After a long day of work, all you need to do is relax and destress.
Therefore, you need to create the perfect chill spot in your house. Switch up your whole bedroom into an exclusive holiday destination by upgrading the lighting.
You can install wall sconces, chandeliers, pendant lights, among other contemporary lighting fixtures.
But before you install any lighting fixture, you have to identify how much light you need in your bedroom. So, evaluate the size of the room and all your requirements.
If you only use your bedroom for relaxation, you need not buy high lumen bulbs or install multiple lighting fixtures.
On the other hand, if you prefer working in your bedroom at night, install focused and sharp lighting. From here, you can choose the most suitable type of lighting you need.
Determining the brightness level required in a bedroom
Nowadays, brightness levels are often calculated in lumens. Typically, the higher the lumens in the bulb, the more brightness it offers. On the flip side, the lower the lumens in the bulb, the lower the brightness.
Before you install any bulb in your bedroom, check the number of lumens. Some homeowners measure brightness levels using watts instead. But watts do not offer accurate results.
To determine the brightness levels you require in your room, follow the below steps.
- First, you have to identify the size of your bedroom. So, measure the length and width of the bedroom. Then, multiply the two to find the total square foot of the room. For instance, if your bedroom has a length of 12 feet and a width of 12 feet, the total square feet will be 144 square feet.
- Now that you have the total square foot of your bedroom, find out the foot-candle. What this means is the number of lumens you will need in one square foot. Your requirements often determine this. But, on average, you will need approximately 15 lumens in one square foot in your bedroom. Note that you will require more lumens per square foot in other rooms like the living room.
- Find out the total number of lumens you require by multiplying the bedroom’s total square foot with the average number of lumens needed per square foot. So, in our case, that would be 144 square feet multiplied by 15. If your room is 144 square feet, you will require approximately 2160 lumens. Of course, the average number of lumens you need per square foot varies depending on your requirements.
Lighting a bedroom
After knowing the number of lumens, you need for your bedroom; it’s now time to identify the type of lighting that works best.
At this point, identify all the tasks you wish to do in your bedroom. Additionally, analyze your bedroom décor to find out the most suitable lighting that works for you.
For example, if you read during the night, go for a bedside lamp or portable reading light to provide focused lighting.
Not to mention, you can always integrate the different types of lighting to cater to a wide variety of your requirements.
Also, strive to incorporate the three main categories of lighting; task, ambient, and accent lighting.
Task lighting
As the name suggests, this lighting is mostly used to carry out certain tasks, say folding clothes, reading, and writing.
Since task lighting is exclusively meant to provide good functionality, you have to go for high lumen bulbs.
Remember, you need a lot of brightness that will enable you to conduct your daily tasks. If you need a table lamp or pendant light for reading, choose a bulb with as high as 450 lumens.
Accent lighting
Another type of lighting you need to incorporate is accent lighting. This type of lighting is specially designed to underscore the main fixtures in the bedroom.
For example, if you have an art piece, consider placing recessed fixtures above it to accentuate it.
Additionally, you can highlight your family photo using a table lamp or wall sconce. When it comes to accent lighting, go for bulbs with higher lumens.
Even so, the number of lumens need not exceed those of task lighting.
Ambient lighting
The next type of lighting you need to incorporate in your bedroom is ambient lighting.
Ambient lighting sets the general atmosphere of the room. They create a warm and cozy atmosphere that helps you unwind and have a good night’s sleep after a long day.
Some of the different ambient lighting types include pendant lights, chandeliers, floor lamps, and recessed lighting.
You can install one or two types of ambient lighting in your room, depending on your requirements. Once you balance these three types of lighting in your bedroom, you will get the best out of your lighting.
You can always research the best techniques you can use when combining these three types of lighting.
Alternatively, you can choose to hire an expert interior designer to help you make the most out of these three types of lighting.
Various lighting fixtures to use in a bedroom
Best lighting feature to install in your bedroom.
Incorporate pendant lighting
Creating a tranquil aura in your bedroom will often require you to use pendant lighting.
So, look for the best pendant light designs that match your bedroom.
Then, find the perfect place to install them.
When it comes to pendant lights, you can always install them by your bedside or center of your ceiling.
Bedside lamps
Bedside lamps provide excellent functionality that enables you to read during the night without lighting up the whole room.
Moreover, bedside lamps are well known to provide unique aesthetics for your bedroom. Luckily, there is a broad spectrum of bedside lamp designs you can buy.
Use modern chandeliers
Undoubtedly, chandeliers are great fixtures to install in your master bedroom. They are attractive and give the whole room a warm glow.
Chandeliers come in a wide range of designs. So, go for the design that matches your bedroom décor.
Takeaway
Getting the right type of lighting can be a hustle, especially if you don’t know the different lighting types.
But before you install any lighting, ensure you identify how much light you need. Also consider installing mirrors to make your rooms much brighter.
Typically, finding the amount of light you need in a bedroom requires you to multiply the room’s square foot with the average number of lumens needed per square foot.
