Options

1. The 3"/ 2" mini led light directly over the bed can be omitted.

2. The row of mini can lights over the headboard part of the bed could be omitted.

3. Cove lighting or something like the Phillips TrueGroove channel light along the perimeter in lieu of the mini can lights throughout?

@ontariomom - I did a poor job of drawing it out, but the future arrangement for the room has the bed occupying the yellow box in the drawing with nightstands on both sides of it (not drawn). There is a dresser with mirror on the top wall roughly centered in the middle of the room between two existing windows, and a five drawer tall dresser that may go in a corner or directly opposite from the bed. Its exact location hasn't quite been figured out yet.

Specific lights that I would like to use would be 4" Cree recessed lights as the "O"s and I was thinking maybe 2" LEDs for the small ones. It's been difficult trying to come up with a plan that will provide adequate lighting for the room due to the different ceiling heights. We're ok with needing two switches for two general scenarios. One switch for the 4" lights in the mid part of the room for general illumination / dimmed 4" lights + perimeter lighting otherwise (and of course a bedside lamp if someone wants just that)?

@David - both of us really like cove lighting. Last year I added it to the family room during its overhaul. I'll have to do a bit more exploring but finding pictures so far has been difficult. Is this something that would be embedded into the drywall somehow, or would I need to build it in some other way? If not in here, it may be something we could do for lighting around the shower in the master bathroom...

The TrueGroove is a linear recessed lighting fixture which has been updated for led. Yes, it is intended to fit into a drywall channel.

Take a look at the following Phillip's website. The pics should provide some ideas.

Ledalite

That TrueGroove lighting looks awesome. I'm guessing it is a good way to do cove lighting if you don't have high ceilings and need to have your crown go right to your ceiling.

Other bedroom ideas include, lamps on the end tables (or you can consider hanging pendants over the end tables instead). You can also add LED pin lamp/sconces right beside the head board so one person can read (using a fine directed lamp) and other partner can sleep. Besides, lamps, side sconces or hanging pendants are hard to get at the right height and position for reading. Lighting over end tables is still nice ambient light.

Some people enjoy backlighting behind the headboard to accent the bed with soft light. I like using directional can lights to bounce indirect light off the closets (especially effective if closets are painted white). I don't like can lights that are directed at floors, and would re-position some of yours. The 2 inch small LED lights are going to add up. Perhaps you want to consider a pair of sconces somewhere?

I am not a fan of ceiling fans, but maybe you need them in your climate. I prefer a nice blingly, decorative ceilng light that is rated as an ambient, or uplight inot down light). You could also consider a few low wall uplights (WAC brand I think) to be used as a soft night light switched on near bed (have a few in master bath as well).

Consider having a light switch on either side of the bed to turn lights off after getting in bed.

Carol

Thanks, I'll have to explore the Philips offering a bit more this evening.

We do have bedside lamps but for whatever reason they don't get used much. About pin lights, are they something fixed or aimable? You did remind me though, I was going to install LED strips along the perimeter of the bed. It's a low platform bed by Huppe. Around the reverse/perimeter of the headboard would be great too.

We live in Charleston, SC but a ceiling fan is not something that gets used much in the bedroom any more since the HVAC system has been redesigned. I really like the idea of using a nice looking ceiling light for general illumination instead of the set of four in the middle part of the room. The small lights around the perimeter were just an answer to the problem that having four recessed lights would have caused (dark around the edges) so a ceiling light takes care of that.

To be honest I haven't done sconces before and am not really sure where they might go unless they were to the left/right of the bed? We were thinking about having the door to the small closet and master closet slide on an exposed track but at this point a lot of things are flexible because we're still designing everything. Uplights sound cool though - another thing I haven't used before or even really knew existed!

I need to make a better drawing that shows more of the furniture and placement of the two windows...

Hi schicksal,

The LED bedside light I was referring to has a flexible arm. It should be locally controlled (switched near the lamp or on the lamp). It is designed to cast a narrow beam to read by without disturbing your partner. It is referred to in my lighting design books as a flexible pin-spot LED light. It should be mounted to the wall very near the headboard of even on the headboard (we are planning on two in our masterbedroom on the wall near the headboard).

My two favourite lighting books are called The Home Lighting Effects Bible (by Lucy Martin); and Perfect Lighting by Sally Storey. I also like the books and website by Randal Whitehead. The ideas I suggested for you have come from these books. So you will see them illustrated if you can find either of the two books I mentioned in your library.

Carol

Hi, ontariomom, I saw this kind of lamp in a local Costco last Saturday.