A light fixture that's in proportion to the bed enhances the room.
Planning the lighting for the entire bedroom can help you choose the style and size for the main fixture. Your bedroom needs general lighting and task lighting. An overhead light fixture can supply general illumination and complement your overall lighting design and decor. The lighting fixture's ideal size depends on its style, the room's size and how the style of fixture works with the proportions of other decorative elements in the room.
Bedroom Lighting
Your lighting design might include a torchiere near the dresser and wall-mounted lamps for each side of the bed as task lighting. A common formula for choosing a light fixture size is to measure the room's length and width and add the measurements together for the number of inches. A bedroom that's 8 feet wide and 12 feet long calls for a light fixture that's about 20 inches wide.
Explore Options
Overhead fixtures include surface mount, pendant and chandelier. Surface mount refers to a lighting fixture that's close to the ceiling, either mounted flush to the ceiling or on a short base. These often have a single shade such as a dome shape. Another surface mount style has cluster spots, a group of spots that swivel. With this fixture type you can aim the spots at wall art or plants to create a custom lighting effect. A pendant fixture has a rod or chain that holds the light source farther below the ceiling than surface mount fixtures. Pendant lights are often a single light but may have branches for two or more light bulbs. Chandeliers have multiple arms to hold several lights. These fixtures come in many different materials for looks that range from traditional crystal to cutting-edge metal art.
Length
The length of the fixture may be as important as the diameter. If there's a bed canopy, a closet door that swings below the light fixture or low clearance for tall people you'll need to choose a fixture that will be close enough to the ceiling to be out of the way. A low-profile flush-mounted fixture works well for a bedroom with a relatively low ceiling. A high or peaked bedroom ceiling can accommodate a long light fixture to fill the extra height. Certain pendant light fixtures can be adjusted for length, such as one that has a chain with links that aren't soldered closed.
Diameter
When a catalog or merchandise tag gives a size in inches for a light fixture, it generally refers to the diameter. Surface-mounted lights include sizes such as 10 inches, 16 inches and 19 inches. Pendant lights often have the diameter of the shade in the title. This number, such as 6 inches, refers to the width of the shade. A pendant light can be a smaller diameter because its length gives it more visual weight.
Considerations
Even if the bedroom is set up for a central overhead light fixture, another lighting scheme might suit your needs and style better. For example, hang pendant lights, 6-inch or larger in diameter, with translucent shades at least a foot long near the wall on each side of the bed for a symmetrical look. Wall sconces give the bedroom flattering indirect lighting for undressing and romance, causing the walls to glow and avoiding harsh shadows. In earthquake-prone areas lightweight light fixtures with fabric or shatter-proof shades may be a safer choice than heavy fixtures and fixtures with glass shades, especially for a light fixture mounted over the bed.
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