Kids' room and nursery lighting has two jobs that adults rarely need at the same time: bright enough light for play and getting dressed, and a very low, calm light for night feeds, bedtime stories and the walk to the bathroom. A good plan uses a ceiling light for the first job and a small night light or lamp for the second. This guide explains each layer and gives the real sizes of the lights we sell that suit a child's room, with a simple rule on where to put each one.
The three layers of light in a child's room
Main light. A ceiling pendant that lights the whole room for play, tidying and dressing. A small glass globe is a cheerful choice: the Candy Stripe Glass Globe Pendant comes in Ø 20, 25 or 30 cm with straight or twisted stripes, and the Swirl Glass Globe Pendant comes in Ø 20, 30 or 40 cm in five soft colours, including sky blue and blush pink.
Night light. A low glow left on at bedtime or switched on for night feeds. The Flower Wall Lamp lights only its centre globe, casting a halo on the wall around white or pink petals. The Glowing Pebble Table Lamp in its smallest size (22 × 16 × 16 cm) works as a bedside night light.
Story-time lamp. A small lamp beside the bed or the reading chair. The Amanita Mushroom Table Lamp is about 30 cm tall; light shines out through the dots of its cap.
Real sizes of our kids' room lights
All figures come from our product pages. The lighting area is the manufacturer's guide for the space one light covers on its own.
| Light | Role | Size | Materials | Light options | Lighting area |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candy Stripe Glass Globe Pendant | Main light | Ø 20, 25 or 30 cm | Glass, iron, brass-tone cap | Whole globe glows | Not stated |
| Swirl Glass Globe Pendant | Main light | Ø 20, 30 or 40 cm | Blown glass, metal | Whole globe glows | Not stated |
| Flower Wall Lamp | Night light | Ø 18 cm, 16 cm from wall | Resin petals, acrylic globe | Warm, cool or 3-colour; not dimmable | 3–5 m² |
| Glowing Pebble Table Lamp | Night light | From 22 × 16 × 16 cm to 40 × 32 × 30 cm | Rotomoulded plastic | 3 colour options | Not stated |
| Amanita Mushroom Table Lamp | Story-time lamp | About 30 cm tall, cap 18 cm | Iron, coloured glass | E27 LED 6–10 W, not dimmable | 3–5 m² |
| Cordless Marble Table Lamp | Portable lamp | 23 cm tall, shade Ø 17 cm | Marble, opal glass | 3 brightness levels, 8–12 h battery | Not stated |
Where to put each light
Ceiling pendant: centred in the room, or over a play mat. In a small nursery a Ø 20 cm globe is enough; save the Ø 30–40 cm sizes for larger rooms. Hang it high enough that nobody walks into it: our guide to lighting for low ceilings gives the clearance rules.
Night light: low and away from the child's eyes, so it lights the floor and wall rather than the face. A wall lamp mounted beside the changing table or the door works well.
Table lamp: on a shelf or a bedside table that is stable and out of reach of babies and toddlers. Our lamps with glass or stone parts (Amanita, Cordless Marble, the glass globes) suit an older child's room, used with an adult nearby. The Glowing Pebble is made of plastic rather than glass.
A worked example: lighting a 10 m² nursery
Take a 10 m² nursery. One Swirl Glass Globe Pendant in Ø 30 cm covers the main light. For night feeds, a Flower Wall Lamp (rated 3–5 m²) lights the corner with the chair and changing table without waking the whole room. When the child is older, add an Amanita Mushroom Table Lamp (3–5 m²) on a bedside table for stories. That gives two separate low lights, each covering about half of the room, plus the ceiling light.
Light colour and cables
For bedtime, warm white is the calmest choice; keep cool white for daytime play if your light offers it. Read warm white vs cool white for the details. The Glowing Pebble has a 1.8 m cable, so route it along the wall, behind furniture. A cordless lamp such as the Cordless Marble removes the cable entirely, which is handy for moving the light between rooms.
FAQ
What is the best night light for a nursery?
A small, low light that lights the wall or floor rather than the cot. Our Flower Wall Lamp lights only its centre globe and covers about 3–5 m²; the smallest Glowing Pebble (22 × 16 × 16 cm) works as a bedside night light.
What size pendant light for a kids' room?
Ø 20 cm suits a small room or a bedside; Ø 30 cm gives more light in a larger room. Our Candy Stripe globe comes in Ø 20, 25 and 30 cm and the Swirl globe in Ø 20, 30 and 40 cm.
Are glass lamps safe in a child's room?
Keep glass and stone lamps out of reach of babies and toddlers, on a stable surface, with cables tucked away. In a young child's room, a ceiling pendant or a wall light keeps the glass out of reach.
See our pendant lights, wall lights and table lamps, and for more ideas read mushroom lamps and flower lamps.
