9 Cozy Bedside Lighting Ideas
As the days get shorter, choose the perfect reading lights for relaxing in bed
Bedside lamps do triple duty: They have to be beautiful enough to set the tone for the design; warm and subtle enough to make the room feel cozy; and bright enough to make bedtime reading easy on your eyes. The designs in this roundup check all three boxes. Browse the gorgeous setups and see how to craft a cozy and functional bedside vignette.
As Rae says, it’s important to select a warm bulb. “2700 Kelvin — warm white — is the highest Kelvin we would ever consider [in a bedroom], but we usually encourage our clients to go lower,” says designer Ellen Cumber of Golden. “2200 Kelvin … [is] gentle and makes everything look gorgeous.”
If possible, try to also integrate switches near the bed for ease of use, so you don’t have to get out from under your warm covers to switch off the light when it’s time to go to sleep.
Finally, the fixture you choose needs to work with and add to the overall design of the room. See how in this bedroom Rae has chosen a white fixture in an organic shape that echoes the pattern of the wallpaper and provides a contrast to the bedroom’s overall moody blue palette.
If possible, try to also integrate switches near the bed for ease of use, so you don’t have to get out from under your warm covers to switch off the light when it’s time to go to sleep.
Finally, the fixture you choose needs to work with and add to the overall design of the room. See how in this bedroom Rae has chosen a white fixture in an organic shape that echoes the pattern of the wallpaper and provides a contrast to the bedroom’s overall moody blue palette.
1. Go Classic With a Table Lamp
Table lamps are a classic bedside option. The one in this room by Marianne Jones Interior Design provides plenty of subtle light and echoes the refined traditional elegance of the rest of the space.
The white lamp fits beautifully into the white-and-wood palette, while its shape echoes the lines of the four-poster bed. The marble base adds subtle refinement.
Table lamps are a classic bedside option. The one in this room by Marianne Jones Interior Design provides plenty of subtle light and echoes the refined traditional elegance of the rest of the space.
The white lamp fits beautifully into the white-and-wood palette, while its shape echoes the lines of the four-poster bed. The marble base adds subtle refinement.
2. Choose a Pendant to Underscore a High Ceiling and Create Coherence
Pendant light fixtures tend to be associated with kitchens and dining rooms, but a showstopper pendant on a long flex can be a beautiful addition in a bedroom too, as in this room by Mister & Mrs Sharp.
Pendant reading lights like this are also a great way of making the design feel coherent, as they anchor the bed into its placement in the room.
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Pendant light fixtures tend to be associated with kitchens and dining rooms, but a showstopper pendant on a long flex can be a beautiful addition in a bedroom too, as in this room by Mister & Mrs Sharp.
Pendant reading lights like this are also a great way of making the design feel coherent, as they anchor the bed into its placement in the room.
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3. Try a Plug-In or Battery-Powered Wall Lamp
Love the look of a wall lamp but don’t want to hardwire new fixtures? Plug-in or battery-powered wall lamps are great alternatives, as in this bedroom by Shipwright Homes.
Here, the black paneling helps conceal the cord, while the contrasting white shade and gold hardware draw the eye. However, a beautiful cord can also be a design feature.
Love the look of a wall lamp but don’t want to hardwire new fixtures? Plug-in or battery-powered wall lamps are great alternatives, as in this bedroom by Shipwright Homes.
Here, the black paneling helps conceal the cord, while the contrasting white shade and gold hardware draw the eye. However, a beautiful cord can also be a design feature.
4. Install a Wall or Pendant Lamp to Keep Your Nightstand Clear
This is particularly useful if you have a smaller nightstand or want to save table space for other things. In this design by Studio Gonzalez-Mazurek, a plug-in wall light leaves room for a vase, picture frame, book, glass of water and cup of tea — all great to have for a cozy evening in.
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This is particularly useful if you have a smaller nightstand or want to save table space for other things. In this design by Studio Gonzalez-Mazurek, a plug-in wall light leaves room for a vase, picture frame, book, glass of water and cup of tea — all great to have for a cozy evening in.
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5. Pair Multiple Lamps for Added Functionality
One way to strike the balance between soft mood lighting and brighter illumination for reading is going for more than one bedside lamp, as in this design by JS Interiors.
The table lamp provides soft lighting, with its red shade adding warm color to contrast with the blue four-poster bed. The brass wall lights, meanwhile, are a perfect fit for the traditional lake house aesthetic of the rest of the room. Adjustable arms mean the light always goes exactly where it needs to.
One way to strike the balance between soft mood lighting and brighter illumination for reading is going for more than one bedside lamp, as in this design by JS Interiors.
The table lamp provides soft lighting, with its red shade adding warm color to contrast with the blue four-poster bed. The brass wall lights, meanwhile, are a perfect fit for the traditional lake house aesthetic of the rest of the room. Adjustable arms mean the light always goes exactly where it needs to.
6. Play With Symmetry
If you share a bed, you’ll need lamps on either side, which is also a great way of introducing calming symmetry into the space.
This bedroom by Black & Milk Interior Design plays with that idea by subtly subverting it. Everything from the picture frames to the nightstands match, while the two white lamps on either side of the bed are actually a pendant on one side and a wall lamp on the other, offering a playful take on the look while still feeling balanced.
If you share a bed, you’ll need lamps on either side, which is also a great way of introducing calming symmetry into the space.
This bedroom by Black & Milk Interior Design plays with that idea by subtly subverting it. Everything from the picture frames to the nightstands match, while the two white lamps on either side of the bed are actually a pendant on one side and a wall lamp on the other, offering a playful take on the look while still feeling balanced.
7. Use Light Fixtures to Enhance the Room’s Features
What really jumps out in this design by Kyle Hunt & Partners is how the lamp selections work with and enhance the architectural features of the space. The delicate adjustable reading lights are placed exactly under the beams, while the table lamps are in between them, drawing the geometry and symmetry of the ceiling down into the rest of the room.
Note also how the slim silhouette of the table lamps lets in as much light as possible from the windows.
Finally, both lamps contribute to the interplay of rustic, traditional and refined elements in the rest of the space, with rustic fabric shades and delicate gold accents.
What really jumps out in this design by Kyle Hunt & Partners is how the lamp selections work with and enhance the architectural features of the space. The delicate adjustable reading lights are placed exactly under the beams, while the table lamps are in between them, drawing the geometry and symmetry of the ceiling down into the rest of the room.
Note also how the slim silhouette of the table lamps lets in as much light as possible from the windows.
Finally, both lamps contribute to the interplay of rustic, traditional and refined elements in the rest of the space, with rustic fabric shades and delicate gold accents.
8. Embrace a Handcrafted Feel
Bedside lamps have gotten more sculptural over the past few years, with wider, heavier bases that recall ceramic vases or stone sculptures. Look for lamps with an artisanal, handcrafted feel, like the ones in this bedroom by Courtney Thomas Design. Note how their bases balance out the sleek frame of the four-poster and how they contribute to the deep sense of symmetry in this room.
Bedside lamps have gotten more sculptural over the past few years, with wider, heavier bases that recall ceramic vases or stone sculptures. Look for lamps with an artisanal, handcrafted feel, like the ones in this bedroom by Courtney Thomas Design. Note how their bases balance out the sleek frame of the four-poster and how they contribute to the deep sense of symmetry in this room.
9. Remember Kids’ Rooms
Your kids’ bedrooms are their whole world, so they get a lot of mileage out of their bedroom lighting. The pretty pink table lamp in this room by Elle Du Monde picks up on the colors of the artwork overhead in the sculptural pink base and fluted white shade.
A fabric shade like this one is also a great way to add softness to a space.
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Your kids’ bedrooms are their whole world, so they get a lot of mileage out of their bedroom lighting. The pretty pink table lamp in this room by Elle Du Monde picks up on the colors of the artwork overhead in the sculptural pink base and fluted white shade.
A fabric shade like this one is also a great way to add softness to a space.
More on Houzz
Read more decorating guides
Browse millions of photos for ideas
Find an interior designer
To make sure your bedside setup is as cozy as it is functional, there are a few things to keep in mind.
First of all, aim for a reading light that’s bright enough to light up your page but not so bright it gets in the way of winding down. Think about tone, brightness and direction.
“I pay close attention to the placement and direction of each fitting — for instance, specifying low-level, warm reading lights that don’t cast glare across the pillow,” says designer Philippa Rae. “The goal is to … support rest and relaxation in the evening.”
The sconce in this A. Perry Homes bedroom provides soft, diffused illumination.