Kids’ Rooms: How Can I Light a Child’s Room Stylishly?
Whatever age your children, be inspired by these cool ways to light their spaces – from bedrooms to study areas, playrooms to bathrooms
We’re used to the idea of rooms needing different lighting for different occasions, but what happens when your taste and style is constantly changing and you’re growing up fast? Here are some flexible and fun lighting ideas for children’s rooms.
Make it last
This custom-made pendant using multi-coloured glass and different-coloured silk flex is cheerful enough for a young child, but sophisticated enough to last. The decorative piece is complemented by a small number of high-output downlights for more practical illumination. The light source in the pendant here is incandescent, but could equally be LED.
This custom-made pendant using multi-coloured glass and different-coloured silk flex is cheerful enough for a young child, but sophisticated enough to last. The decorative piece is complemented by a small number of high-output downlights for more practical illumination. The light source in the pendant here is incandescent, but could equally be LED.
Go bare
This bright room would be a super playing space during daylight hours, which is probably when it’s predominantly used. The bare bulbs for darker days and evenings are simple but complement the décor.
There can be an issue with using bare bulbs to provide bright lighting, however, which is that high-output LED lamps are very unattractive to look at, while pretty filament ones don’t give out much light. Since children spend a lot of time on the floor, often playing with very small bits of plastic, decent light levels are useful – even if only for tidying up afterwards!
One option, if this is an issue for you, could be to complement bare filament bulbs with LED spots, which would create enough light but also some depth, so as to avoid a stark, blanket brightness.
This bright room would be a super playing space during daylight hours, which is probably when it’s predominantly used. The bare bulbs for darker days and evenings are simple but complement the décor.
There can be an issue with using bare bulbs to provide bright lighting, however, which is that high-output LED lamps are very unattractive to look at, while pretty filament ones don’t give out much light. Since children spend a lot of time on the floor, often playing with very small bits of plastic, decent light levels are useful – even if only for tidying up afterwards!
One option, if this is an issue for you, could be to complement bare filament bulbs with LED spots, which would create enough light but also some depth, so as to avoid a stark, blanket brightness.
Expand on a theme
The ‘porthole’-type lights here are great. They’re in keeping with the nautical-style bunks, provide good illumination and look as if they’d be very robust if bashed about during, say, a boisterous pirate game.
The other lighting provides additional brightness, but this could equally be something more recessive for a visually pared-down effect, which would put all the focus on the feature lights.
Explore more creative children’s spaces
The ‘porthole’-type lights here are great. They’re in keeping with the nautical-style bunks, provide good illumination and look as if they’d be very robust if bashed about during, say, a boisterous pirate game.
The other lighting provides additional brightness, but this could equally be something more recessive for a visually pared-down effect, which would put all the focus on the feature lights.
Explore more creative children’s spaces
Layer up
The lighting in this teenager’s room takes a layered approach, with architectural infill from the downlights, integrated shelf lighting and a feature decorative light. (Infill describes the ‘workhorse’ ambient lighting, distinct from task lighting, decorative or accent lighting.)
The key to this look (very few downlights but decent light levels despite the high ceiling) is to use very high-powered but low-glare LED fittings: each downlight used is the equivalent of c3 downlights using LED replacement lamps (which are the variety often used). Each downlight here outputs 1100 lumens.
You also need to be particularly careful with red: not only does it ‘eat’ light, but most LED fittings can make red appear mucky brown. It’s a good reason to test your light source before committing to a scheme.
For more detail on light output, have a look at this beginner’s guide to LED lighting
The lighting in this teenager’s room takes a layered approach, with architectural infill from the downlights, integrated shelf lighting and a feature decorative light. (Infill describes the ‘workhorse’ ambient lighting, distinct from task lighting, decorative or accent lighting.)
The key to this look (very few downlights but decent light levels despite the high ceiling) is to use very high-powered but low-glare LED fittings: each downlight used is the equivalent of c3 downlights using LED replacement lamps (which are the variety often used). Each downlight here outputs 1100 lumens.
You also need to be particularly careful with red: not only does it ‘eat’ light, but most LED fittings can make red appear mucky brown. It’s a good reason to test your light source before committing to a scheme.
For more detail on light output, have a look at this beginner’s guide to LED lighting
Highlight the architecture
Underpinning the decorative lighting with architectural lighting means a flexible scheme that will not jar as a child becomes a teenager. This low-key pink and soft grey space is less a child’s bedroom, more a teenager’s. The linear uplighting makes the most of the interesting room shape, and the downlights add more functional illumination.
Fun decorative pieces (perhaps fairy lights around the bed frame or a ‘starry sky’ canopy?) could be added for a younger child’s room and removed when their appeal has passed.
Underpinning the decorative lighting with architectural lighting means a flexible scheme that will not jar as a child becomes a teenager. This low-key pink and soft grey space is less a child’s bedroom, more a teenager’s. The linear uplighting makes the most of the interesting room shape, and the downlights add more functional illumination.
Fun decorative pieces (perhaps fairy lights around the bed frame or a ‘starry sky’ canopy?) could be added for a younger child’s room and removed when their appeal has passed.
Think beyond function
This is an interesting twist for a teenage bathroom with long-lasting appeal, and one that’s fun for all ages. The teardrops on either side provide great mirror lighting with even coverage and no shadows, making them suitable for teenagers and adults alike – and, of course, they look interesting, too. The light source here is halogen capsules, used for their accurate rendering.
Get more ideas for creating a stylish kids’ bathroom
This is an interesting twist for a teenage bathroom with long-lasting appeal, and one that’s fun for all ages. The teardrops on either side provide great mirror lighting with even coverage and no shadows, making them suitable for teenagers and adults alike – and, of course, they look interesting, too. The light source here is halogen capsules, used for their accurate rendering.
Get more ideas for creating a stylish kids’ bathroom
Embrace their personality
Sometimes a scheme doesn’t need to be flexible. This room’s design is wholehearted and brave and, in terms of the décor, changing the lighting would probably be the least of your worries.
The green lighting here takes a pragmatic approach; a cheap and cheerful LED strip is simply plugged in. The ‘grungy’ approach suits the feel of this graffiti-loving teenager’s den perfectly.
Sometimes a scheme doesn’t need to be flexible. This room’s design is wholehearted and brave and, in terms of the décor, changing the lighting would probably be the least of your worries.
The green lighting here takes a pragmatic approach; a cheap and cheerful LED strip is simply plugged in. The ‘grungy’ approach suits the feel of this graffiti-loving teenager’s den perfectly.
Max natural light
This is a fantastic space, decorated with great imagination and wonderful when there’s natural daylight.
Daylight is a fantastic light source – no artificial source can match it and it’s so important to make the most of it in children’s areas, as here, with minimal window dressings, fresh colours and plenty of white.
It’s also important to supplement natural light with artificial sources to make spaces as flexible as possible as uses change over time.
TELL US…
What sort of lighting do you have in your children’s rooms – or are you undecided? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
This is a fantastic space, decorated with great imagination and wonderful when there’s natural daylight.
Daylight is a fantastic light source – no artificial source can match it and it’s so important to make the most of it in children’s areas, as here, with minimal window dressings, fresh colours and plenty of white.
It’s also important to supplement natural light with artificial sources to make spaces as flexible as possible as uses change over time.
TELL US…
What sort of lighting do you have in your children’s rooms – or are you undecided? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
This super-decorative piece, matched with the complementary table lamp, demonstrates three basic features to consider when looking at decorative light fittings for kids’ rooms. This pendant is fun when turned off, as is the bedside lamp; it gives great shadows when turned on, and it outputs enough light for it to be practical.