23 illuminating bedroom lighting ideas for every kind of house | House & Garden
CommentLoaderSave StorySave this storyCommentLoaderSave StorySave this story Bright ideas for bedroom lighting: a soft bedroom scheme with carefully considered lighting in a 
Ask any designer about curating a , and they’ll agree that ambience is paramount. ‘Clients are increasingly looking to create havens of calm and tranquillity in their homes, to counterbalance their usually hectic and busy lives,’ explains interior designer Alex Dauley. And nowhere is this more important than in the bedroom: a space to unwind and sleep. A bedroom that does this well will feature an accumulation of things, from great storage (to hide away your clutter) to and a . But without excellent lighting, all of this amounts to nothing. What good is a pure cashmere throw in a dusty pink, or a wall painted in Farrow & Ball’s warm and dusty if it's cut across by a blue-toned ceiling light?
‘When it comes to I often use simple alabaster plafonniers to diffuse the light, or something more unexpected and austere like a vintage lantern,’ explains , who enjoys how they contrast with the ‘soft, abundant textiles’ in the room. She also advises (as many designers do) that dimmers are key to curating an atmosphere. Designers like , and also all extol the , which will allow you to operate all your individual lamps together from one wall dimmer. This is particularly helpful in a bedroom as it avoids you having to get out of bed to turn off that lovely warm floor lamp in the far corner, or the reading light on the other side of the bed. So if you're rewiring, try to put a dimmer within reach of your bed.
An alabaster plafonnier, as mentioned by Evelina, in the calm bedroom of interior designer You can never go wrong with an Anglepoise, pictured here in a glossy cream, perched on a fabric bedside table.
Jake CurtisIf a ceiling light feels essential, then using a fabric lantern is a good way of softening its harshness and creating a dappled effect, like the frothy Pinch one used by Rachael Gowdrige in this (pictured top).
If you're sharing with a partner, then bedside table lamps are useful for bedtime autonomy. Some designers like to use matching bedside lamps to create symmetry, but it's not essential, particularly if your bedroom is otherwise uncluttered or cohesive. ‘With a bedside lamp, the height is super important,’ says . ‘You don't want to be distracted by the glare of a light bulb as you're trying to read your book at night.’ And how do we get it right? ‘You size the lamp according to the height of the bed, the height of the bedside table, and the position of the person who's going to be reading.’ So, before you start shopping it's worth getting out the tape measure, or testing out lamps you already have to see what works best for you.
Floor lamps or a small lamp on a side table can also be a useful way to zone your bedroom; if you have particularly high ceilings or a lot of open space then a cosy armchair with a tall Italian standard lamp will carve out a cosy reading nook and give you a sense of intimacy. If you're attempting quite the opposite effect, and rather want your bedroom to feel bigger, or to avoid using up floor space with floor lamps or bedside tables then sconces are your friend – opt for something in paper, fabric or patinated metal and you won't go wrong.
For more inspiration, here are some of our favourite examples of atmospheric bedroom lighting in a wide variety of bedrooms big and small.
Bedroom lighting ideas to spark creativity
The spare room of a has wall lights that provide the majority of the ambient lighting. ‘I hate having an overhead light that is in my eyeline when I am reading,’ says Brandon. ‘So, when I want to read in bed, but don't want the room completely blacked out, I turn on the wall lights as well.’
Short of space but not style, is full of subtle space-saving tactics. A pair of compact, wall-mounted lamps positioned neatly on the side walls of the shallow bed alcove suit both the tight space and the tailored approach. When angled down, they sit unobtrusively against the wall, but an adjustable knuckle allows them to be tilted outwards to provide directional light for reading. A Rose Uniacke design, they are made from hand-spun brass, left unlacquered, allowing the colour to age over time. They have tiny switches on them allowing for ease of use when you’re in bed.
If a ceiling light is the preferred option, choose one in a material that gently diffuses the light: a fabric shade that covers the underside of the bulb, especially one with gathered layers in a soft colour – seen in this – works well, as would an alabaster dish light. For a similar look, the creates a large, soft source of light without any bulb glare, as well as acting as an elegant focal point.
You can also free up bedside tables by mounting a swing-arm wall light onto a headboard; dimmer switches for all the lights can be integrated into it, too.
In this bedroom of a , large bedside lamps on either side of the four-poster provide most of the ambient light, diffused through colourful silk lampshades. A more directional light source has been fitted inside the bed area for reading – the best designs for this purpose, are adjustable. ‘We try to avoid too many – or indeed any - spotlights in older houses,’ says Henriette. Instead, wall lights act as the third, indirect lighting source – often in the form of picture lights – for a more atmospheric feel.
The family of four lamps brings a charming symmetry to another bedroom in this . The wall lamps are tucked into the fabric of the four-poster bed itself, which adds a smartness. The ceramic bedside lamps are from Vaughan with Nushka shades.
is the visual manifestation of a clear mind, with beautiful, oversized furniture filling a bedroom layered with natural materials and earthy tones. The paper ceiling lantern is simple but effective piece, filling the space and softening any harshness from a ceiling light. The tall proportions call for tall lamps, like Soho Home's 'Joni Arc' floor lamp which curves through the space.
The bedroom in a house in is full of rustic textiles, from the Indian kantha used as a bedcover to the cotton kilim on the curtains. This is extended up onto the ceiling, where a throws some gentle light across the lime-washed walls in the evening. The original stone-topped stove provides a useful bedside table and perch for two bedside lamps.
The fabric ceiling light by in the main bedroom of this continues the use of texture throughout the room, which all in one calming, neutral palette. The quality of light will also be dappled and softened by the layers of fabric. In the corner of the room, Rachael has carved out a little reading nook with a vintage floor lamp which arches over the cosy shearling armchair.
In this small bedroom in , curtains in a green check from Merchant & Mills screen an iron bed from The French House. Where a room is too small or awkwardly sized for a proper side table, an antique milking stool is a great place to rest a lamp, in this case a textured wicker lamp base with matching shade from Ferm Living.
A candle sconce is the ultimate romantic touch in a bedroom lighting scheme, as seen here in Those pictured here are antique with mirrored back, meaning the light will flicker and reflect across the room. The symmetrical lamps and bedside tables is neat and neutral, cutting against the theatricality of the swooping canopy.
A recessed bed creates a cosy atmosphere, in this . The wall-mounted lamps are tucked inside, which is a good use of space and adds to the cocooning feel of the panelled area, which is painted in deep ‘Asian Blue’.
This box bed for a child in . was built out from the sloping ceiling of the attic space. The antique Italian standard lamp brings a pop of colour and is useful for throwing light to different corners of the room. It feels fun enough for a child's bedroom without compromising on style.
In the bedroom of , the Ochre’s ‘Beach Pebble’ pendant casts a soft light. Hanging a pendant from the ceiling also makes a ceiling feel higher, and can feel almost like having a piece of art next to your bed.
In the spare bedroom of , a Penny Morrison lampshade sits atop a tamegroute lamp base, from a collaboration between Francesca and Laurie Lamps. Petite and pretty, the lamp is the perfect height for a low bed.
Interior designer Lonika Chande transformed an owner's rather dark childhood into a light-filled oasis perfect for family. In one of the bedrooms, the twin headboards were original to the house and had been pushed together to make a double bed. As Brandon Schubert recommends, she has used one lamp in the middle of two single beds. The added wall-lights are a nice pop of colour.
The master bedroom of a designed by Anahita Rigby features a charming chandelier adorned with miniature lampshades from Pooky, in a red marble print. This is a clever way of introducing a lighting effect that feels like multiple lamps, all gathered in the heart of the room. The mounted wall lamp has a coordinating shade to echo the same style.
Don't forget that bedroom lighting can bring visual interest as well as light. Whilst the bones of are plain and neutral, the accessories inject colour, like the headboard in Rapture & Wright’s ‘Moorish Maze’ in ‘Madder Pink,' the Tate & Darby rug and the bold yellow lamp base. The wall-mounted anglepoise in brass subtly emerges from the wooden beams, and can be angled and adjusted according to your lighting needs.
The entire design of this was based around a ship. This can be seen in the antique pendant lamp that hangs from the ceiling of the eldest son's bedroom, which is an antique sourced in Italy. The wall-mounted bedside lamps look almost like Victorian candle sconces, with deep brown lampshades coordinating with the dark wood walls.
This paper lantern by Pinch, as seen here in the main bedroom of our ‘Project of the Year’, a , is a reliable go-to for a bedroom ceiling lamp. The shape is simple and clean without being clinical, and the sepia paper dampens any bright light.
’s design for the velvet headboard in the bedroom of her warehouse flat was inspired by the leaves of the toleware lights. It makes for a unique focal point of the room.
The use of symmetry and pairing in was intentionally introduced to reflect the pairing of Rose and her partner. Symmetrical bedside tables and lamps is a good way to introduce serenity into a room. The lamp bases and lampshades are confidently large, which works well in a room with such high ceilings. The central chandelier adds some glamour, as well as an enchanting twinkly light effect in the evening.
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Eve joined the House & Garden digital team in 2026, with an eclectic background as a comedian, artist and, briefly, bingo caller. She refined her interest in design, culture and food during periods freelancing for Inigo House and Tatler, where she particularly enjoyed interviews and exploring unusual, beautiful houses. She ...
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