Children’s Bedroom Lighting Tips: Expressing a Mood by Layering Light

All surfaces in a child’s bedroom work in unison – lighter colored ones reflect more light than darker ones. As natural light recedes at the end of the day, colors appear less and less bright until they disappear completely. Once the sun sets, artificial lighting assumes the role of the light source. It assists in every single activity: sleeping, dressing, studying, reading, creating, playing, and entertaining.

As you follow these children’s bedroom lighting tips, you’ll see that the key to a well-lit child’s bedroom is the introduction of multiple layers that integrate seamlessly ambient for background, mood for atmosphere, accent for highlighting details, and task lighting for specific jobs.

Plan Ahead

Don’t underestimate the importance of good lighting – it’s just as critical to your child’s wellbeing and preservation of eyesight as to aesthetics. Optimal lighting can boost the mood and improve concentration.

I suggest that you work out a lighting plan after settling on a furniture layout. Consider the daylight source. Provide adequate general light and augment it with stronger light for specific areas. Locate the switches. Make sure there is one at the door and at bedside.

I suggest that you think of all your light sources as a team working together. Build in flexibility. Ensure that you can adjust the lighting to achieve the mood you want with ease. Accent lighting should be controlled on a separate circuit to the ambient lighting and should generally be at least three times brighter. Use dimmer switches to change atmosphere.

I suggest that you consider a light fixture’s effect on a room at all times of day – as if it has two personalities – lit and unlit. It may only reveal its full potential when illuminated. Something subtle in the day may become far more exotic once darkness falls, casting wonderful rays and shadows.

However many lights you think you need, you probably need more. Avoid lighting that has an abrasive and inaccurate quality. Choose warm-colored bulbs and a kid’s room will quickly become cosy. Stay with the maximum wattage specified on a light fixture. Make sure everything is child-proof. Use safety plugs.

To create a space that will easily evolve over time, plan where the socket outlets will be positioned early on in the design process. Where there is a cot now, there will soon be a bed in need of a reading light, or even a desk with a table lamp.

Think of Ambient Light as a Foundation

Use more than just one light source to impact visual perception. A single ceiling light, for example, cannot handle everything. Although, it’s a staple. Its specific task is to evenly wash the room with a soft light. Small children spend a lot of time playing on the floor – it should be well lit.

Use Task Lights for Focused Activities

Children require calibrated light to read, draw, and do homework. Task lighting helps to zero in and to define a zone with a pool of light. Glare-free floor and desk lamps can focus on the job of illuminating a specific area. The placement is more important than shape or size. Adjustable fixtures have the flexibility necessary to handle requirements that vary with age; these include assisting with unwinding as well as showing off prized possessions.

For reading in bed, the classic arrangement of tall table lamps at bedside is not always ideal. When floor space is limited, think vertically and consider hanging a glare-diffusing pendant from the ceiling. Another option is a wall-mounted swivel sconce; opt for the one that is fully-adjustable, with a far reach. Set it high enough to illuminate a book.

Put at Ease with a Night Light

Don’t forget about installing a safety light in heavy traffic areas; it cultivates self-reliance. A night light helps a child navigate in total darkness. Plugged into a wall receptacle, it is unobtrusive. Its responsibility is to put at ease and reassure not stimulate.

Let It Sparkle with Accent Lights

Keep in mind that accent lighting does not need to illuminate the whole room. Directed up or down, it gives or withholds emphasis. It introduces depth by playing with shadows and creating sharp contrast between light and dark surfaces. It entertains the mind and the eye.

In addition, it adds to a personal sense of place. A chameleon with many guises, it can change perception. Don’t ignore your ability to control scale and proportion with it. If a room is too high, too large, or too small lighting can correct it. For example, washing the walls with light will make a room seem larger. On the other hand, pools of light positioned below eye level will make it seem lower.

Open to Possibilities

Ask yourself: Where do I need direct, indirect, static, adjustable, strong, or background light? Will sufficient shadows and highlights be created to avoid flatness and/or enhance texture?

I wrote these children’s bedroom lighting tips to encourage creativity. In my opinion, every parent setting up a child’s room becomes a designer – a driving force behind a kid’s wholly considered environment built from the heart. It’s a process and you are called to role-model risk-taking, exploring, and experimenting. Look for mysteries and possibilities everywhere. And if you have questions, don’t hesitate to ask me, I am your ally.