How high should bedside wall lights be?

Fix wall-mounted reading lights so the light source sits around 40 to 50 cm above the top of the mattress, usually around 1 to 1.2 m from the floor, slightly to the side of the pillow. Adjustable heads let you aim the light at the page.

How low should bedside pendants hang?

Hang bedside pendants with the bottom around 50 to 70 cm above the bedside table, low enough to light a book but high enough that you will not knock it getting up.

Should I have downlights in a bedroom?

A few, placed carefully. Avoid downlights directly above the bed, where you look straight into them. Place them over the walkway and wardrobes instead, choose low-glare fittings and put them on a dimmer.

What is the best lighting for sleep?

Warm, dim, indirect light in the hour before bed. Lower the main lights, use bedside lamps at 2700K or warmer, and avoid bright overhead light. A low night light on a sensor is better than switching on the main light at night.

How do I light inside a wardrobe?

Use LED strip in a profile along the front of shelves or above hanging rails, on a door sensor so it switches on automatically. Choose a CRI of 90 or above so colours look true.

Can I switch bedroom lights from the bed?

Yes. Two-way switching for the main light, with one switch at the door and one by the bed, is easy to add during a renovation. Lighting automation can go further, turning off every light in the house from one button.

What lighting is best for a child's bedroom?

A warm, dimmable main light, a lamp for bedtime reading and a low night light that can stay on through the night. Keep fittings out of reach and avoid bright, cool light in the evening.

Bedroom Lighting

Bedroom with LED strip lighting along the curtain wall and shelving

BY ROOM

Bedroomlighting

Bedroom lighting ideas and design advice from our lighting designers, from warm, sleep-friendly light to bedside reading lights and wardrobes.

Plan your bedroom lighting Shop bedroom lights

Light thathelps you rest

A bedroom is lit for the start and end of the day. Clear light for getting dressed in the morning, and warm, low light that helps you wind down at night.

That means keeping bright light away from the bed, putting reading light exactly where you need it, and choosing warm colour temperatures that feel restful. Being able to switch everything off from the bed makes all the difference.

A good bedroom lighting plan also takes care of the practical: lit wardrobes, a gentle night light and switching at both the door and the bedside.

Three layersof light

Soft overall light, focused reading light and a little decoration.

Ambientlight

A ceiling light, chandelier or a few downlights for general light. Keep them away from directly over the bed, where they shine in your eyes when you lie down.

Adjustable black wall-mounted reading light beside an upholstered headboard

Tasklight

Reading lights either side of the bed, light at a dressing table and lighting inside wardrobes, where you need to see colours clearly.

LED strip lighting along a bedroom curtain wall

Accentlight

LED behind a headboard, along a curtain pelmet or under the bed. Soft and indirect, it is the light you leave on as you fall asleep.

Warm lightfor sleep

Colour temperature, measured in kelvin, has more effect on how a bedroom feels than any fitting. The lower the number, the warmer and more relaxing the light.

Slide through the range to see how the light changes, and when each one suits a bedroom.

2700K

Colour temperature 2700K

An illustration of the change in warmth, not an exact match. See the difference for real in one of our showrooms.

Bedsidelighting

Bedside lights are the most-used lights in a bedroom. The right height and a switch you can reach from the pillow make them a pleasure to use.

Bedside pendantsPendants either side of the bed free up the bedside table and make a feature of the bed wall. Hang the bottom around 50 to 70 cm above the table.

Table lampsA lamp on each side, with the shade roughly at shoulder height when you sit up in bed, gives a soft, warm light to wind down by.

Switching from the bedTwo-way switching for the main light, at the door and the bedside, means you never get out of bed to turn it off.

See the Highgate project

Adjustable wall-mounted reading light beside a bed

Readinglights

If you read in bed, a dedicated reading light is worth more than any other fitting in the room. It lights the page without lighting your partner.

Wall-mounted and adjustableAn arm or swivel head lets you aim the light exactly onto the page and move it out of the way afterwards.

The right heightFix them so the light source sits around 40 to 50 cm above the top of the mattress, usually 1 to 1.2 m from the floor, just to the side of the pillow.

A narrow beamA focused beam of light keeps the glow on the book and off the other side of the bed.

Their own switchA switch on the fitting or beside the bed lets each side be turned on and off independently.

Walk-in wardrobe lit with LED along the shelves and hanging rails

Wardrobes anddressing areas

Choosing clothes in a dark wardrobe is no fun. Light inside the wardrobe and at a dressing table helps you see colours as they really are.

Inside the wardrobeLED strip in a profile along the front of each shelf or hanging rail, on a door sensor so it comes on as you open it.

Dressing tableLight either side of the mirror at face height, as in a bathroom, with a good colour rendering of CRI 90 or more.

Walk-in wardrobesTreat them as a small room with their own ambient light, plus lit shelving or hanging rails.

See made-to-measure LED profiles

Dimming andcontrol

Small details that make a bedroom easier to live in.

Dim everythingDimmers on the main light and the bedside lights let you lower the level gradually as the evening goes on.

Night lightLED under the bed or in the skirting, on a motion sensor, lights the way to the door without waking anyone.

Children's roomsChoose a warm, dimmable light for bedtime stories, and a low night light that can stay on all night.

ScenesWith lighting automation, one button by the bed can turn off every light in the house.