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Small homes are cosy and easy to care for, but they present their own challenges when decorating and lighting them. In this article, we will explore how to incorporate lighting for small rooms, as well as some small room lighting ideas to get you started.
Why Does Wall Lighting Work Well in a Small Room in the Home?
The primary issue surrounding lighting a small space is the lack of room you have to work with. Smaller rooms can quickly become hazards if you have too many items working as obstacles in there. This includes lights that take up a lot of space, such as pendant bedroom lighting or floor lamps in your hallway lighting design.
Wall lights are the answer to that issue. Since they do not take up floor or ceiling space, they stay out of the way while still providing plenty of lighting. They can also enhance the mood of the room and provide nice visual depth without monopolizing the available real estate.
If you choose fixtures with reflective surfaces, you can also make the room brighter without adding anything extra. Light will bounce off of those fixtures and spread around the room.
Design Principles When Lighting a Small Home Space
In a small room or home, the lighting design principles you will need to employ are a bit different from designing interior lighting in larger spaces. One thing is the same, though: layered lighting.
Layering your lights consists of adding three light layers: ambient, task and accent light. Ambient lighting is the foundation of the illumination and can be accomplished with a recessed interior wall light in the ceiling.
Task lighting provides more focused illumination for completing certain activities, like reading or working. This can usually be accomplished with well-placed interior wall lamps.
Finally, accent lighting provides mood in the room while highlighting certain areas. Picture wall light fixtures work well here to highlight art, but you can also install recessed indoor wall lights to that effect.
Each layer of your light needs to be scaled to fit the size of the room. If your lights are too large, then they will take up too much space and make your small room feel cluttered. Choose compact wall light fixtures that won’t get in the way to visually declutter the space.
Similarly, you should make the most out of your vertical spaces to make it feel larger and more open. Choose an indoor wall light that shines up the wall to give the illusion of height.
Room-by-Room Wall Lighting Tips
Each room of the house may require different types of lighting to look its best and not feel cluttered. Below, we break down each room and give you some space saving lighting ideas for each.
Bedroom Lighting Tips
Small bedrooms provide a great opportunity for you to incorporate lighting for compact spaces. Here, you can install reading lamps by the bed that serve as both accent and task lighting. Choose warm white light for your LED reading lighting to give a nice balance of ambience and visibility.
Bathroom Lighting Tips
Bathroom wall lights can be a game-changer. Without having to use pendants or even surface mounted ceiling lights, you can save plenty of vertical space. Be sure to choose bathroom lighting with the proper IP ratings to ensure they do not get damaged from exposure to moisture.
Staircase and Hallway Lighting
Staircases and hallways are narrow and difficult to light as-is. Avoid creating clutter by choosing flush-mounted or recessed lighting to eliminate obstructions. Space out the fixtures to create an even, visual rhythm while still providing clear visibility.
Living Room Lighting
Lounge room lighting can be accomplished in a number of ways, from picture light fixtures illuminating feature walls to ambient wall sconces layered with ceiling lighting.
Home Office Lighting
Ensure bright, clear light in a home office with wall lights in a neutral colour temperature. Task lights are the priority here, so lights with higher lumen counts are ideal.
Similar to office lighting, task lights are the most important layer here. Add a recessed interior wall light by the counterspace and cooking areas to provide lighting without taking up space.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Using Wall Lighting in a Small Space in the Home
Avoid some of the most common lighting mistakes people make when creating a small room light design by getting familiar with them below.
- CHOOSING OVERSIZED FIXTURES. One of the best small room lighting tips anyone can give is to choose appropriately sized fixtures. Large lights can take up too much space and make it feel cluttered and cramped.
- POOR PLACEMENT. Be sure you are placing your small room light fixture at the appropriate height. Most people tend to install them too high or too low, making the lights less useful. Try to position the lights around eye-level for best results.
- NEGLECTING BEAM ANGLES AND GLARE CONTROL. Lighting for small spaces needs to have narrower beam angles to ensure illumination doesn’t flood the entire space. Dimmable fixtures can help reduce glare as well.
- FORGETTING COLOUR TEMPERATURE. In a small room, warm white lighting is generally considered best. Cool lights can feel abrasive in a small space and may cause unsightly glares.
What Height Should You Mount Interior Wall Lighting in a Small Room
When planning to implement your small room lighting ideas, you should keep in mind the height at which you mount them. Placing them at the improper height can cause the light to be ineffective, both too high or too low.
Here are some general rules for lighting placement by room:
Bedroom lighting should be about 1,200 millimeters to 1,500 millimeters above the floor. This sets it around shoulder height when lying in bed.
Bathroom wall lighting should be hung around 1,500 millimeters to 1,700 millimeters from the floor. For mirror lights, aim for eye-level. This will ensure even illumination of the face in the mirror.
Staircase and hallway lighting should also be around 1,500 to 1,700 millimeters from the floor. It offers consistent illumination along the path without causing obstructions.
Living room lighting should be 1,500 to 1,800 millimeters from the floor to provide accent lighting and gently ambient lighting.
Home office lighting needs to be mounted 1,200 to 1,400 millimeters above the floor. You can also mount it up to 600 millimeters above the desk height for more direct task lighting.
How Important Is Natural Light in a Small Room?
Natural light is a major player in small rooms that have windows. It has an innate ability to make a space seem larger and more open, and that is exactly what you need in smaller spaces.
Since natural light uses no electricity, it is the most energy-efficient option you have. Natural light reduces the need for artificial lighting which can lessen your impact on the environment and lower your bills as well.
Not only does it provide energy efficient lighting for small spaces, but it can reduce harsh shadows cast by bright interior lighting. Small rooms naturally feel a bit cramped, something made worse by dark shadows.
Opening it up with natural light can help the mood of the space. It may also directly impact your own mood by boosting serotonin levels and helping to regular circadian rhythms. Natural light can bring about comfort and vitality to rooms that otherwise feel cramped and tight.
The colour of natural light also naturally offers the highest CRI, or colour rendering index. This means it will show the true colours of the items in your room, making it better for displaying paintings and showing off different textiles and finishes.
How to Use Wall Lighting as a Design Feature in a Small Room
Your small living room lighting doesn’t have to be practical alone. You can also use wall lights for small rooms as a decorative item in their own rights. Since you likely don’t have a lot of room to work with for other decor, you can use the existing lighting as a way to dress things up.
By treating wall lights like decorative art pieces, you can bring personality to your space while illuminating it as well. Choose sculptural wall lights and opt for bolder finishes to create visual interest.
You can also use lighting to define different zones in the space. Directional wall lights can zone out certain areas without having to add any visual dividers. For example, placing an accent light near a reading nook will separate out the cosy corner from the rest.
The textures and materials of your light fixtures can also come into play. Choose lights that have interesting exteriors, even if they are subtle, to add style to your space.
How to Pair Wall Lighting with Other Lighting in a Small Space
When incorporating wall lighting into your small room, it is important that you cleanly layer it with other lights in the space. Wall lights tend to work best when used as accent or task lighting, so you can work them into lighting schemes with existing ambient light.
In bedrooms, you can pair your reading lights with the ceiling lighting overhead. Reading lights are small, compact and supplementary, so they will stay out of the way while preventing shadows in the bed area.
In your bathroom, wall lights can be paired with ceiling and shower lights. You can turn the larger overhead lights off to create a mood and spa-like atmosphere in this space.
With hallways, wall lights can do most of the heavy lifting. Combine flush mounted interior wall lights with recessed ceiling spotlights to save as much space as possible.
Decorative wall sconces in the living room can add style and personality while also thoroughly illuminating it. Choose picture lights that complement the finish of your ambient lighting to create a more cohesive look.
In the home office, opt for adjustable wall mounted task lights to be paired with your desk lamps. This provides ample lighting all around the work area without having to rely on bright overhead lighting.
Conclusion
In small rooms, lighting can present a unique challenge due to the lack of space you have to work with. In this article, we’ve offered some helpful tips and solutions for lighting design in a small room. Keep this article close at hand as you begin planning your next lighting layout in a cramped, dark space.
