How to light your new bedroom.

Posted on 1 May 2020.

bedroom lighting, pendants, led tape, reading light, decorative wall light, led, bedside light,

How to light your new bedroom.
A step by step guide from our award winning lighting designer Fraser Besant.

Step 1.
Choosing a ceiling light. The type of light you use will be dictated by the ceiling. If you have a flat ceiling in the room then I would always recommend a central pendant light. This ideally sits just over the foot of the bed and I am a fan of fabric shades, these work well with bedding and can compliment other fabrics in the bedroom. If you have a vaulted ceiling or a pitch then you will want to choose a suspended pendant light. Something that hangs from the ceiling to bring the light into the room. The position of the light again wants to be above the foot of the bed. See an example of a bedroom lighting design I did recently.

In your bedroom I would always recommend you use a warm white LED lamp. Lighting in the red spectrum helps you to relax. This is because red light will help trigger a hormone in the brain called melatonin. This will also help you sleep better at night. You will also want to make sure the bedroom lighting is dimmable. Below are some examples of the types of LED lamps I would strongly recommend for lighting your bedroom nicely.

If you have a large bedroom to light, a make up table, desk or dresser and you need additional lighting then downlights are the answer. Use a baffled anti glare downlight to get the best results. If you have a vaulted ceiling and you cannot fit a downlight then fit a surface adjustable spotlight. Again these should be warm white and dimmable. Split the circuits down so the main ceiling light and downlights can be switched independently.

LED tape and where to use it.
We supply LED tape to nearly everyone who is working on their home. It is easy to install, energy efficient and lasts 10+ years. There are two areas in a bedroom ideal for the use of LED tape. The first is inside the wardrobe. Fit the tape inside a surface profile and fit a small sensor switch by the doors, when you open the door just like a fridge the internal light source comes on and you can see all your clothing and accessories.

The other application is to uplight the ceiling. This works really well if you have a high ceiling or a vaulted ceiling and you want to throw light into the open space. Again you want to split this circuit down so you can use just the LED tape on its own. We can also supply fully dimmable LED tape in warm white.

Bedside lighting.
Whether you read in bed or just need some light to see by, a bedside light is imperative. Some people like a decorative lamp. While this will do the job I personally am not a fan. They take up quite a lot of room. Another option is to suspend a single lamp from the ceiling just next to the bed head over the bedside table. The issue with this is you only have one source of light. My preferred solution to this is a dual LED reading and decorative wall light. Firstly the light sits on the wall neatly, freeing up space on your bedside table. You also get two types of light, a targeted LED adjustable reading light and a nice accent decorative light. I have these lights in my bedroom and they work well. They also match the ceiling pendants. Various colours and styles are available.

Low level accent lighting.

Often in a master bedroom you will have a walkway or corridor leading into the main room. Often this will pass an ensuite or dressing room. If you want to afford a subtle touch of light here then why not consider a low level LED guide light. These sit in the wall appro 200mm from the floor and project a wash of light onto the floor. They are also useful at night when you want just enough light to guide you to the bathroom but want to avoid turning on the main lighting in the room.

The finishing touches.
In a bedroom you will want to consider USB charging sockets left and right of the bedhead. We have these in a variety of finishes. The screwless flatplate USB socket is a nice touch and looks great. Don't forget if you plan to have a TV in the bedroom make sure you run a data cable so you can plug in your smart TV, you will find it works much better if its hard wired back to the router. We also supply a range of Google Nest products that would work well in the bedroom, like the new Google Home hub.