7 Small Bedroom Lighting Ideas for Maximum Space + Brightness
Keep things light and open.
When you have a small bedroom, you understand the importance of space. Every spare corner or bare wall has a purpose, whether it be for storage, decor, or your ever-growing book collection. So when choosing how to illuminate your room, it’s key to select slim modern light fixtures that allow you to make the most of your limited square footage. Read below for small bedroom lighting ideas to furnish your room with space to spare.
1. Mount a Wall Sconce
Create space on your nightstand and introduce warm, ambient light to your bedroom by installing an armed wall sconce next to your bed. Opt for a design with sleek mixed metals and a paper-lantern shade hanging just slightly off the wall. This leaves plenty of room for a decorative tray with your bedside essentials and sprigs of evergreen in a smooth glass vase. Or maximize space on top of your dresser by swapping out a table lamp with a pair of wall sconces on either side of a vanity mirror.
Adopt small bedroom lighting ideas that maximize floor and wall space, such as ceiling lights. Illuminate your bedroom with ambient light shone from a flush mount light fixture, which works great in small bedrooms with low ceilings because it doesn't hang down like chandelier or pendant styles. They come in a variety of shapes and fun designs to match the style of your space. Try a modern take on traditional globe-style flush mount lights with a globe tucked in a sleek black dome with a golden finish on the inside.
Invest in small reading lamps with movable parts to pull double duty in small bedrooms. Amplify reading sessions in bed with swing-arm wall sconces you can easily reposition to illuminate a nightstand or writing desk, eliminating the need for a bulky table lamp. Don't want to hang a wall sconce? Place a small modern table lamp with a swing-arm feature on your nightstand to leave wall space for aesthetic artwork or wall-mounted shelves.
Free up wall space and the top of your nightstand simultaneously by suspending a pendant light on either side of your bed. Reflect a warm glow on wood-paneled walls with a pendant light featuring a ribbed paper shade. Add industrial interest with concrete pendant lights that contrast a sleek metal bed frame. Look for pendant lights with adjustable height features so you can change up the look if you rearrange your furniture or if you want to maximize space in a low-ceilinged room.
Pro Tip:
Want some cool bedroom lighting ideas using pendant fixtures? Try hanging two or three close together at different heights with slight design variations for a contemporary look and feel. Hang a geometric shape next to two fabric shades in the corner of your room. Contrast slim cylindrical forms with spherical silhouettes. Adding pendant light fixtures with different shapes helps draw the eye upward and distracts from the smallness of a space.
5. Prioritize Slim Profiles
To keep a small bedroom feeling clutter-free, swap out bulky bedroom lights for scaled-back designs and elongated, slim silhouettes. Place a slim table lamp with a flat base to one side of the nightstand to provide light without taking up too much space. Select a "barely-there" floor lamp with a long thin stand to support an airy cylindrical shade. Opt for a white shade to cast a warm glow throughout the room. Tuck the floor lamp between the bed and a lounge chair with ease, or use its slim frame and height to illuminate a corner behind the bed.
Define your modern aesthetic, create a focal point, and save floor and table space by hanging a fun chandelier above your bed. Complement minimalist spaces with a modern chandelier in airy silhouettes like the woven paper design featured above. Introduce bohemian notes with a chandelier with a rattan or wicker shade, or create a tribute to mid-century modernism's retro style with a sputnik-style chandelier. Choose a mini chandelier (less than 14” wide) or a small modern chandelier (15”–20” wide) for a more subtle statement.
Pro Tip:
Determine the best chandelier size for your small bedroom by reading our guide Tips for Finding the Right Chandelier Size + Where to Place It.
7. Use Lighting That Doubles as Decor
Incorporate small bedroom lighting ideas like a light that doubles as decor to create an uncluttered, well-lit, and well-decorated space. Mirror golden-yellow hues with a small modern table lamp featuring a bronze base and an egg-like shade. Display it on your nightstand or dresser for a fun statement piece that also produces warm, comforting light. Pair it with a mid-century-inspired table lamp with a bronze finish and futuristic half-dome shade.
Need some more bedroom lighting tips? Check out our guide The Beginner's Guide to Lighting.
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