Softness, relaxation, peace, romance, seem to be somewhat contradictory to the demands of putting on make-up, dressing, or bedtime reading.

Lighting in a bedroom has to meet a multitude of demands.

Sleeping is an activity mostly performed in the dark. However, the bedroom is also a place for dressing and grooming in the morning, and reading and watching television at night. A subtle combination of different kinds of lighting to provide the balance that you need for perfect bedroom design.

Lighting Solution

Main Bedroom

The starting point is a main source of overall lighting. This should be neutral and relaxing, best achieved by using more than one lighting point. Then consider the practical lighting requirements: Brighter light for the dressing table and wardrobes, and reading lights around the bed. The final touch could be a Softone bulb to enrich your design and give it a hint of softness to enhance mood, combined with spotlights to highlight a particular object or feature. Overhead lighting fitted to a dimmer switch gives you enormous flexibility to alter the intensity of the lighting to match your mood. When arranging light for your dressing table, ensure even light from both sides of the mirror. This will avoid casting shadows on the face. The light for this area can be brighter than that used for the overall lighting.

Children's Bedroom

Children like a lot of light. Dim light, often preferred by older people for relaxation, is frightening for most young children. However, long harsh shadows and glaring, unscreened lamps must be avoided. For a teenager's room, adjustable spotlights on a power track in combination with adjustable clip-on spots that can be placed anywhere in the room offer good lighting flexibility.