Bedroom lighting: comfort and practicality

Bedroom light has to work for dressing and tidying as well as winding down for sleep. How to place ambient and local lighting.

A bedroom is used for relatively few hours a day, yet it is one of the most delicate spaces to light. In the morning you need to get dressed quickly and see the true colour of your clothes in the wardrobe. In the evening you want the opposite: soft, calming light that does not strain the eyes. A single poorly chosen ceiling light cannot meet both needs: either the mornings are dim or the evenings glare.

Ambient light: even rather than bright

The main job of ambient light in a bedroom is to give enough visibility for cleaning, changing the bedding or finding things. These tasks are brief, so the ambient light does not need to be very strong.

Room size and wall colour matter too. Light walls reflect light and make a room look brighter, while dark walls and fabric coverings absorb part of it. In a bedroom decorated in dark tones, the same fitting will feel weaker, so it may be worth going up one step in output or adding a second light point.

What matters more is how the light spreads. For someone lying in bed looking up, a bare bulb or a clear-glass fitting is uncomfortable. A frosted shade, a fabric lampshade or a fitting that throws light onto the ceiling solves this. Placing the fitting in the centre of the room or slightly towards the foot of the bed, rather than directly above the headboard, also protects the eyes.

Around the bed: a light for each side

In a room shared by two people, a separate light on each side of the bed is the foundation of comfort. One may want to read while the other wants to sleep. Options include:

• a table lamp with a shade on the bedside table;
• a wall light, ideally with an adjustable head;
• a small reading light built into the headboard.

Each switch should be within reach without getting out of bed. If you are renovating, a two-way switch by the bed is also worth considering: you can turn the main light on at the door and off from bed.

Wardrobe and mirror area

Choosing clothes and getting ready at the mirror requires light that shows colours accurately. Neutral white gives a truer result here than warm light. Mirror light should fall on the face from the sides or front; light from above alone casts shadows under the eyes and chin.

A small light inside the wardrobe, especially one that switches on when the door opens, makes it easier to find clothes in a dark corner.

Evening light and sleep

Bright, cool light in the hours before bed can make it harder for the body to wind down. So in the evening it is advisable to:

• use only local lights instead of the ambient light;
• choose bulbs with a warm colour temperature;
• where possible, use a fitting with adjustable brightness or a dimmable bulb;
• keep the light from phone and tablet screens in mind as well.

Turning on full light to get up for the bathroom or a glass of water breaks up sleep. A low, dim light near the floor, such as a small lamp triggered by a motion sensor, gives a safe path without dazzling.

If there are children or older people in the family, night lighting needs extra care. Keeping the route from the bedroom to the bathroom from being completely dark at night is especially important for older people. The position of switches, keeping cables and bulbs out of children's reach and giving table lamps a stable base are all safety matters too.

Planning checklist

• Ambient light does not shine straight into the eyes when lying down.
• Each side of the bed has its own light and a switch within reach.
• Light that shows colours correctly is planned for the mirror and wardrobe.
• There is a warm, dim evening scenario.
• A low, gentle light is available for getting around at night.
• Lamps lit at the same time have matching colour temperatures.

A note on bulbs

For table lamps and wall lights, a low-wattage bulb with an E14 or E27 cap is often enough. The bulb body should not show below the shade, and to keep the shade material from overheating, respect the maximum wattage stated on the fitting.

Bedroom wall lights, bedside lamps and ceiling fittings can all be equipped from the Zəfər İşığı line: E14 candles, E27 LED bulbs and decorative filament lamps.