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When you’re planning a bedroom redesign or wondering how to refresh your current décor, wall lights probably aren’t high on your list of priorities. Paint colours, wallpaper patterns, bedroom furniture, wood flooring, antique rugs… they’re the major features that will take your time and attention (and the bulk of your budget!).
Overlooking the importance and impact of lighting on interior design is something we’re all guilty of (I know I certainly am!). After all, it’s easy to assume that you can choose lighting accessories once the ‘important’ work is done but, in truth, bedroom lighting has a significant impact on the overall look and feel of your interior.
By allowing bedroom wall light ideas to pass you by, you’re missing out on a great opportunity to enhance the space, which is why it’s important to factor lighting design into your plans for a bedroom refresh.
Whether you’re renovating your home, redecorating a guest bedroom or looking for fast and effective ways to spruce up your most-used space, these nine-bedroom wall light ideas will give you all the inspiration you need.
1. Add a Pop of Colour
When you’re deciding which bedroom wall lights to add to your design, don’t focus solely on how they’ll look when they’re in use. In the past, I’ve certainly become hyper-focused on what light fittings will look like when they’re on, that I’ve forgotten to think about what they’ll look like when they’re off.
Interior wall lights are an integral part of the room design at all times, so choose fixtures and fittings that enhance the décor and complement your existing colour scheme. Wall lights can be a great way to incorporate accent colours into an interior design, for example. From dusky blues and sedate greens to bright pinks and bold yellows, there are endless options if you want to use bedroom wall lights to brighten up the space.
2. Create Space with Above-the-Bed Lights
Installing wall lights near your bed and replacing your bedside lamps can be an effective way to save space, particularly in smaller rooms. If your bedside table is constantly cluttered (like mine!), the extra space you’ll gain with wall lights will be a lifesaver.
If you want to create the illusion of space (as well as actual, real-life space!), place wall lights slightly above your bed or headboard, rather than to the sides. This makes use of vertical wall space and adds a feeling of height, which can make small spaces feel much larger.
Make small bedrooms feel larger by using vertical space above your bed for wall lights.
Conversely, if you have a large bedroom or an expanse of horizontal wall space, add wall lights slightly above the bed on either side. This will use the width of the room and ensure your interior design extends beyond the obvious features to encompass the entire space.
3. Be Flexible with Adjustable Wall Lights
Good interior design doesn’t just look visually appealing; it improves your day-to-day life too. Whatever décor and accessories you choose, your interiors should make your life easier, not harder. When it comes to bedroom lighting, flexibility is important, and this can be reflected in the lighting fixtures you choose.
If you spend time reading in bed, for example, you may need more light than when you’re on your laptop or tablet (or am I the only one who catches up on work in the small hours?!). Adjustable and directional wall lights provide all the flexibility you need and give you the ability to adjust the lighting depending on your activities.
4. Forego Ceiling Lights for Wall-Fixed Alternatives
We tend to assume that ceiling lights are compulsory in every room but don’t automatically add a ceiling light to your new bedroom design simply because it seems the thing to do. Low-hanging ceiling lights can take up an excessive amount of space and may even break up the visual impact of your interior design, particularly in fairly small bedrooms.
If you want to create more space and give your interior the chance to shine, consider using bedroom wall lighting as your main light source and foregoing a ceiling light altogether. With larger wall lamps, for example, you can use statement lighting to complete your interior design while making the space feel bigger than ever.
5. Shine Bright with Metallic Lighting
Metallics are an easy way to lift an interior and add a little shine to your décor but beware: when I embraced the metallics trend a bit too enthusiastically, my living room took on rather an industrial feel. If you want to reap the benefits of metallics without turning your home into a factory-style setting, opt for subtle additions rather than major pieces.
Wall lights are a superb option if you want to incorporate metallics into your décor without going overboard. As they can be relatively small, they won’t overpower the space but they will still make an impact and add visual texture to the interior design.
Add visual texture to your bedroom with metallic wall lights.
What’s more – it’s easy to incorporate metallic wall lights into virtually any bedroom design. From glossy chrome and brushed steel to aged bronze and distressed pewter, there are metallic wall lights to complement any style.
6. Highlight Features with Downlights
When you’re searching for bedroom wall lighting ideas, don’t forget to factor in other features in the room. Envisaging wall lights in isolation means you can end up with beautiful lighting fixtures that don’t necessarily complement the rest of your interior design.
If you’re wondering why your coveted bedroom wall lights don’t seem to work well in your room, you’re probably guilty of making this mistake.
By blending the lighting with other features, however, you can integrate new wall lights more effectively and create a cohesive bedroom design with integrated features and styles. Downlights can be an easy way to highlight other features in the room, for example.
Showcase your favourite artwork with wall-fixed downlights or draw attention to a statement chair that sits in the corner of your room with complementing downlights affixed to the wall to really bring your interior together.
7. Go Green with Natural Textures
Biophilic design celebrates nature and encourages you to create stunning interiors using natural elements. While you may not want to turn your bedroom into an eco-friendly zone just yet, there can be many advantages to incorporating nature into your bedroom design.
Bringing nature into your indoor environment can improve health and well-being.
In addition to this, using natural elements in your interior design helps to create a calming effect, which is ideal if you want your bedroom to be restful and relaxing. Wall light fittings made from wood, cane, rattan, and even linen are an effective way to incorporate natural, sustainable materials into your bedroom and create the stress-less, tranquil environment you crave.
8. Blend Form and Function
Bedrooms should be peaceful and restorative but my bedroom certainly seems to have multiple purposes. If your bedroom ends up acting as a storage room, work-from-home office, and/or kid’s playroom, then you’ll know just how important it is to integrate functionality into its interior design!
While there’s no doubt soft lighting increases intimacy and makes for a relaxing environment, it won’t necessarily meet all of your needs. This is where the wonders of modern interior design come in. By blending form and function, you can add bedroom wall lights that look sublime and fit the needs of the space.
Soft, diffuse lighting is great for unwinding, for example, but brighter wall lights may be required if you’re reading in bed, working from home, or entertaining youngsters. So, choose bedroom wall lights that have hidden features, such as built-in directional lights. Similarly, opt for wall lights that are dimmable, so you can control the lighting as needed.
9. Use More Than One Wall
When you’re adding wall lights to a bedroom, it’s easy to assume that they should go above or near the bed. Certainly, this can be a useful place to add some extra lighting and, as the bed is likely to be the biggest feature in the room, they can frame the furniture too.
However, don’t fall into the trap of thinking this is the only place to position bedroom wall lights. Affixing wall lights to multiple walls can enhance the decorative effect but it will also increase the functionality of your lighting too.
From illuminating your dressing table to brightening up dark corners, adding lights to multiple walls can be an easy and effective way to brighten the space and make the room more usable.
Updating Your Bedroom Design with Wall Lights
Wall lights are easy to overlook when you’re planning a redesign but, if you want to get the best results, don’t let them be an afterthought. Lighting is a core component of any interior design but it’s particularly important when you want to create ambience and intimacy.
By using these bedroom wall lights ideas to influence your lighting style, you can enhance your décor, elevate the space and create a bedroom that’s perfectly designed for rest and relaxation.
Have you got bedroom wall light ideas that you’re dying to share? Or lighting disasters that we all need to beware of? If so, share them with me in the comments below!
If you're looking to give your bedroom a makeover, be sure to check out our ultimate checklist here.
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