Good bedroom lighting considers a careful mixture of practical and psychological factors. The average bedroom has so many different uses – relaxation, intimacy, study, morning preparation – that covering them all can be tricky.

We associate the bedroom with, among other things, sleep. This usually means no lighting at all. That suggests that turning them off should not be a chore. If you’ve been laying in bed reading it can be annnoying to turn them off, especially if you’ve gotten very tired. A main control switch within reach is a great thing here.

That nighttime reading can be a hurtful on the eyes, causing fatigue and headaches. Banish the problem by installing lights in the proper places with the correct color.

Color? Does that mean you should get pink or blue light bulbs? No. Color, here, means ‘color temperature’. Good reading lights are designed to emulate the range of wavelengths given off by natural sunlight, which is determined in part by the temperature of the sun’s surface. Humans’ eyes evolved to be sharpest under those conditions. Getting bulbs and lamps labeled as close to that will provide comfortable reading conditions.

But sometimes, you just want a pleasant ambiance, not a practical light. That, too, should be thought about when coming up with the lighting scheme for the bedroom.

To provide a cheery atmosphere that also provides needed light to tie shoes, connect a tricky clasp, brush hair or do any other common task, place lamps appropriately. Here again keep the light above the eyes, but let it shine directly down. In a home with modern furniture its also important to make sure the light style matches the modern seating selected. Raising it too high creates deep shadows that can hinder makeup application, make clothing color judgment more difficult and so on. Too low and it gets in your eyes, making those chores harder. Choose a pleasing middle level.

Select and place lamps about a foot higher than where your eyes are, and allow them to reflect light off surfaces. That provides the well-known indirect light effect that gives a subdued atmosphere. Whether for romance or just a quiet time away from distractions, that produces a calming effect that is just right in the bedroom.

Morning time is when most people, both kids and adults, will be up and preparing to meet the day. But, depending on the time of the day and season of the year, the sun doesn’t always cooperate to provide the illumination needed. The orientation of the house plays a role, too, as do any curtains, exterior overhangs and so forth.

For overall illumination – for entering the room, vacuuming and a hundred other common tasks – a broad ambient lighting scheme is needed. A house with contemporary furniture can really benefit from a creative lighting style.  A central fixture with a strong lamp and a diffusing cover is often just the thing. For other bedroom designs supplemental lighting fixtures will be needed. There are often lots of corners, nooks and other areas of a bedroom that can have deep shadows.

For all of the above applications a dimmer switch, or at least multi-level bulbs, can allow for finer control of light and shadow. They can also allow for some small electricity savings if the light stays on for extended periods. A 300-watt halogen bulb can contribute a chunk to the monthly bill. Dimming it when lower illumination is enough slices that down.

Consider all the ways you use your bedroom and light accordingly.

The phrase “contemporary” is familiar to most people who associate the word with modernity.  However it can be harder to define what contemporary means when you associate it with furniture design.  The consensual view is that contemporary furniture refers to furniture that was designed in the second half of the 20th century. The spirit of liberation that is associated with the 1960s inspired many designers to create and experiment with furniture design. Some of the notable examples of modern 20th century design include lava lamps and the waterbeds which are both almost now defunct in terms of items of desire.

Much of the experimentation that went on in in the 1950′s, 60′s and 70′s involved using material that has not been used in furniture design in the past such as the creative use of plastic and leather.  Some of the designs and colour schemes have now become cult retro furniture classics. Before the contemporary era, furniture was largely perceived as an ornament, the value of which was derived from how long it took to construct. Modern designs were influenced by a desire to project newness and innovation both in terms of construction and functionality.

Chairs

Famous contemporary chairs that have emerged include the Wassily Chair or Model B3 chair, that was created by German designer Marcel Breuer.  The chair’s revolutionary design includes tubular steel as well as wafer thin leather has made it an iconic piece of contemporary furniture.  Another famous design, such as the Barcelona chair, were designed by architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich in the late 1920′s.  It was inspired by the folding chairs of ancient times and like the Wassily has become an icon of modernism.

Unique Lighting

Aside from contemporary chairs, unique lighting is another important development in modern furniture design.  Unique lighting can be defined as any light installation that is modern, quirky, individual or has something completely unconventional regarding the design.  It is not an easy concept to describe as much of what related to unique lighting is conceptual.