How to Use Ambient Lighting in a Nursery

Ambient light refers to the general background light in a room. The ambient light softens the contrast between brightly lit task areas and surrounding areas. Generally, ambient light comes from a centrally mounted fixture such as surface-mounted ceiling light. When lighting a nursery, you want to make sure the lighting provides a soothing place for your child.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Consider alternatives besides your basic single fixture hanging from the ceiling. Wall mounted sconces, recessed lighting fixtures and lamps can all create ambient lighting.

2. Get fancy and hang a chandelier in your nursery to provide ambient lighting. A centrally hung chandelier provides adequate lighting and is also a design feature to enhance the look of baby's room.

3. Install a dimmer on your ambient lighting source. Dimmers let you control how bright you want the room and they save energy. A bulb dimmed just 10 percent will last twice as long as a bulb at full brightness.

Tips & Warnings

• If your light bulb buzzes when dimmed, switch to a lower-watt light bulb to reduce or eliminate the noise.
• Safety comes first, especially in a nursery. Make sure lamps and their cords are out of the reach of your little ones. Avoid using floor lamps in a nursery as the baby can pull them over; cords present a tripping hazard.

Resources

• Shop for nursery lighting at LampsPlus.