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HELP- Lighting in my bedroom is horrible

localeater
9 years ago

The lighting in my MBR is really awful. There is no ceiling light and what I currently have is just a lamp on either side of the bed.
When I painted this past summer, I planned to get new sconces. I havent been able to pull the plug because with two lamps the lighting is insufficient and so it will continue to be with just two sconces.
I need a comprehensive plan.
The ceiling is all open, very high to the peak of the roof. The peak is not centered.
In the picture you can see the rise of the ceiling line.
On the other side of the wall centered above the bed and slightly above the visible beam, is a box for the hall light, so I could have a box on the wall above the bed too.
Is that a good idea? I thought I could perhaps swag a light and center it over the bed. Or I could use a longish rectangular wall fixture I suppose.
What are your thoughts?

From GW Photos
From GW Photos

Comments (22)

  • tibbrix
    9 years ago

    What a pretty room!

    The easiest solution is to put a torchiere light in the room. Swag light?? Hmmmâ¦.not a fan.

    A mica lamp like this one would look good in your room, IMO.

  • mtnrdredux_gw
    9 years ago

    Nice room!

    What do you want light for? For general ambience, to read in bed, or?

  • Annie Deighnaugh
    9 years ago

    You could put in cable lights which take up almost no visual space but can be placed and angled in such a way to provide accents to the side walls, general lighting, and lighting to see into drawers.

    [Traditional Family Room[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-family-room-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_720~s_2107) by Seattle Architects & Building Designers jARCHITECTS: Jim Rymsza, AIA

    They can be used with pendants too if you wish.

    [Modern Kitchen[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/modern-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2105) by Other Metro Design-Build Firms Ecologic-Studio, llc

  • palimpsest
    9 years ago

    Personally I dislike ceiling lighting in bedrooms, especially if its direct and a central fixture only. Your lamps look like the sort that only take a low wattage. I would get larger lamps that take a three way bulb or higher wattage and at least one lamp for the other side of the room. And the shades should be white, not colored.

  • localeater
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Purpose of lighting will be general illumination. Reading in bed will be taken care of by something bedside, either new lamps, sconces or some kind of combination.
    The torchiere is lovely and I do think the mica would flatter the room, but I only have one free corner and it is where the dogs sleep.
    Annie, The cable lights appear very functional, but I dont think they are for me. I will look at more pictures though they probably would solve all me problems.
    To swag a light, I had something like this in mind.

    [Traditional Bedroom[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-bedroom-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_715~s_2107)
    There are also 'ledges' around the edges of the room, above the armoire, the beam fully protrudes from the face of the wall(favorite cat spot!), above the bathroom, closet area is a full floor, which someday may become an office but that is still a few projects down the road. I could place directional, but sort of diffuse, spots on either of these ledges.

    From GW Photos
    From GW Photos

    From GW Photos

  • localeater
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Pal, I was posting at the same time as you.
    My old sconces which were taken down while painting, did have white shades and I dont recall the room being so dark. I actually wondered if my bad vision was worsening and went to my eye doctor - LOL
    Do you think I should deal with the bedside lighting and see if the problem ameliorates?
    White shades- darn- I kind of am in love with this waxed brass reading light!

    From GW Photos
    .

  • ratherbesewing
    9 years ago

    Ceiling lights are very harsh. From your photo, I think the lamp on the side of your bed is too small. I agree with PP regarding the colored shades--they are not helping the situation. I would also place additional lamps on a dresser which I presume you have in the room. Light bulbs are another consideration. The fluorescent bulbs give off a weird yellow glow.

  • amykath
    9 years ago

    I agree that bigger lamps with a light shade would help tremendously. I would add lamps on whatever surfaces allow you to do so. Also, you have that dark space above the two doors in the upper arched space. Maybe you can add some light there?

  • Annie Deighnaugh
    9 years ago

    The other alternative is to mount track lights to the beams...some of them can be angled up to the peak to provide more ambient lighting.

    [Traditional Bedroom[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-bedroom-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_715~s_2107) by Victoria Interior Designers & Decorators tdSwansburg design studio

    I know overhead lighting isn't the most pleasant for most applications, but I think they are a must in bedrooms so you can see into drawers...

  • PRO
    BeverlyFLADeziner
    9 years ago

    The lamps on either side of your bed are too short, and if you're looking for good general light by the bed, then you should not use colored or opaque shades. A good translucent white/off white linen shade should work nicely.

    Additionally, you can use the top of your armoire to assemble some decorative objects complete with a small accent lamp to illuminate the upper area of the room.

    I don't see any reason to illuminate the space above the bathroom. Don't really want to call attention to that space.

    With just 3 well chosen lamps with the correct light bulbs installed, your bedroom could be well lit.

  • Annie Deighnaugh
    9 years ago

    I disagree with Beverly. There is a tremendous amount of volume in that room and I don't see how 3 lamps could light it well....maybe it could light the bed area well, but not the entire room....at least not for my tastes. Especially as the windows aren't large either. I need bright and welcoming, not a bright area in a room full of dark shadows.

    The cavitiy above bath could be lit with uplights to at least add more reflected light to the room.

  • graywings123
    9 years ago

    Do you think I should deal with the bedside lighting and see if the problem ameliorates?

    Yes! Go for bigger lamps, more wattage and white lampshades.

    I am a big fan of using a torchiere, but the ceiling height is going to limit the effectiveness of the light going up. I think you should still consider a pole lamp, though. It doesn't have to go in a corner, it could sit against any wall. The mica lamp pictured above is lovely, but the shade is going to diminish the amount of light coming out.

    If you have an Ikea near your house, walk through the showroom to see their ideas for adding lamps. I like to use timers on some lamps to avoid the issue of walking into a dark room.

    I see an outlet between the doors to the closet and the bathroom. You could mount a shelf on that wall and set a lamp on the shelf.

  • localeater
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thank you all for the advice and inspiring images. I am promising myself to
    work on the bedside lights this weekend. I think I will also devote some energy to the space between the closet and bath doors for an additional light. After those steps are taken lights on beams will be next approach if room feels too dim still.
    In response to some comments, there is no dresser in the room, just the armoire. The armoire has puck lights to facilitate finding clothes. The closet is a well-lit walk-in.
    The bedroom still needs area rug, art hung, and either a bench at the end of the bed or a chair. While I do like to practice balance putting on socks, a chair is nice!

  • pattyxlynn
    9 years ago

    I have to say thank you for this thread. My bedroom is set up similar to yours (not with the beautiful beams, though). I have been wondering how to light it better and have gotten great ideas from this thread. Thanks everybody!

  • mtnrdredux_gw
    9 years ago

    It's a big room and I can see your conundrum.

    To me, first and foremost, is bedside lighting that allows a great deal of flexibility, from task lighting to reading to intimate lighting. IMHO it should be in sconces that allow you to adjust brightness, heights and position. And, yes, with a white shade.

    But I think you still want more light. (albeit dimmed most of the time)

    Torcheres are lovely but your room may be too small for that. Given the volume of your room and its asymmetry, I think the rest of your lighting needs have to be fall into two camps; quirky or modern-ish. If it were my room, I would go quirky. Id find a chandy I loved, and swag it, and accept its flawed charm. O/w, i'd go with something more modernish like Annie's photo from 7:24, which really shows off the beams.

  • PRO
    BeverlyFLADeziner
    9 years ago

    Annie, For what purpose should she light the volume of the room? This is a fairly small bedroom. She needs lights at the bed and a general up/accent light over the armoire, that if carefully selected could illuminate most of the ceiling over the bed area. She's not performing surgery in the room, and there's no point in illuminating the flaws in the room.

    Up lamps like these, placed on top of the armoire can provide plenty of light for this room.

  • palimpsest
    9 years ago

    I would probably light the portion of the ceiling that extends above the dropped ceiling area so it didn't seem so "remote" but I don't think that the entire volume of the room needs to be lit, especially in a bedroom. It's not very intimate.

    I know there is a trend for a Lot of built-in lighting in residential construction, but I think that houses are starting to look a bit commercial because of it. I was at an open house where I heard someone else say "What is this supposed to be, the Living Room or a Retail Store"? ...so I think others may be starting to feel the same way.

  • oldbat2be
    9 years ago

    I love seeing more of your house, localeater! I really like Annie's last picture, which shows the track lighting. Huge fan of the integrated lighting with beams but not the easiest solution to implement! Whatever you implement, you need to be able to dim to the max (not always possible with LED lighting).

    Thoughts - swag light - why centered over the bed? Surely it will never be used for reading or while you're in bed (or then again...:)). How about centered in the room or - I like this idea - a couple of pendants?

    Edited to add this one is from tech lighting.

    This post was edited by oldbat2be on Fri, Oct 24, 14 at 6:12

  • oldbat2be
    9 years ago

    Another idea! How about wall sconces like this, but battery powered? (Not sure what's available but a search of battery powered wall sconces pulls up a fair number of choices).

  • Annie Deighnaugh
    9 years ago

    For what purpose should she light the volume of the room?

    Of course she need not light the room at all...flashlights and book lights will work too...or maybe a few candles...

    Sorry, don't mean to be so snarky, but the point is, beyond the simply functional "don't trip" purpose of lighting, is how do you want the room to look. Rather than "illuminating the flaws" I see it as highlighting the big features in the room are the fabulous beams and volume ceiling. They make a smaller room look and feel much larger. No point in having them if you can't see them.

    I like my rooms well lit, if for nothing else, cleaning purposes, so you can see what you're vacuuming. It's also helpful when you've lost that earring back or dropped a button. It's also an age thing...as I've gotten older, I appreciate brighter lights more. Granted, you don't want a bedroom to be an operating room, and it need not go that bright. But there are things called dimmers which allow you to set the lighting based on the activity, be it cleaning, or just dropping something off, or sitting and relaxing, or reading in bed, or gentle wakening in the a.m. You can always dim a bright light, but without sufficient lighting, you won't have that option to go brighter when you want to.

    I've been in bedrooms with high cathedral ceilings and what I don't like is when they cast inky shadows on the ceilings and make you feel like you are alone in a cavern. Insufficient lighting can cause that. Good lighting can eliminate it.

    Below is an article on tips for lighting cathedral ceilings that may be helpful. I'm assuming recessed cans are out for energy efficiency purposes...

    Here is a link that might be useful: cathedral ceiling lighting

  • localeater
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks Annie for the informative link, definitely provides food for thought.
    OB2B and Annie I too love the picture Annie posted with the light on the beam lighting the ceiling. I am going to take this one step at a time. Small pieces do seem to be the only way I role with decorating.... It is not my forte!
    So I will do bedside lighting and then move on.
    I really dont need ambient lighting in the room just general lighting. Th source of my recent fit of pique was trying to pack for a 10 day busness trip on a cloudy day!. I can see in my armoire, I can see in my closet, but once I try to put things in the suitcase which is sitting on the bed I am in the dark unless the sun is shining! So better, taller, whiter bedside lighting will fix that.
    For kicks, the link below is from an older post of mine when I was painting this summer. It has a moodboard I created when weighing colors. I still like the lamp from the moodboard and may order it this weekend. It is 30" high and has a white shade. Thoughts?

    From GW Photos

    Here is a link that might be useful: Old MBR moodboard link

  • Annie Deighnaugh
    9 years ago

    Yup, laying out clothes is huge. I told the electrician that, when he was doing the lighting in my closet, to make sure I could see the difference between black and navy pants!