28 Designer Lighting Ideas for Creating an Idyllic Bedroom Glow in 2023 (2024)

Here, designer Heather Chadduck Hillegas proves that you don't have to have various light sources to adequately illuminate a room. Although this Arkansas farmhouse only has two sources of light—the nearly-out-of-sight brass chandelier and the glass bottle table lamp—the room looks fully lit thanks to two well-placed bull's eye mirrors hung above each twin bed.

While on the topic of twin-size beds, take a peek at this ornate blue and white guest bedroom designed by Hutton Wilkinson. Rather than topping off the room with a glimmering brass chandelier, Wilkinson opted for a weathered white antique chandelier, which is the perfect chic-yet-beachy element for this more-is-more Malibu home.

Prefer not to get out of bed to turn your lights on and off? A pair of bedside sconces, like those shown in this Montecito, California cottage bedroom designed by Suzanne Tucker, might be the perfect option for your bedroom lighting goals.

Designed after English designer Oliver Messel’s famed suite at London’s Dorchester hotel, this New Orleans bedroom showcases romantic decor accents that look straight out of Bridgerton and Belgravia. As much as we love the recessed wall for the bed, the matching tapestries behind and above the bed, as well as on the stools at the foot of it, and the Wisteria blooms on the dresser, we can't take our eyes off the whimsical antique chandelier that gives the space an almost ethereal storybook appeal.

New York-baed designer Markham Roberts tastefully marries old and new in this New England Colonial, transforming the bedroom into a historic retreat with modern luxuries. Here, a pair of lighting on each side of the bed allows for an intimate reading light and an extra dose of lamp light when more is needed. Pleated shades in matching styles but varying colors brings out the room's cool-colored details.

Where better to look for bedroom lighting inspiration than one of the most iconic fabric-covered rooms of all time? Here, Alex Papachristidis' Manhattan bedroom has two oversize sconces flanking his seating area in a complementary print to the Manuel Canovas fabric swathing the room, while a large table lamp with an opposing color scheme sets the mood for when burning the midnight oil is required.

This sun-drenched bedroom resides in a Naples, Florida vacation home masterfully decorated by Summer Thornton. The Chicago-based designer makes the most of dramatically high ceilings in this primary bedroom suite, using an understated yet elegant chandelier to create a sophisticated glow. Bedside lamps are the perfect choice when a softer glow is needed while relishing the last pages of the latest book club pick.

An 18th-century ferryman's cottage in Connecticut was mindfully reimagined by Cathy Kincaid to preserve its history while making it suitable for modern-day living. Here, in the home's primary bedroom, lighting is found in a ceiling fixtures, above-bed sconces, and bedside lamps to ensure that the perfect ambiance can be achieved. Ample lighting options and plenty of sumptuous fabrics throughout the room make it the ultimate haven for its owners.

This secondary bedroom in architect Ken Pursley's Charlotte home gets sleek, brass sconces on either side of the bed for perfectly illuminating a favorite choice from the room's book collection. Leaving the windows bare allows all the glorious natural light to stream in each morning and linger through sunset.

What better light fixture to use in a Bahamian vacation home by Miles Redd than natural fiber sconces? Symmetry is key in this charming children's bedroom, and placing the light fixtures above the bed also frees up beside space to place a writing desk in between the beds. Charming window treatments add a hint of whimsy while allowing total control over how much of the room's ample natural light is allowed inside.

This inviting bedroom suite in a Bronxville, New York home designed by is a perfect example of the house's balance of Old-World sophistication and a youthful spirit. A white, sculptural chandelier and two overside lamps residing on metallic bedside tables creates a variety of lighting options at night while Tudor-style iron windows let in just the right amount of light to keep this room feeling vibrant and welcoming.

This playful bedroom lighting scheme is a fun juxtaposition to a Rue de Rivoli home's 18th-century architecture and rich history. French designer Jean-Louis Deniot leans into unique, sculptural lighting throughout the home, and this main bedroom suite features some of the most bold lighting options. The lacquered “hip hop” pendant is by Hervé Van der Straeten and the oversize yet understated table lamp complements the varying shades of gray used throughout the bedroom.

Designer James Farmer designed this primary bedroom to get just the right amount of morning light for a gentle wake-up call while providing ample bedside lighting for late-night scribbles, conversations, and page-turning. An adjustable sconce next to the bed illuminates the pages of a favorite novel just right, while the addition of a table lamp creates a warmer, more vibrant glow when needed.

This charming son's bedroom in a 1918 Connecticut home designed by Shazalynn Cavin-Winfrey hits all the right notes of Colonial American design: stripes, plaids, oil paintings, brown furniture, and primary colors. The two delicate sconces above the bed offers a chic take on a night-light while the stylish bedside lamp is perfect for late-night reading.

This charming guest bedroom in Philip Mitchell's Nova Scotia cottage features a variety of lighting across the space that offers Old-World glamour and ambiance. Two overhead lighting offerings plus small table lamps throughout ensure that achieving the perfect nighttime glow is effortless.

Heavy patterned fabric fans, this one's for you. This delightful guest bedroom in a Manhattan apartment designed by Chiqui Woolworth utilizes an archival English fabric from Scalamandré to adorn the bed's uniquely shaped headboard, bed, and the adjacent sconces for a bold look that doesn't feel loud.