Modern bedroom: how to illuminate it

27 July 2022
Lighting
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Of all the rooms in your home, your bedroom is probably the only one in which you spend a lot of time either when it is completely dark, or when it is softly lit.

Therefore, understanding the right lighting design for your bedroom is essential to make it a comfortable place to rest at night, get up in the morning and relax at the end of the day.

We have compiled this short but exhaustive guide to lighting a modern bedroom, in order to help you understand how to illuminate this fundamental part of your home in the right way: let's get started!

Bedroom lighting guide: the basics

Understand how to 'layer' the lights in your bedroom

Knowing how to stack lamps most strategically and effectively is the key to create the best possible lighting in your bedroom. This means finding the right balance between so-called ambient, task and accent lighting.

By creating this balance, you will be able to have the right lights in your bedroom to suit every need and mood at the flick of a switch.

Mood lighting for the bedroom

From general to specific, we recommend layering lighting types according to what you plan to do more or less often in your bedroom.

To begin with, start building your lighting base by including ambient lighting and general homogeneous lighting in the bedroom. Keep in mind that proper mood or ambient lighting also includes the use of natural light: understand how to make the most of it with appropriate fixtures and curtains.

General lighting, on the other hand, spreads evenly throughout the room and allows you to easily perform routine tasks such as cleaning, folding clothes or making the bed.

In terms of artificial lighting, ambient lighting is best achieved with ceiling lamps (such as recessed ceiling lights, chandeliers, pendant lamps, ...) or with portable devices such as floor lamps.

Both of these types of lighting will provide sufficient light for all those home and relaxation activities that do not require bright, focused light.

Direct directional light for the bedroom

If you plan to carry out activities that require a little more concentration, such as reading, working or taking care of your beauty routine, consider superimposing general and ambient lighting with task lights that can generate direct directional light.

Direct directional lighting should not be limited to the traditional desk lamp. Consider bedside lamps, low pendants on either side of the bed, wall sconces, wall-mounted work lights on either side of the headboard or other directional lights positioned above it.

In this sense, directional lights in the bedroom can essentially take any form, as long as they provide the right lighting for prolonged concentration.

Accent lighting for a modern bedroom

Accent lighting should generally aim to draw attention to and highlight the most distinctive objects or furnishings within a given space.

For the bedroom, accent lighting alone can act as a soft version of ambient lighting, giving off a pleasant glow and creating a cosy atmosphere. The use of recessed lights in the bedroom, wall sconces, ribbon lights or creative repurposing of other lighting devices are some ways to incorporate this into your bedroom lighting design.

Dimmers for dimming bedroom lights

When several lamps and types of lighting are superimposed in the bedroom, dimmers play an important role in the larger design scheme.

Not only do dimmers allow you to add an extra dimension to your room ambience, they are inherently multifunctional. Between low light and full brightness, a dimmer can satisfy multiple lighting needs. At maximum brightness, the dimmer lends itself to general lighting, while at lower settings, the function allows lights to be used as mood lighting. As dimmers are easy to install, any luminaire can take on a multi-purpose role.

Choosing the right light bulbs for the bedroom

While creating the lighting design for your bedroom, it is also important to consider the type of bulb you will use for each fixture. Depending on the light intensity of the bulb and the colour it emits, it has the potential to positively or negatively influence the overall atmosphere of the room and your well-being.

We therefore suggest you work out what your preferred level of brightness, or lumens, is. Although suggested lumens for the bedroom are between 2,000 and 4,000, this is an entirely subjective decision that changes depending on the type of ambience you wish to recreate for your bedroom.

After determining the maximum lumen output of a bulb, you need to consider whether the type of bulb you want is dimmable. Compact fluorescent lamps are difficult to control with a standard dimmer, as are some low-voltage LEDs. In these cases, special dimmers will be required for smooth, flicker-free and hum-free control.