How to Create the Perfect Bedroom Atmosphere with Mood Lighting
What’s the one room that you’re guaranteed to use every day? Your bedroom. Part restoration chamber, part dressing room, part love nest, a bedroom is a key part of what makes a house a home, and the light in the space makes a huge difference to the quality of your life. Learn how to make the most of lighting your sleep and waking hours there.
The color of light in your bedroom
We’ve all heard that blue light reduces sleep quality: looking at phones, tablets, or laptop screens can trigger insomnia because of how the light hits our eyes and interacts with our brains, suppressing melatonin and causing your body to stay awake longer. So what’s the antidote? The right ambient and accent lighting.
Different kinds of light have different color temperatures, which are measured in kelvin degrees ranging from 1,000 to 10,000 kelvins. The lower ranges produce a warm light with shades that vary from red, orange, and yellow to a warm white. Warm light has been shown to promote relaxation and readiness for sleep, while cool lighting (naturally associated with bright daylight) is stimulating and tells our bodies that it’s time to be active. Many lightbulbs are available in a range of colors; for your bedroom, start by looking for a warmer bulb.
Dim lighting is also conducive to sleep, so keep this in mind when designing your bedroom lighting scheme. This might mean a dimmer switch that you can manually tweak, a timer that automatically adjusts, or the use of accent lamps that you rely on to see in the hour before bedtime.
Mood lighting for bedrooms
Of course, the bedroom is the perfect place to set a mood, whether it’s getting ready for bed, for intimacy, or for a quiet night of reading and relaxation. Dimmable LED lights are one solution, but also consider wall sconces, table lamps, or even floor lamps with adjustable lighting.
Be sure to choose bulbs with a warm bulb (up to 3,000 kelvins), and perhaps opt for fixtures with dimming capabilities. You might even look at lamps with textured fabric or colored glass shades, to help diffuse soft light around the room.
How to position lights to create a cozy atmosphere
Let’s dive into each of the options above, and how to use them in your bedroom. Wall sconces are great for more than ambient lighting, they can also be installed in reading areas or beside mirrors to help brighten key spots in the space without overwhelming the atmosphere. Table lamps are obviously great for nightstands, framing the bed on either side, but they also work wonders on top of a dresser or vanity. And floor lamps are good for softening the room’s ambience, as an alternative to overhead lighting.
Creative ideas for incorporating mood lighting into bedrooms
Think through the features of your bedroom, what you want to highlight in the space. Is there a beloved work of art hanging there? You could backlight it with a channel of light to draw attention to it as soon as you walk into the room. Or, if you really want to create some drama, install decorative fairy lights around window frames or mirrors.
Another designer tip is to integrate LED tape behind the headboard or underneath your bed: its low profile design and flexibility allow for hidden installation while casting a warm glow.
How to maximize light impact without cluttering a bedroom
Recessed lighting is a good choice if you want to light the room without clutter, leaving nothing but clean lines and surfaces and light that fills the room. You can also arrange lighting at different heights, a technique known in interior design as “layering.” This is a method that provides a variety of light sources at varying points on tabletops, the wall, and ceiling to help with everyday tasks and create a visually interesting aesthetic.
Don’t forget that your bedroom has a number of surfaces that are reflective, including mirrors and perhaps glass surfaces. Make the most of these reflective surfaces, which spread light around the room without adding more fixtures.
How to implement mood lighting in limited spaces like guest bedrooms
You want your houseguests, friends or family, to feel welcome in your home even if their sleeping quarters might be smaller than the master bedroom. In their space, consider a multipurpose fixture like a lighted ceiling fan to keep them cool and provide light at the same time. Or, you could install wall-mounted sconces and lights to free up valuable space on nightstands. Of course, floor lamps are a great option, too. Select a slender one with a small footprint that can fit into a tight corner.
Using smart controls for bedroom lighting
Today’s technologies have created many ways that you can use lighting to enhance the mood in your bedroom. Smart devices let you adjust lighting on your smartphone or via voice control, without ever leaving the comfort of your bed. Or you can set timers to dim overhead lights and lamps, or even turn them off at regular hours.
No matter what your lighting needs, we’re here to help make your bedroom the most comfortable room in your home.