You may be left in the dark if you rely solely on an overhead light and a small reading lamp in your bedroom. Lighting is not only a way to increase a room’s functionality, it can also create a more pleasant environment. Use these tips and tricks for lighting a bedroom.
What do you do in the bedroom? Wait, don’t answer, it was a rhetorical question. You do need to think about how you currently use you bedroom as well as what else you would like to use it for. More sleep comes to mind, probably. You may also realize you want to be able to see better in the closet, create a warmer lighting situation and have ample reading light that won’t keep you up too late because it’s too bright.
1. Size Matters – When selecting lightbulbs for your bedroom you need to consider two things: the size of the room and the wattage limits on each lighting fixture or lamp in the room.
Fluorescent lighting – aim for 25 watts per 50 square feet of floor space.
Incandescent lighting – at least 100 watts for that same size space.
You may need to rely on more than one source of light to achieve In order to create the most ambient lighting in the room. Think of blending light like you blend paint colors. Blending light from different sources creates ambient lighting.
Utilize an existing ceiling fixture light and change out the lightbulbs for a different wattage (as long as it’s within the safety parameters listed on the fixture). You may want more light from above, less, or soft pink lightbulbs to give the light a warm color tone.
2. In the closet – Harsh fluorescent lighting should be generally avoided in the bedroom except in one place: the closet. If you have dark-colored or frosted glass light fixtures which minimize the too-bright look of fluorescents, you could use them in the bedroom.
* Hang a horizontal fluorescent light in the center of the closet so you can see how organized and neat your clothes really are. You won’t have to turn on an overhead light and wake up your partner if the closet has its own light source.
3. Add task lighting – On each nightstand, add task lighting to prevent eyestrain. Consider using 150 watts of incandescent light.
* Alternatives to nightstand lighting include wall sconces on each side of the bed or clamp-on lights for the headboard.
* Remember to add lights to other areas including near a chair for reading or on the wall next to a vanity.