Short answer: Light a bedroom with no ceiling light from three sources: a room light such as a floor lamp or a plug-in pendant, a lamp or sconce on each side of the bed, and one small accent lamp. If a wall switch controls an outlet, plug the room light into it. Keep the bulbs warm, 2700K or lower.
Many bedrooms in the US have no ceiling light. Instead there is a wall switch that controls one outlet, and the builder expected you to plug a lamp into it. Other bedrooms have a ceiling light so harsh that nobody turns it on after dark.
In both cases, light the bedroom from lamps and wall lights placed low and warm. Done well, the room looks better at night than it would under a ceiling fixture.
Does your bedroom have a switched outlet?
Flip the wall switch by the door and test each outlet with a phone charger or a small lamp. In a room with no ceiling light, one outlet, or the top half of one, is wired to that switch. Plug your main lamp into it. Now the switch by the door turns on the room, just like a ceiling light would.
If there is no switched outlet, a smart plug or a lamp with a remote does the same job.
What lights does a bedroom need?
A bedroom needs light for three jobs. Plan one source for each.
- A room light to see the whole room when you walk in. A floor lamp in a corner, or a paper pendant that plugs in.
- Bedside lights for reading and winding down. One on each side of the bed.
- A small accent light for the evening mood. A lamp on a dresser or a shelf.
With three sources at different heights, no single lamp has to be bright, and the room stays calm.
What are good bedside lighting ideas?
Table lamps
Pick a lamp whose shade bottom sits about at your chin when you sit up in bed, so the light falls on your book and the bulb stays hidden.
The Japanese Rice Paper Table Lamp is a small lantern, 8.3 by 9.1 in (21 by 23 cm), with an ivory rice paper shade on an iron frame and the E14 LED bulb included. The paper spreads the light evenly, which suits the last hour before sleep.
Cordless lamps
When the outlet is behind the bed, a cordless lamp saves you from fishing a cord out from behind the headboard. The Rechargeable Dimmable Table Lamp has a touch switch with stepless dimming across white, natural and warm light. Its 2000mAh battery runs 6 to 8 hours and charges in 3 to 4 hours by USB. Our cordless lamp guide covers run times in detail.
Wall sconces
Sconces clear the nightstand and put the light right where you read. No wiring needed:
- A plug-in sconce, such as the Japanese Folding Wall Light, a wood wall lamp with a downward iron shade, sold with a US plug. The E27 bulb is sold separately.
- A rechargeable sconce, such as the Magnetic Rechargeable Wall Sconce. It comes with a remote, sets 3000K, 4000K or 6000K, and sells single or as a pair for both sides of the bed.
Set the bottom of the shade just above your head when you sit up against the headboard. That lands around 20 to 30 inches above the mattress top. More options are in our guide to wall sconces without hardwiring.
Pendants beside the bed
A small pendant hung low over each nightstand looks like a hotel room and frees the whole tabletop. Use a plug-in pendant cord set and a ceiling hook, and run the cord to the outlet behind the nightstand. Our paper pendant guide explains how to hang one.
How do you light the whole room without a ceiling fixture?
A floor lamp in a corner. Plug it into the switched outlet. An uplight bounces off the ceiling and fills the room with soft, even light. A floor lamp with a fabric or paper shade lights the room around it.
A plug-in paper lantern. Hang a large paper shade from a hook near the middle of the ceiling and run the cord along the ceiling and down the wall to an outlet. It gives you a ceiling light with no electrician.
LED strip behind the headboard. A warm white strip pointed at the wall behind the bed gives a soft glow and hides the source completely. Choose one marked 2700K or 3000K, not color-changing.
What color light is best for a bedroom?
Bright, blue-white light late in the evening works against sleep. Harvard Health reports that blue light suppresses melatonin, the hormone that tells your body it is night, more than other colors of light.
So keep bedroom bulbs at 2700K or lower, dim them in the hour before bed, and keep any cool white settings for daytime. For brightness, read lumens on the box, not watts. The FTC notes that an old 60 watt incandescent bulb gave about 800 lumens. Our 2700K vs 3000K guide explains the numbers.
Which bedroom lighting layout fits your room?
Small bedroom or rental
Two rechargeable sconces either side of the bed, plus one table lamp on the dresser in the switched outlet. There is nothing to wire and nothing on the floor.
Reading in bed every night
Two plug-in sconces with downward shades for focused light, plus a floor lamp in the corner for the room. The downward shades keep the reader's light off the other pillow.
Calm and soft
A large paper lantern from a ceiling hook and two rice paper table lamps on the nightstands, all at 2700K, so every light in the room passes through paper.
Keep reading: cordless table lamps and paper pendant lights.
FAQ
How do you light a bedroom with no ceiling light?
Use three sources: a floor lamp or plug-in pendant for the room, a lamp or sconce on each side of the bed, and a small accent lamp. Plug the main lamp into the outlet controlled by the wall switch.
Why do some bedrooms have no ceiling light?
Builders install a switched outlet instead, so a lamp plugged into it works from the wall switch. The National Electrical Code allows a switch-controlled outlet in place of a switched ceiling light in bedrooms, and it costs less to build.
What is the best color temperature for a bedroom?
2700K or warmer for evening light. Dim it in the hour before bed.
Can I add a ceiling light without an electrician?
Yes, with a plug-in pendant hung from a ceiling hook and corded to an outlet. A hardwired ceiling fixture needs a licensed electrician.
How high should bedside lamps be?
The bottom of the shade should sit near your chin when you sit up in bed. Then the light falls on your book and the bulb stays out of your eyes.
Find lamps for every spot in our table lamps collection. Shipping is free in the US, with 14-day returns.
For more ideas, see our cozy bedroom lighting picks and our reading nook lighting page.