Which luminaire for the bedroom?
Bedroom lighting is essential to create a relaxing and pleasant interior. The choice of lighting fixtures is therefore not a matter of chance, and contributes to the creation of a comfortable interior ambience. In addition to its functional role, lighting can be an interior design object in its own right. Its choice should therefore consider the style of the bedroom.
Here are some ideas and tips you can put into practice to choose the right light fitting for your bedroom. You'll also discover the different types of lighting and fixtures suitable for this room and the golden rules for lighting the bedroom well.
Types of lighting and fixtures for the bedroom
As the bedroom can have different functions, it proves essential to install several light points. The aim is to create a lighting atmosphere tailored to your needs. In this sense, it's important to differentiate between:
- Main or general lighting,
- Functional lighting,
- Ambient lighting.
Whether in terms of style, wattage or color, the choice of luminaire must take into consideration the function assigned to it.
Main or general lighting
The characteristics of main bedroom lighting
Main bedroom lighting must respect certain basic principles:
- Avoid glare in the morning and at night,
- Light the room well during the day,
- Have easily accessible switches both at the entrance to the room and at the bed (to-and-fro switch).
Ideally, the main light should be installed in the center of the room so that the whole room is bathed in light. This should not be too powerful, nor too weak.
Good to know: you can fit the main lighting with a dimmer switch. This device lets you easily play with theintensity of the light and create the lighting ambience to suit your mood. In this case, you don't necessarily need to install several light sources in the room. For example, to create a subdued light that's conducive to relaxation, you can reduce the light intensity of the luminaire. On the other hand, if you need a brighter light to carry out various activities, simply increase it, as you wish.
It's important to remember that the color temperature of general lighting should vary between 3,000 and 4,000 kelvins.
How to choose the right luminaire for the main lighting?
Ceiling lights and room pendant lights are the luminaires of choice to serve as main lighting in the bedroom. This type of lighting holds a dual role: it serves to illuminate the room and is a decorative element in its own right. So choosing the right light fixture is not a matter of chance. You need to consider several parameters: the volume, shape and decoration of the room.
For a room with a ceiling height of 2.5 meters, for example, ceiling lights are recommended. They're very practical because they don't impede circulation in the room. What's more, with such a height, it's easy to highlight their design.
However, if the ceiling height measures more than 2.80 meters, you can afford to invest in a chandelier, a Hang suspension light or a Bala string light.
Good to know: with a small room, the diameter of the ceiling light should not exceed 30 cm. For a large bedroom, a fixture with a minimum diameter of 50 cm is required.
Functional or accent lighting
Features of functional lighting
As its name suggests, adjunct or functional lighting is aimed at a particular area such as a desk or bedside table.
So, to illuminate the desk, make use of a luminaire with articulated arms. This model is very practical and guarantees optimal lighting without being too aggressive. In fact, you can adjust its height to suit your needs. As for illuminance, a luminaire of around 500 Lux is needed to light an office table. As for the type of light, professionals recommend warm white and advise against cold white lighting. Ideally, the luminous intensity of the desk lamp should vary between 2,700 and 3,000 Kelvin.
The location of accent lighting is crucial, as it has a particularly precise role.
With this in mind, to ensure good functional lighting for a double bed, install a bedside lamp on either side of the headboard. If fitted with a dimmer switch, it can be used as a reading light. However, the lamp should be at eye level to ensure good visual comfort.
The intensity of the light diffused by the luminaire must also offer excellent visual comfort. Your eyes' health and well-being depend on it. That's why you need a suitable light source to carry out your various activities (reading, putting on make-up, getting dressed...).
Good to know: you shouldn't confuse a reading light with a bedside lamp. The latter is not suitable for reading and is likely to tire your eyes quickly, as its intensity is weaker than that of the reading light. LED bulbs are recommended for reading lights. They have a low blue quotepart and guarantee comfort, health and well-being for the eyes.
What type of luminaire can be used as functional lighting?
Discover our lighting fixtures and accessories for bedroom
In addition to table lamps such as shades, there are several types of functional lighting. You can bring style and originality to your bedroom by replacing the table lamp with:
- A swivel floor lamp,
- A wall lamp,
- A Hang suspension or Bala rope light...
Ambient lighting
Ambient lighting features
The bedroom is the resting place par excellence. You can rely on good mood lighting to create a restful, soft and intimate atmosphere there.
You can then play with light to create an ambience suited to your desires. In the evening, you can opt for soft, subdued lighting to promote rest and relaxation, and above all accentuate the intimate atmosphere in the bedroom. However, dynamic lighting is essential to motivate you during the day.
What luminaire to choose for ambient lighting in the bedroom?
When it comes to the type of luminaire suitable for mood lighting, you're spoilt for choice:
- Suspension design,
- Spot personnalisé,
- Applique murale,
- Standing floor lamp...
Play with colors and light intensity to personalize ambience. In fact, to optimize the effectiveness of ambient lighting, the luminaire's color rendering index (CRI) must be greater than 90. As for color temperature, it must be equal to around 2,200 Kelvin, with white light tending towards yellow. The intensity of this type of light is generally close to that of candlelight.
Good to know: with their metallic, copper, colored, black and white electric cords, Hoopzï pendant lights will bring a touch of originality to your bedroom.
Bedroom lighting: a few rules not to be overlooked
To choose the right light fixture for the bedroom, several parameters need to be taken into account: lighting power, light color, fixture style... Before settling on any model, you need to know these golden rules for good bedroom lighting.
Focus on the luminaire's brightness and lighting color
Comfortable, harmonious and relaxing, the bedroom should neither be under-lit nor over-lit. Subdued light is essential to establish a zen and intimate environment. For this, you can invest in a 100 to 200 Lux fixture like the Hoopzï LED 95 Ambrée bulb. As for the light color, warm white is ideal, as it promotes sleep and brings great intimacy to the room.
But we mustn't forget that this room isn't just for sleeping, or relaxing. In fact, the bedroom is the place where you get dressed, put on make-up, etc. It's also where children and teenagers work. For this reason, it requires a variety of light points to emit different types of light suited to different needs.
Choose a style in harmony with interior decor
The design of the light fixture must match the style of the bedroom. Bala or Hang pendant lights in carbon black or white are perfectly suited to an industrial-style interior. Their metallic electric cords bring a chic look to the bedroom and tone down the cold, clean edge of industrial decor.
However, Bala's electric cords are available in other colors, leaving you spoilt for choice when it comes to creating a designer bedroom. You can bet on red electrical wires or red and white Zigzag electrical cords to bring a bit of color into the bedroom.
For a stylish bedroom, you can do without the classic bedside lamps to be installed on either side of the bed. Replace them with hanging lamps or wall sconces that are just as practical as they are decorative.
Good positioning of lighting sources
Choosing lighting fixtures with varying intensities isn't enough; you also need to consider their placement. This makes it easy to create zones of light and shade, according to your needs.
For general lighting, for example, it should be located in the center of the room and at the right height (2.5 meters from the floor for a standard height). As for accent lighting, its location varies according to its use. As the bedside lamp can double as a reading light, it should be installed 1 meter (+/- 5 cm) from the floor. Directed spotlights are an excellent choice for illuminating specific areas, such as pictures and closets.
Important note: you need to define the light intensity level and number of light points to be installed according to the surface area of the room.
Lighting for parents', baby's or teenager's bedroom: how to make the right choice?
The ideal light fixture for a baby's bedroom is not necessarily suitable for the parents' bedroom, nor for a teenager's bedroom. Here are a few tips to help you choose the ideal lighting for each of these rooms.
Lighting for a children's room
Safety first
Ideally, give preference to LED bulbs, which are less dazzling and less burning than conventional bulbs. If you like hanging lamps, Hang or Bala pendant lights with fabric cords are a good choice. For these models, the electric wire is made of cord, protected by a high-end fabric.
Softness and customization: the key words
The light in your little one's room should create a Zen, serene atmosphere. Your child should feel comfortable, relaxed and secure. Installing pretty lamps in harmony with the interior decor is therefore not enough.
For the main lighting, you can invest in a ceiling light or even a hanging light if the height of the ceiling allows. A child's bedroom doesn't require a powerful light source. A luminaire with an intensity of between 200 and 300 Lux is enough to illuminate it.
Particularly for a baby's room, the interplay of color and light allows you to create a cocoon of softness. However, avoid fixtures that produce aggressive white lights, and always favor subdued lighting.
A nightlight on the bedside table
If your child can't sleep in the dark, avoid turning on the main lamp all night. This could dazzle his eyes and disrupt his sleep rhythm. The solution? Put a small, low-intensity nightlight on the bedside table.
Children's nightlights come in a variety of models, some of which project pretty frescoes onto the walls. Enough to make decorating baby's room even more enchanting than it already is. These lights are also available in different options: musical nightlights, nomadic nightlights, wall-projection nightlights...
Lighting a teenager's bedroom
A functional and comfortable light
A teenager's bedroom has certain features that you shouldn't take lightly. So, it's a good idea to choose the right light fixture so that its occupant can feel comfortable in it.
In fact, teenagers love to spend time in their bedroom, as it constitutes their private space and serves as a refuge, work space, etc.
So it needs a main light to illuminate the whole room and a good desk lamp. Don't neglect office lighting. Whether over- or under-lit, eyes tend to tire quickly. In principle, the ideal light intensity for a desk lamp is around 500 Lux.
However, if your teenager doesn't appreciate lighting fixtures and only wants one light in his room, opt for models with dimmers. This way, he can change the intensity of the light according to his needs.
A personalized light fixture
You can surprise your teenager by investing in an original, decorative light fixture. However, to choose a lighting fixture perfectly suited to his desires and avoid unpleasant surprises, get to know his personality, his passion, his favorite color...
For general lighting, you can install a tripod floor lamp, pendant lights or ceiling lights, as appropriate.
In general, teenagers like stylish and trendy interior decorations. In this case, opt for designer and minimalist lighting fixtures to give their bedroom a contemporary feel.
However, if your teen appreciates retro and cocooning decor, Hoopzï LED and VINTAGES bulbs will suit his room perfectly. Let him choose from the 6 bulb models available from Hoopzï.
The light fixture for the master bedroom
Parent bedroom lighting should take your lifestyle into account, yet it should remain comfortable, functional and highly decorative.
Soft, comfortable lighting
You need to install a sleep-friendly light source to enjoy a good, restful night's sleep after a long day's work.
In addition, the master bedroom should have a delicate, intimate ambience. Play with color and light intensity. For example, you can opt for lamps with dimmer switches, install wall sconces or low-intensity pendant lights, etc.
Practical lighting
You need to rely on good general lighting and opt for a large ceiling light, a classic tripod floor lamp, a designer pendant... Not too dazzling, the fixture should nevertheless illuminate the whole room.
Don't forget to install functional lighting suited to your lifestyle. If you love to read, invest in a designer reading light to enhance your interior design and enjoy excellent visual comfort when reading. Your dressing table should also feature accent lighting. This allows you to take advantage of optimal lighting when applying make-up. And if you like to work in your room, install a good desk lamp. Choose from several models: table lamp, floor lamp, pendant lamp...
Decorative lighting
Choose a fixture that lets you create a personalized atmosphere: classic, contemporary, rustic...
Are you a fan of industrial decor? Learn how to play with light fixture accessories. The CAGE lampshade for Bala and Hang will be of great use to you. Made from metal, it can bring originality and color to your industrial-style interior. In addition to black, chrome and copper, it also comes in other colors such as mint green, red and turquoise.
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