Finding the right bedroom lighting doesn’t have to be a challenge. At Dulles Electric Supply in Sterling, we have a wonderful assortment of bedroom light fixtures, including chandeliers, ceiling fans, wall sconces, and bedside lamps. If you’re thinking about updating a bedroom in your home with new lights, shop online with us today or visit our showroom to see what we have in stock!
Every bedroom needs a good balance of ambient, accent, and task lighting. After all, you want the space to be comfortable, since it’s where you sleep each night. It’s important that the lighting allows you to relax and unwind, giving you the ability to set the mood for the room, depending on how you’re feeling or what time of day it is. At Dulles, we love helping people choose new bedroom fixtures, and we can provide you with plenty of great choices.
Ambient Lighting
Ambient lighting refers to the general illumination in a bedroom, and it’s often provided by a single overhead fixture on the ceiling. Your current ambient fixture might be a ceiling fan, but if you’re thinking of replacing it, a small chandelier or large drum pendant could both be good options. The overhead light should illuminate a majority of the room, brightening the ceiling and the walls and helping you see whenever you’re in the room.
Recessed lights are also an option when it comes to ambient illumination, and by placing them around the perimeter of the bedroom, you can have more light reach more of the space. Recessed fixtures should never be the sole source of ambient lighting, but they can easily complement the main overhead fixture in the room.
As for the size and placement of your ambient light, you’ll have to take into account the height and shape of the bedroom ceiling. Is it more than eight feet high? Is it vaulted or does it slope to one side? Our team can help you determine which light is best based on your ceiling, and we can also recommend the right lighting controls, such as dimmers, for your main ceiling fixture and your recessed lights.
Accent Lighting
If you think of your bedroom in terms of layers, then the ambient light illuminates the upper layer of the room. This means that the accent lights, such as wall sconces and floor and table lamps, brighten the middle and bottom layer of the room. Obviously, each light source reaches all layers, but by having the appropriate fixtures on the walls and on your nightstand, you can make the bedroom feel cozy and more intimate.
By bringing your light sources closer to where you are in the bedroom, such as when you’re in bed or sitting in your favorite chair, you can create an ambience that lends itself to rest and relaxation. Accent lights can also be placed on dimmers so you can raise and lower them depending on the season or the time of day.
Task Lighting
Bedroom task lighting comes primarily from your bedside lamps, which you use for reading before bed or when you’re checking the news first thing in the morning. Table lamps are an integral part of any bedroom, and having fixtures that are the right shape and style can make a big difference, along with how well they illuminate the bedside area.
It’s imperative to choose the right bedroom lamps, since you’re going to be using them for years to come. Each lamp will be both a task and an accent light, and you’ll want to pick fixtures that you enjoy using and looking at for a long time. If you have any questions, or you want to start your new bedroom lighting design with the table lamps, feel free to contact us at any time!
Designing the Bedrooms in Your Home
We’ve looked at the different areas in a bedroom, but it’s also important to consider which bedroom you’re designing and what you need in each space. Whether it’s the master bedroom, guest bedroom, or spare room, you’re going to need different fixture options so that you have the ambient, accent, and task lighting necessary for each bedroom.
The Master Bedroom
The master bedroom is often a top selling point when it comes to a home. It may have been what attracted you to the house in the first place, and after you moved in, you set your mind to updating the space to fit your personality. As the largest bedroom in the house, the master suite can present challenges in terms of lighting it properly, but with the right approach and a balanced blend of ambient, accent, and task fixtures, you can create a beautiful, comfortable space.
Think about what type of fixture you want for the main ceiling light. Do you want to make a statement with an elegant chandelier, or do you want to keep the room cool with a modern ceiling fan? Depending on the size of the room, you may have space for two overhead lights, such as two large pendants that shine both upwards and downwards. This type of design can be extremely beneficial for master bedrooms with vaulted ceilings.
Floor and table lamps are must-haves for any master bedroom. You can put a floor lamp next to your favorite chair that’s nestled in the corner, and the table lamps will provide plenty of task and accent lighting next to the bed. As for style, you’ll want your lamps, as well as any sconces you choose for the walls, to match and complement each other, along with the lights you install on the ceiling.
The Guest Room
Your guest room may not get used on a regular basis, but it’s still important that it has the right light fixtures. You’ll likely only need one overhead light, and this can be a ceiling fan for lighting and climate control, or a small chandelier or pendant for the perfect focal point.
It’s good to think about what time of year people most often come to stay with you. If it’s during the summer, then a ceiling fan can be a more practical choice than a chandelier. Summer also means longer days, so you might only need the bedside lamps for accent and task lighting. If you have family come to stay with you during the fall and winter holidays, you might need to add a floor lamp for extra illumination.
Above all, your guest room lighting should make people feel at home. Having lights in the right places, along with proper lighting controls, should create a comfortable and inviting atmosphere that makes any guest feel that they can relax while they’re staying with you.
The Kids’ Bedrooms
A child’s bedroom can be challenging to light properly, simply because the light fixtures often change along with the child. You had a certain type or style of lighting when the bedroom was a nursery, and as your child grew, you updated the lighting to fit their needs.
For younger children, bedside lamps are must, since they provide the necessary lighting for bedtime stories. You may want to add a desk lamp once your child reaches school age, and you can update the other fixtures should you change the paint color or wallpaper in the room.
As your child reaches high school and beyond, you can upgrade the light fixtures to more modern and sophisticated styles. When they move out of the house, you’ll already have the lighting in place to turn their bedroom into a guest room! If you want to transform the space into a home office or study, many of the lights you have should suffice, and we can help you find anything else you might need.
Bedroom Lighting Controls
Every room needs proper lighting controls, and when it comes to the bedroom, versatility is key. By putting your ambient lights on dimmer switches, you can set the mood for any time of day or night. Dimmed lights are great for winding down at the end of a long day, or when you’re just waking up in the morning.
Smart lighting controls are also becoming more popular among homeowners, with people wanting the ability to turn their lights on and off with their phone or tablet. Your dimmers can also be incorporated into your smart controls — if you forget to turn a lamp off when you leave the house, you can do so from the driveway or the office! We can also help you find any timers or sensors that you want to add to your bedroom.
Find Your New Bedroom Lights
The right bedroom lighting should create a space that’s comfortable, where you can get away from the world for a few hours. Whether it’s your master bedroom, guest suite, or child’s room, Dulles Electric Supply can help you decide which lights will look best and work properly for your home. With everything from recessed lights to wall sconces in our showroom and our online catalog, it’s easy to find inspiration for what you want your bedrooms to be.
If you’re not sure where to begin, or you simply want some ideas to get you started on your new bedroom lighting design, contact us today. A member of our team will gladly speak with you about all the possibilities you have when it comes to new lighting.
We look forward to helping you find your new lights!
