Bedroom Lighting Ideas

Bedroom Lighting Ideas – Eco Friendly Lighting

Your bedroom should be a sanctuary, a place for relaxation, peace and tranquillity.  Using easy bedroom lighting ideas can help you to make the room a true haven.

Having bought a couple of houses to re-model and sell on, I’ve learnt a few tricks – and one is that lighting can make a BIG difference in your home!

Because this is an eco friendly blog on the Genuinely Green website, of course I’m going to be talking about CFL and LED light bulbs, because they’re much more eco friendly than the old incandescent (“normal”) bulbs.  And they save you money because they last longer and use much less electricity.

When considering bedroom lighting ideas, remember that bedrooms ideally need 3 types of lighting:

1. Overhead or General Light
2. Task Light
3. Reading Light

Let’s look at each of these individually.

General Light

Many bedrooms have a central pendant light or chandelier.  This could be an opportunity to add glamour to the room and really make a statement!  For this, CFLs are better as you want more general light more widely spread.   And they are available in candle or teardrop shapes.  In you want to use a dimmer, remember to look for CFLs which can dim – not all of them do.

Tip:  Consider low-watt light fixtures – they provide a soft, soothing light and add decorative interest.  Low-watt light is cheaper to buy and cheap to run.

Tip:  Low-watt LEDs are perfect for night lights – for example in children’s room, or for the elderly.  They are safer and don’t break easily.

Task Light

When looking at bedroom lighting ideas, task light is important.  Think about what you need.

• A bright but natural light in front of a full-length mirror?
• Light for putting on make-up?
• Bright light focussed on drawers to find jewellery or small items?
• Lighting inside wardrobes or closets?

Shadows are an important consideration for task light for applying make-up.  Place lights at each side of the mirror.

(Yes, those big bulbs we saw in the old movies around the stars’ mirrors in their dressing rooms had a definite purpose as well as screaming “I’m a star!”).

If you want ceiling lights above a mirror, talk to a lighting specialist – it’s really important to place those lights just the right amount away from the wall to avoid shadows.

For closets, consider track lighting, spots or lights inside the cupboard.  Put them on a separate switch for better control.

LEDs are perfect for task lighting, and CFLs also work very well.  LEDs are useful inside closets as they don’t get hot.

Other ideas:

Note how different light types have been used in this bedroom / bathroom.  There are accent lights to highlight the tapestry behind the bed, as well as provide light for reading.  Three pendant lights in the bathroom provide task lighting as well as general illumination (CFLs or LEDs will work here).  And finally, hidden lights highlight the antique Chinese silk screen (LEDs are best here – no heat to damage the silk).

This example also shows multiple lighting types.  Wall sconces highlight the dramatic entrance (CFLs or LEDs).  Hanging pendants and table lamps provide general light and warmth as well as reading light (CFLs).  Lights recessed into the ceiling provide accent lighting (CFLs, or LEDs with heat sink), while hidden lights inside the headboard add drama (LED).  My favourite though is the rope light.  Did you notice the room is split level?  You need to draw attention to this for safety.  So rope lights are tucked into the underside of the raised floor, creating a unique glow.  LED rope lights are perfect for this – small, flexible and they stay cool.

Inspired to get creative with eco friendly bedroom lighting ideas?  Try this:- Bedroom Reading Lights

In the meantime, you can buy CFLs and LEDs from Amazon.

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Other Lighting Articles – you might find these interesting

New Light Bulb Standards in the US

Light Bulbs Types

CFL Pros and Cons

LED lights at home and how best to use them

Bedroom Reading Lights

Harley LED Lights – Harley Davidson go Green (Video)

LED Kitchen Lights – Cool Ideas

LED Home Lighting – 4 things you need to know when buying LEDs

Example of LEDs (Videos)

Photo Credits:  all hgtv.com