Comfort and convenience – these should be your two main goals when creating a nursery lighting scheme. Babies are extra-sensitive to harsh lighting, so you should use lights that are gentle and calming to their young eyes. However, you still need enough light to perform necessary tasks quickly and easily.
Just follow these 5 lighting rules, and your nursery will be in ship-shape and ready for baby in no time:
1. Choose soft ceiling lights.
You never want bright, severe ceiling lights shining down into your baby’s eyes. Ideally, your overhead lighting should be shielded or diffused with a shade or cover. Hanging lights like pendants or chandeliers are probably your best choice for ambient lighting. If you have recessed lights or track lighting in your nursery, make sure none shine directly on the crib.
2. Use light layers.
To balance the softer ceiling lights, add accent lights here and there in the room. You can turn them on and off depending on your baby’s particular needs. Try table lamps on either side of the crib or a wall sconce by the changing table. A reading light by the rocking chair is a great help around bedtime, or when caring for your child during the night. When placing accent lights, always make sure their cords are out of the way, and baby can’t topple them over when he starts to crawl.
3. Add a dimmer.
A new baby is anything but predictable. But, when you can control your nursery lights with a dimmer, keeping up with your baby is a little easier. Softly dimmed overhead lights can help soothe your baby to sleep. When tending to a fussy child at night, dimming the lights will help you see without being overly jarring.
4. Always have a great night light.
A night light is a nursery staple for a reason. Its comforting beams help your child feel safe, and learn how to sleep through the night by herself. Plus, they can help you see if you have to pop into the room after your child has fallen asleep. To add a little fun, you might consider a more creative kind of night light, like a few fiber optic stars on the ceiling, or a small halo of guide lights around the headboard or crib.
5. Don’t forget some good curtains.
Adding light is important in any nursery, but so is taking it away. For daily naps, you don’t want bright sunlight keeping your baby awake. Invest in some light-blocking blinds and/or curtains to help create the perfect sleeping environment at any time of day.
Are you in the process of renovating a nursery? What projects are on your list?