We're bringing our favorite bedroom lighting ideas to the table because perfect lighting is essential to make the most out of every space. And, when it comes to the most intimate and personal room of all, it plays an even more important part.

While lighting may not seem like a game-changer when it comes to picking ideas for your bedroom – especially when compared with the instant makeover results of paint or wallpaper, bedding, and the like – for this room to be both functional and attractive, you need to add a mixture of lighting ideas to create the perfect look and feel.

That way, whether you're winding down with a book in bed or getting dressed and ready for the day, your room's lighting can be tailored to meet your needs.  

 By Holly Phillips, Christina Chrysostomou. Contributions from Hebe Hatton   

The workhorse of your bedroom lighting is your nightstand lamp. It's the light you switch on before going to bed and when you wake up. When you're shocked awake in the middle of the night, it's the light you can count on. It's also most likely your preferred reading light.

Paige Anderson, interior design architect, Nitido Design, says: ‘Place accent lighting at your nightstand to eliminate the need to get out of bed to turn off the lights. For a more industrial aesthetic, some individuals replace bedside table lamps with wall sconces or even small pendant lights. Any desk or vanity in your bedroom should have task lighting as well.’

We love this yellow bedroom, which features a color pop lamp and wall light from Pooky, picked up in the yellow pillowcase, in contrast to the gray wall and green headboard. 

And to keep your bedside looking pretty, learn how to conceal unsightly lamp cords with an easy 3-step hack that costs $12 and requires just two materials. 

Your bedroom sanctuary should reflect your true style – it’s where you wake up and unwind every day, and a safe place where you can be your true self away from the multi-personas of the working day. With this in mind, choose a bedroom ceiling light that dares to be different and breaks away from the ‘norm’ to create the ultimate mood room destination.

Océane Pouélé, curator and marketing executive, Artelier, says: ‘Bedroom lighting can be as unique as you, it's great to experiment with unusual and unexpected lighting to make a real statement piece in the bedroom. Mood lighting with different settings is often preferred to create a more restful atmosphere that adapts to your needs throughout the day.’

Smitten by this stunning gradient design (we certainly are!)? For similar, try the Amber ombre beaded chandelier, from Façade Interiors & Furniture. 

Seduce your small bedroom design with a colorful glow of neon for an edgy, modern twist. 

Jess Munday, co-founder, Custom Neon, says: ‘LED neon signs are a fantastic way to illuminate your bedroom with bright neon color. They can turn any space into a moody boudoir or spruce up a blank wall space with a piece of aesthetic artwork. Always wanted to see your name in lights? With a personalized neon name sign, you can, perfect for hanging in your bedroom! There’s absolutely no limit to what you can do with a bedroom neon sign. Not only are they a great piece of lighted wall art, but with a remote and dimmer, you can control the luminosity of your neon sign and create your desired ambiance.’

In small and spacious master bedrooms alike, balance proportions to create a harmonized aesthetic.  

Andra DelMonico, lead interior designer, Trendey, says: ‘Scale the size of the light fixture to the size of the room. The bigger the room the bigger the fixture. This ensures you have plenty of light to illuminate the entire space. Additionally, consider the height of the ceiling. The lower your ceiling is, the closer to it the light fixture should sit. The higher the ceiling, the more it should extend down. This helps to create the right visual proportions in the room.’

Bedrooms are versatile spaces, and as such require a combination of task and mood lighting to highlight specific zones, and create a relaxed mood, as demonstrated with these shapely, pastel lighting pendants and lamps from Norsu Interiors. 

Lina Galvao, Etch Design Group says: ‘The balance of dark and bright lighting can completely change the vibe of a sleep recovery room. Consider the feel you're going for before you decide on lighting. You'd start with an eye-catching fixture in the middle of the room and then add warmth with floor lamps and table lamps. Accent lights are also a must if the room's design contains art - it draws the eye.’

‘When picking out light bulbs try warm-white shades as they make the space more inviting. Avoid blue-white lighting because it gives off an industrial look.’

DelMonico says: ‘You should have one large fixture that can illuminate the entire room. Then you should have smaller fixtures that are task lighting, illuminating a specific area, such as your nightstands, vanity, or desk. These are useful for when you need light but don’t want to illuminate the entire room.’

Is your black bedroom north-facing or lacking in natural daylight? Utilize lighting solutions to diffuse a warm and welcoming glow, and reimagine your rest and revive space. Recreate this look with the Mini Globe Wall Light Polished Brass, from Original BTC. 

Niki Wright, co-founder, lights&lamps, says: ‘The positioning of lighting is key to any bedroom scheme. Illuminating a dull corner with a table or floor lamp or washing a dark wall with a well-placed bedroom wall light can make a huge difference to the energy and feel of a room.’

If a cozy, escape bolthole is what you really crave, skip the overhead light fixture, and opt for an intimate and relaxing corner floor lamp. 

Choose this classy, contemporary, Imperial - 1 light brass and opal midi floor lamp, from lights&lamps, for a simple yet chic addition. This compact design has a shorter stem with the light positioned at a similar height to a lamp on a table. Fitted with a dimmer switch, this is an ideal lamp for reading in your favorite chair or for creating a cozy corner.

Andre Kazimierski, CEO, Improovy Painters Hinsdale, says: ‘Standing lamps with a warmer, yellow bulb can provide a cozy and inviting atmosphere for a bedroom, and typically offer less direct and glaring light than your average overhead fixture. I especially recommend something with adjustable light settings, and a white or off-white shade to gently diffuse light.’

A happy home should aid a healthy planet! Choose mindful lighting designs made from sustainable materials, such as paper, metal, wood, and rattan. 

Made Trade’s tantalizing offering of ethical, beautiful, and sustainable lighting designs, has something to suit every interior style - from modern minimalist to boho artisan. 

Try an easy and cost-effective DIY bedroom decor with mood-enhancing properties, for an instant bedroom update. 

Paige Anderson, interior design architect, Nitido Design, says: ‘The most cost-effective change might be to install a tape light behind a bed headboard. Colors can be changed in simple LED tape lighting kits. They can automatically alter the music or the colors. They are also cost-effective.’

Inject luxury into your gray bedroom with lighting inspired by a boutique hotel. 

This modern ceiling fixture features a clear acrylic design and stunning metal detailing, suspended from a height-adjustable clear flex. Two crisp white lampshades envelop the bed offering a fresh linen feel.

We don't know about you, but this Annie Sloan bedroom scene is making us feel quite nostalgic. Cotton candy pinks, striped wall decor, and draped circus tent motifs all stir up fun memories at the fairground.

But, all of these elements once started as blank foundations, so it's magical what the power of paint and upcycling can do. Here, a rattan bed frame and chest of drawers have been given a lick of chalky Olive paint.

However, our favorite piece is the lampshade which uses a similar design as the storage unit it sits on. As well as the aforementioned khaki hue, Emperor's Silk is used to create a design that reminds us of a merry-go-round.

Take action and give your vintage bedroom design an extra dose of TLC with this fun upcycling idea. 

As well as adding lighting to your ceiling, surfaces and walls, make your interior spaces work that little bit harder by looking at the adjacent rooms too. 

Ample hallway lighting and adequately-lit landings will ensure that you don't feel the urge to pump your bedroom with strong and harsh lightbulbs.

Light the way with the cream of the crop, best hallway lighting, as chosen by us.

Painting an arch or a circle in an interior space is a quick and easy feature wall idea that most emulsion companies and design experts have got on board with recently. And we love this pink background by Benjamin Moore using their First Light 2102 – a lovely rosy pink.

Positioning rattan bedroom lighting decor centrally will cast a gorgeous shadow onto this painted wall.

Owners of white bedrooms needn't miss out on the fun when it comes to bedroom lighting ideas. 

In this sleep space, accented with a purple-blue bedspread and bouquet – a feathered, similarly-colored Draycott lampshade that subtly matches the marble-effect walls.

Reminiscent of falling autumnal leaves, this hanging pendant bedroom lighting idea from features multiple distressed antique brass-colored leaves. 

The leaf structure gives the light a really natural aesthetic, and the light from the single screw-in bulb cascades gently through the leaves casting a warm glow across the room.

To embrace a bohemian bedroom, pair with a rattan chair, global soft accessories, and a palm plant to really immerse yourself in this seventies-inspired scheme.

A mass of white feathers that sit on a tiered and boned circular ball structure, forming a beautifully dense cloud-like effect whether turned off or on in this Feathered Cloud design by The French Bedroom Co.

The styling of this lamp is thoroughly modern, with a nod to 1920s glamour. We love the combination of soft textured feathers against the brushed brass legs.

Fake or faux – colored or white – ostrich or peacock – this bird-based design is pretty fly. As a bedroom lighting idea, this design is extremely versatile. It can look great styled in a French bedroom scheme.

A bedroom wall lighting idea is a must in any bedtime reader’s bedroom, and an extendable wall light makes adjusting the light to your needs easy – plus it adds an on-trend industrial twist. Better still? It's a great idea for small bedrooms where bedside table space is rather limited.

You don’t have to live in a country cottage to enjoy a rural, rustic bedroom ambiance. 

White-washed walls and upcycled furniture are a must, but the right bedroom lighting is essential to getting the look right. Choose a bedside lamp with a traditional charm to complete the scheme. 

Putting pendant lights on either side of the bed creates a definite designer feel. 

But this is a bedroom lighting idea that needs to be planned in early to a room revamp because, like wall lighting, it needs to be wired in professionally, rather than just plugged in like a lamp. 

Ensure there are separate switches on either side of the bed to control each light individually, too.

This is a great bedroom lighting idea if you want different options for reading in bed. 

So, for example, a stronger anglepoise-style wall reading light could be good for creating a task light to read by, then a softer bedside lamp with a shade would be a better light for adding ambiance or if you read from a backlit kindle so don't always need that bright light.

Firstly, that sage green, what a dreamy bedroom color, secondly, those lights. They have a slightly Japanese feel to them with the soft paper shades and they juxtapose the statement modern light beautifully. 

Plus, just imagine the lovely glowy light they would give off, which is perfect for a romantic bedroom atmosphere.

This DIY bedside table, created with shelving and lighting from Ikea (see how in our step-by-step) performs two roles: it provides a soft light by the bed that's great for the room's general atmosphere and is just at the right level for reading by (see how the light lines up with the pillow. Clever.

Can't wait to do it yourself? Get started with this Ikea hack.

If your bedroom's focus is on a stand-out bedroom wallpaper or gorgeous headboard, don't make it a battle for attention with the lighting. 

Instead, pick a design that's subtle and blends into the background like this clear glass lamp with muted and fluted shade – only coming into its own when it's switched on.

You'll probably rely on the central pendant in a bedroom less than you would a living room lighting, so you can afford to think less practically and more decoratively. 

With so many beautiful options out there, it can be tricky to narrow down your favorites. 

But as a starting point, if your bedroom has high ceilings, a larger pendant shade or chandelier will create a pretty focal point, especially in traditional bedrooms; lower ceilings might benefit more from smaller fittings or, in contemporary bedrooms, downlights or ceiling lights.

With the simple addition of bedroom fairy light ideas, you can create a completely different atmosphere in your bedroom. 

For a relaxed feel and a natural glow, choose warm white LEDs, while if you're looking for something brighter and more playful, you can opt for white LEDs or colored fairy lights.

Whether you use your bedroom for putting on makeup or for work, having an angled desk lamp or a wall-mounted equivalent is a real bonus.

The Realhomes.com editor has a desk lamp on her dressing table and swears by it for accurate makeup application – especially when your eyesight isn't 20/20!

Spotlights or downlights are the best solutions for areas of the bedroom that tend to be always dark, such as walk-in closets and fitted bedroom storage units. If you have a freestanding wardrobe, you can use a clip-on or freestanding spotlight on top as an affordable option. 

Walk-in wardrobes and complex fitted solutions will need a professional lighting installation – many fitted furniture companies will sell and install bedroom lighting decor as part of the package.

Modern bedrooms can look cool with task lights and spotlights, but a good lampshade cannot be beaten for providing a soft, diffused glow, especially important in more traditional bedrooms.

Choose the best quality lampshade you can afford, and pick an off-white or cream color for maximum warmth. 

You can also warm up a cool bedroom (and save money) by choosing the right lightbulb.

If you haven't got a ton of space in your bedroom for a statement pendant light or a floor lamp, you can get statement wall lights that will take up zero floor space. 

We love this striking number with a cool contemporary shape that would work in any style room. It looks particularly chic in this all-white bedroom, with the blank canvas making it the star of the show.

This is such a great trick – positioning a mirror design behind your bedroom lighting will only enhance the light it gives off, plus it creates a lovely glow. 

Mirrors work really well in a small bedroom too, as we are sure you know, mirrors expand space, creating the allusion to a bigger, lighter room. 

We love open bedroom shelving. They are the perfect place to store books and vases and of course the odd house plant. 

They are also the perfect place to add some soft bedroom lighting. Fairy lights are an obvious choice, LED candles work too, they look subtle and give off the same atmospheric light.