The right mix of lights

Never underestimate the power of good, functional and strategic lighting. It can make the most "blah" space look straight from a designer's portfolio.

The different layers of lights add so much more to the design. While planning lights for kids room you look at the following layer of light: Genereal/Ambient light, task light, accent light and night light.
While planning for lights in your, or your kids' bedroom you have to keep the following tips in mind about the above types of lights.
General light: The main funtion of the general light in a bedroom, is to provide an even and calm light throughout the room. A pendant light or a recessed light with a frosted difuser under it will do the job. General lighting can also be provided by surface ceiling fixtures, chandeliers, fan lights,  or wall sconces depending on your design scheme. In my designs I try to avoid downlights over the bed as it shines right into your eyes when you lie down. If I have to, I will try to make it soothing and indirect, to maintain a soothing mood for a bedroom.
Task Light: Children play and study in their room and will require appropriate task lights. In kids rooms approriate studytable light, mirror light and bedside lights will be the required task light. Non glare task light should evenly illuminate the work area. Reading light should beam over the reader's shoulder.

When it comes to kids rooms the light fixtures not just need to be functional, but also  safe. I will soon will be covering safety in terms of lights in kids rooms

 Accent lighting. Unless you have a particularly large bedroom, accent lighting is not generally necessary. A well placed track light, which can be swiveled, rotated, and aimed in a direction to shed light on play areas, hobbies, or achievements (medals and certificates) is a great idea. As the child grows older, the fixtures can be moved and redirected to highlight a sitting area, their collection of curios, their photography, art etc. They create an interesting  layer of light.

Night light: Night lights are meant to provide a soft muted glow to the room so that the kids can feel safe and peaceful which does not disturb their sleep and give just enough light in case they need to use the bathroom to reveal the way and avoid any kind of stumbling. In case of smaller kids or toddlers, a night light will make sure that they do not get frightened at night, it is not pitch dark and they are in a familiar surrounding.
For everyone's safety, make sure at least one light can be turned on from a wall switch by the door. The best non fussy way is to choose a general light which you could attach to a dimmer.

Picture Source: Philips
 

Being fun and whimsical is always a welcome bonus. Its like icing on a cake, but be sure not to over do it. To sum it up....When lighting a bedroom, you will want to create an overall atmosphere of quiet relaxation, while providing some bright spots for reading and other activities. A combination of general and task lighting that takes into account the age and lifestyle of the occupant(s) is needed. Lighting does not have to be just functional but can also add layers to the design and depth to the room. So go ahead, you are ready to design with lights. But before you head out to purchase fixtures be sure to read the next blog on lighting safety. So say tuned to this space.
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