Bedroom Lights

Achieving perfect bedroom lighting means balancing practicality with some truly relaxed mood lighting. Often this must be done in a compact space, which will have to contain a number of relatively large items of furniture, thus severely restricting your options.

Recessed, low-glare LED downlights provide an excellent starting point for modern bedroom lighting. They are ideal for use in rooms with standard height ceilings since they are unobtrusive and, when strategically positioned around the edges of the room, they will open up the space and banish the dingy outer shadows created by a single central ceiling light. They also work equally well in both adults' and childrens' bedrooms. Remember that the latter are likely to be used for longer periods and a multitude of diverse tasks like playing, studying and generally chilling out (and not simply for sleep), so will need a particularly flexible plan.

Of course, for the best night's sleep a gentle transition between light and darkness is important, so choose dimmable lights which offer daylight tones (3000 Kelvin) at full strength, but dim to a warmer shade for a cosy ambience. A broad beam angle will provide superior illumination and allow for wider spacing between each downlight.

For rooms with a vaulted ceiling, tilt-angle downlights or those with an asymmetric beam are ideal. While you can make the most of any exposed beams by using spotlights to good effect, bouncing their light off the ceiling or walls for a really gentle glow. Or, for an impressive wash of light, conceal LED strips around the ceiling or above the windows.

As a general rule, choose LEDs with a warm tone, or consider colour changing strip to enliven the decor. Hide the strips behind a cove pack and bounce the light off the ceiling to add architectural interest to even the boxiest of rooms. Alternatively, make a different, rather more contemporary statement by emulating the glittering night sky using fibre optic LED lights.

Whatever general lighting is planned, adding wall lights always works well, particularly to frame features like the bed and provide a gentle wash of light up and down the wall, whilst directional mini wall lights will provide stylish functionality for late night reading or to highlight favourite objects.

Remember that good lighting will turn a bland room into a truly stunning one, and it is as important in the bedroom as it is in the living room or kitchen.