Choosing and positioning your bedside lighting correctly

Lampe de chevet à côté d’un lit sous les combles

Headboard lighting: how to choose and position your lights

Choosing the right headboard lighting comes down to one idea: warm, soft light directed where you need it, without ever dazzling the person sleeping beside you. To achieve this, you can choose a bedside lamp on a nightstand, a wall sconce mounted on either side of the bed, or a more discreet recessed light source. This guide will help you decide based on your bedroom, your reading habits, and the atmosphere you want to create in the evening.

Eclairagedeco
eclairagedeco.com
Soft light by the bed
Discover decorative, functional lighting to create a warm atmosphere in your bedroom, suited to reading and relaxing.

In brief

  • A bedside lamp requires no installation work and can be moved; a wall sconce frees up the nightstand and creates a halo around the bed.
  • For relaxation, aim for warm white light, around 2,700 to 3,000 K, and avoid bare light sources in your line of sight.
  • Direct the light toward your book, not your eyes, and choose dimmable lighting so you can transition from reading to falling asleep.
  • Headboard lighting supplements the room’s general lighting; it does not replace it.
  • Near the bed, check that Class I devices are grounded, and leave any fixed wiring to an electrician.

Table of contents

Types of lighting for the area around the bed

There are three main types of lighting around a bed. Each serves a specific purpose, and combining them often gives the most comfortable result.

Bedside lamps placed on a nightstand are the easiest option. Ootravaux describes them as localized lighting, useful for reading and waking up. They plug into an outlet, can be changed with the seasons, and move with you when you relocate without any work.

Wall sconces, on the other hand, are mounted on either side of the bed. According to Qualitel, bedside lamps or sconces can provide soft, indirect lighting for reading or relaxing. The same Ootravaux guide describes a wall sconce as a light source that casts a halo around the headboard, giving the room a distinct decorative presence.

Lastly, recessed lighting is the most discreet solution: integrated above the bed, it blends into the architecture. However, it requires a more developed plan, often as part of a renovation or new build.

Reading lights are another option: small, adjustable light sources, sometimes built into the headboard. Marie Claire groups bedside lamps, reading lights, and built-in wall sconces under comfort lighting: their more focused light makes reading easier without disturbing the person sharing your bed.

Bedside lamp or wall sconce: how to choose

The question comes up in almost every bedroom, and the answer depends less on style than on your situation.

Choose a bedside lamp if you’re renting, like changing your decor, or have a wall that’s difficult to drill into. It also adds a decorative touch to the nightstand: ceramic, brass, glass, matte black metal. It works well when the nightstand is wide enough to hold the lamp, a book, and a glass of water without feeling cluttered.

Choose a wall sconce if your nightstand is narrow or nonexistent, or if you want a streamlined bedroom with clear floors and surfaces. L’a wall sconce also lets you position the light at the right height for reading, which a lamp that’s too low or too high can’t always do. However, installation requires an electrical connection where you want it or a plug-in model, along with careful wiring.

There’s also a third option: cordless, rechargeable lamps. They can be placed on a nightstand or shelf, with no visible cable or nearby outlet, and carried from room to room. This is a valuable option in a bedroom where the outlets are poorly placed.

Finally, there’s nothing stopping you from mixing and matching: a wall sconce on the avid reader’s side, a bedside lamp on the sleeper’s side. Just make sure the color temperature is the same on both sides, so the bedroom keeps a consistent atmosphere.

Bedside lamp or wall sconce: how to choose

Where to position and how to angle your light for glare-free reading

A beautiful lamp in the wrong place quickly becomes tiring. Lighting professionals emphasize this point: the French Lighting Association recommends avoiding glare and cast shadows, notably by limiting reflections on overly shiny surfaces. It also points out that insufficient or excessively harsh lighting, or flickering, can cause eye strain, headaches, and muscle tension.

In a bedroom, this comes down to a few simple habits.

Position the light source slightly to the side and a little behind your shoulder so the light falls on the page without the bulb being visible when you’re lying down. An opal shade, a diffuser, or a reflector angled toward the wall will immediately soften the light.

Watch out for shiny surfaces: a lacquered headboard, a mirror directly opposite, or a glass bedside table can reflect light straight into your eyes. A matte wall, a fabric headboard, or light-colored wood will absorb and diffuse the light more pleasantly.

For a bedside lamp, choose a height that’s proportionate to the bed: if the lamp base is too short, the shade will sit below shoulder level and the light will fall too low. Sit in your usual reading position; the shade should be roughly at eye level or slightly below, without the bulb being visible.

For a wall light, install it once you’ve settled on your mattress and headboard, and hold the fixture in place to test it before drilling. The two wall lights should be at the same height and the same distance from the center of the bed to keep the arrangement harmonious.

If you read a lot, our guide to choosing the right bedside lamp for reading covers the criteria to consider before buying.

Where to position and how to angle your light for glare-free reading

Color temperature and brightness: the secret to warm ambient lighting

A successful bedroom often comes down as much to the color of the light as to the light fixture itself. Color temperature, measured in kelvins, describes whether light is warm (yellow-orange) or cool (bluish).

For living spaces, the AFE recommends LEDs from 2,700 to 3,200 K. For a bedroom, we recommend the lower end of this range, around 2,700 to 3,000 K: this is warm white, which evokes the glow of a candle or an incandescent bulb and naturally encourages relaxation in the evening.

For brightness, one thing to keep in mind: at the bedside, you rarely need a lot of power. A bedside light should be bright enough to read comfortably and gentle enough not to wake your partner. That’s why dimmable models are so popular: a brighter setting for reading, a softer one for relaxing, and a final setting that’s almost like a night-light. Touch lamps, which you turn on with a simple tap on the base, are very convenient for this, especially when you’re fumbling around for the switch.

Two details complete the picture. For an even look, use the same color temperature for all the bedroom’s light fixtures, because mixing warm and cool white disrupts the ambiance. And don’t forget your screens: the AFE recommends turning off computer screens, which emit blue light, at least two hours before bedtime. A warm bedside lamp and a put-away phone make a far more soothing pair than scrolling through a news feed late at night.

Pair the headboard with the bedroom’s general lighting

Bedside lighting isn’t everything. A comfortable bedroom relies on several layers of light, and the headboard is just one of them.

Maison Saint-Gobain recommends three types of lighting: general lighting, task lighting focused where it’s most needed, and ambient lighting. The headboard clearly falls into the second category, while also contributing to the ambiance when you choose the right lamp. The same guide explains that general lighting should illuminate the entire bedroom evenly, while spotlights aimed at a wall or LED strips installed high up create indirect, intimate, warm lighting.

For the ceiling, Qualitel recommends a ceiling light or pendant for general bedroom lighting, and reserves indirect, dim lighting for reading and relaxation. In its energy advice, EDF cites the AFE’s recommendation to combine main lighting with ambient lighting in the bedroom, using a warm color temperature.

In practical terms, here’s what it looks like on an ordinary evening. You enter the bedroom, and the ceiling light or pendant illuminates the room while you get dressed or tidy up. Then you switch it off, and the bedside lamps take over, creating a soft pool of light around the bed. If you add an LED strip behind the headboard or a small lamp on a dresser, the whole setup creates a harmonious cocoon, with no dark spots or harsh contrasts.

To think about the balance between ceiling lights and wall lights in every room of the house, our article on ceiling lights and wall lights for illuminating every room offers some additional guidance.

Which style for which bedroom

Once you’ve established the technical criteria, it’s time to focus on aesthetics. A bedside lamp is a small decorative object that says as much about your taste as it does about your comfort.

In a bedroom with contemporary lines, a matte black base and geometric shapes add character without overwhelming the space. In a more classic or bohemian bedroom, gold-finished ceramic, aged brass, and fabric lampshades create a warmer atmosphere. For an industrial-inspired bedroom, aged metal and exposed filament bulbs work well with raw wood and brick, as long as you choose a bulb that isn’t too bright.

Proportions matter a lot. A large lamp on a narrow bedside table throws off the balance, while a light that’s too small gets lost beside a large bed. Aim for a height that’s in proportion to the headboard, and choose matching pairs if you like symmetry. If you prefer asymmetry, bring the two lights together through their material or color rather than their shape.

The choice of materials also affects the light. White glazed ceramic diffuses light softly, a linen lampshade casts a warm glow, and smoked glass softens the brightness. Bear in mind that the lampshade changes the effect just as much as the bulb.

Our perspective: lighting that feels like you

At Éclairage Déco, we start with a simple observation: most bedrooms are lit out of habit, with a ceiling light and a lamp picked up at the last minute. Yet evening, when the day winds down, is when light matters most.

We believe a bedside lamp should do two things at once: be practical and pleasing. It should be practical because you read by it, set your alarm, and put down your watch. It should be pleasing because it’s the last object you see before closing your eyes. That’s why we select decorative, artistic lights with dimming options, touch controls, or rechargeable versions for when the outlet is far from the bed.

When in doubt, our advice is to start with ambient lighting and adjust the rest. A warm, soft, well-directed lamp changes the atmosphere of a bedroom more reliably than a fresh coat of paint. And if you’re not sure about the result, our 30-day money-back guarantee is there so you can try it at home, in your own lighting.

Simon

Safely installing a light fixture near the bed

The bedroom isn’t a wet room, but electrical safety rules are still important because you sleep there and may touch the light fixtures at any time.

According to Qualitel, Class I appliances must be earthed. So check the symbol and the instructions for your light fixture: a Class I appliance has a plug with an earth pin and must be connected to a properly earthed outlet. A Class II double-insulated appliance doesn’t have this requirement, but must not be modified.

For a fixed wall-mounted sconce, the wiring must be done with the power off, after switching off the corresponding circuit breaker. If you’re not comfortable working with electricity, hire an electrician: faulty wiring in a bedroom poses a risk of fire and electric shock that simply isn’t worth taking. Plug-in models with a cord and plug offer an alternative that doesn’t require any work on the circuit, provided the cable is neatly secured and doesn’t run behind the mattress.

Other good practices: avoid covering a hot lamp with fabric, leave clearance around bulbs, opt for LEDs, which produce little heat, and don’t leave a cable hanging over the bed where someone could get caught in it. Rechargeable lamps should be charged with the supplied charger on a clear surface.

Our headboard lighting

If you’re ready to take action, our selection of bedside lamps covers the most popular styles. The Orbes matte black bedside lamp stands out with its graphic silhouette, the Rétro Doré bedside lamp adds a warm touch, and the Moderne Chic gold ceramic lamp brings understated elegance.

If you’re looking for convenience, our touch bedside lamps with 3 brightness levels and USB ports let you charge your phone within easy reach, while the industrial vintage version adjusts its light with a simple touch. You can also browse the entire Éclairage Déco store: bedroom wall lamps, cordless lamps, ceiling lights, and table lamps. Our customer service team responds 7 days a week in French, shipping to Canada and the European Union is tracked, and our money-back guarantee lasts 30 days.

A reading corner in the bedroom

If your bed also serves as a reading chair, or if you have room for a small armchair near the window, consider treating that corner as a separate zone. A floor lamp with an adjustable shade, or a table lamp with a movable arm, provides more generous reading light than a bedside lamp. Our selection of the best lights for a reading corner will give you some ideas for finding the right model.

L’idea is to separate the uses: the bedside area stays dedicated to soft light at bedtime, while the reading corner is for longer sessions. This arrangement avoids reading too late in bed under overly bright light and lets the headboard area remain a cozy retreat.

Common mistakes to avoid

A few pitfalls come up often. The first is choosing a bulb that’s too cool or too bright: bluish-white light makes the bedroom feel like an office and makes it harder to fall asleep. The second is forgetting about height: a wall lamp placed too high casts the shadow of your head across your book. The third is neglecting the switch: one that’s out of reach means you have to get up, undoing the comfort of an otherwise well-chosen lamp.

The fourth mistake is unintentional asymmetry: having a single lamp on one side and nothing on the other creates visual imbalance and leaves one of the two sleepers in the dark. The final mistake is adding multiple light sources without an overall plan. Three well-spaced light sources with warm white light and dimming are better than six mismatched lights.

Frequently asked questions

Which lamp should you choose for a headboard?

A bedside lamp is a good choice if you want a portable, decorative solution that requires no installation. L wall light is preferable when the bedside table is narrow or absent. In either case, choose a warm white and adjustable brightness.

What color temperature should you choose for ambient bedroom lighting?

The AFE recommends a range of 2,700 to 3,200 K for living spaces. For the bedroom, we recommend staying around 2,700 to 3,000 K, a warm white that promotes relaxation. Use the same color temperature for all the room’s light fixtures.

How can you avoid disturbing your partner with light while reading?

Direct the light toward your book, not the room, choose an opaque lampshade or diffuser, and opt for a directional reading light. Dimming also lets you lower the light without turning it off completely.

Can you install a wall light yourself?

A model that plugs into an outlet requires no connection to the circuit. For a wired wall light, switch off the power at the electrical panel and ensure Class I devices are properly grounded. If in doubt, call an electrician.

Should you also have a ceiling light in the bedroom?

Yes, it’s recommended. Qualitel recommends a ceiling light or pendant for general lighting, supplemented by soft lighting at the head of the bed for reading or relaxing.

Sources

Recommendations

Back to blog