Lighting and Your Home: The Master Bedroom

by Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger

01 Feb 2007 11:23 PM

I am a lighting fiend. I blame it on my poor vision. For years I suffered from frequent headaches, eyestrain, and yes, on one occasion I accidentally paired navy blue shoes with black pants (and that was with my contacts on). I finally determined I am someone who functions better with proper lighting. It may sound cliché, but don't underestimate the proper placement of lighting in your home. It can save you from sore eyes and some most embarrassing fashion disasters.

My ophthalmologist provided me with the following preferred placement measurements for different lights:

A General Rule to Remember: For traditional lamps the diameter of the beam spread out of the bottom of the shade for reading and writing should be about 16 inches.

Bedside Reading Lights. The bottom of the shade should be 20 inches above the level of your bed. Obviously, if your night table is extremely tall or short, you may need to get lamps to compensate.

Dressing Table. Have 2 lights 36 inches apart (I have one on each side of my mirror) and about 15 inches above the base of the table.

Dresser. If you use your dresser for grooming then you should place 2 lights 36 inches apart (again, on either side of your mirror). If the dresser reaches your waist, the lights should rise 22 inches from the dresser top.

Other Lighting Options:

Swing-arm lights placed on opposite sides of the bed can illuminate bedtime tasks without making the room too bright. (These lights come in very handy when you have a spouse who likes to sleep in a cave-like environment and whips a pillow over his head each time even a sliver of light comes into contact with his face.)

Dimmer Switches. Dimmer switches are your friends. They give you control over the room's brightness. If you have recessed down lights near the head of the bed make sure you have separate dimmer controls on opposing sides of the bed to allow one person to sleep while the other reads.

Related Articles:

Creating A Healthier Home

Transforming Your Bedroom Into A Valentine's Day Retreat

Picking The Perfect Bed---Adults

Learn more about Michele Cheplic

Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism.

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