Even Arianna Huffington reads in bed.
Mix-and-match bedside table lamps do the trick.
Recently we wrote about the importance of being able to achieve total darkness in the bedroom (insomniacs, that post is for you).
Why have bedside lighting?
Dual wall-mounted pendants in a Brooklyn apartment; see In Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, a Renovated Brownstone with Inspired Solutions for more.
Photograph by Jonathan Hökklo.
What’s the best height for bedside lamps?
Bedside lights have a specific task: to illuminate the pages of your book (or book-like device) without requiring you to contort–and without bothering your bedmate.
Factors to consider are the height of the bed, the height of the bedside table, and the position of the reader: You don’t want the lights so high that they create glare; on the other hand, you want to be comfortable.
Photograph by Emily Andrews.
Mismatched ceramic lamps (for a small/large couple?)
The most common options are table lamps, wall-mounted lights, pendants, and adjustable task lamps. (Note that lighting experts say to avoid installing ceiling down lights directly over beds–soft light at face level is more effective and saves you from staring up at a bulb.)
What are the most popular types of bedside lighting?
1. Table Lamps
From a decorative standpoint, table lamps offer the widest range of options.
A bedside table lamp in the home of Danish brand designer Caroline Feiffer; see Danish Heritage: A Copenhagen Townhouse Renovated by Hand.
Wall-mounted fixtures free up bedside table space–or eliminate the need for bedside tables altogether. Many wall-mounted designs are moveable, making them a choice with built-in flexibility.
2. Wall-Mounted Lamps
Photograph by Maria del Rio for Refinery29.
Architect Jerome Buttrick carved out vertical shelving, complete with easy-to-access light switches for the wall-mounted reading lights on either side of Julie’s bed.
Tip: Swing-arm, wall-mounted lights that move both horizontally and vertically offer a solution for people who share a bed but rest at different heights.
Bedside wall-mounted reading lights—Arne Jacobsen AJ9 Bellevue Wall Lamps by &Tradition—in a young family’s London maisonette.
Photograph by Richard Round-Turner from A Star Is Born: A Rehabbed London Maisonette from a Newly Minted Designer, High/Low Secrets Included.
Pendant lights become bedside illumination when hung at table-lamp height. Instead choose pendants that provide diffuse light whether via a wide shade, opaque shade, or no shade at all.
3. Pendant Lights
Photograph by Matthew Williams for Remodelista.
In Sarah’s Refined Rental in St. Helena, the master bedroom is small. Side table lamps would make it feel cramped, and drilling holes in the wall was not an option, so she sourced some hanging bulbs and used metal prongs intended for telephone wire to attach the lamp cord to the ceiling.
Photograph by Matthew Williams.
In A Cobble Hill Transformation, architect Oliver Freundlich used pendant lights for bedside illumination.
Simple twin pendant lights with exposed bulbs hang together in a bedroom designed by Claudia Zinzan of Father Rabbit.
The adjustability of task lamps has fostered their migration from lab and office to bedside table.
4. Task Lamps
Black Jielde reading lamps flank the bed in London’s High Road House; see High Road House in London Gets a Revamp.
Clip-on task lights are an easy-to-install solution.
Another option we’ve been noting lately: floor lamps as statement-making bedside reading lamps.
5. Floor Lamps
Photograph by Jonathan Hökklo for Remodelista.
Vintage floor lamps flank the bed in a bedroom by designer C.S. Valentin; see Steal This Look: An Idiosyncratic French Mod Bedroom in Bellport, NY.
An extra tall standing lamp illuminates beyond the bed. Photograph from Living Above the Shop: Ceramic Artist Paula Greif in Hudson, NY.
Tips for bedside lighting selection and placement:
Looking for lighting in other rooms?