintage Country Charm and the indulgent restfulness of Hotel Glamour.
Mix and match within a style, or borrow a piece or two from another - either way, a considered bedroom lighting scheme is one you'll notice and enjoy every single day (and night).
Shop our Bedroom Lighting collection.
