Dianne Buswell's clever bedside lighting choice instantly makes a bedroom look more expensive – and is easy to replicate

It's perfect for small bedrooms, too

Dianne Buswell
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Strictly Come Dancing's Dianne Buswell not only captivates us through her performances but also proudly champions a home stylish enough to command our attention during our daily scroll on social media. On this occasion, her bedroom's low-hanging pendant lights have caught our attention. 

Although there are a multitude of different bedroom lighting ideas one that will always stop us in our tracks is pendant lighting. Despite the likes of wireless lamps dominating the home lighting scene recently, when it comes to bedroom styling, Julian Page head of design at BHS assures that 'pendant lighting is a timeless option', instantly making a bedroom look expensive.

That being said, given Dianne's elevated interior taste which we've seen through her appreciation for statement furry dining chairs, it only makes sense that she'd champion a quiet luxury bedroom, too – and what better way to communicate a considered scheme than opting for beautiful pendant lighting?

'Using suspended ceiling light fixtures, Dianne has created a contemporary solution for bedside lighting which is both stylish and practical,' begins Marlena Kaminska, designer at ValueLights. 'Balanced on either side of her bed, Dianne's bedroom's pendants bring a sense of symmetry and harmony to a room – perfect for a relaxing ambience.'

Considering the bed is often the focus of most bedroom ideas, Matthew Currington, The Lighting Superstore's technical director says that 'having a pendant light with well-distributed, warm lighting draws the eye to the bed, creating a wonderful halo of light alongside it', further adding to the ambience of this restful space.

Corner of bedroom with walls painted half cream, half green

(Image credit: Future PLC/Rachael Smith)

Not only does pendant lighting lend itself as a sure-fire way to elevate a bedroom and amp up the ambience but they're a clever small bedroom lighting solution, too. 

'Utilising floating lighting next to your bed is the ideal choice for small bedrooms, saving you from bulky bedside table lamps or floor lamps that can take up valuable space in your room,' says Marlena. As well as freeing up space so you can indulge in the beauty of a decluttered bedside table, she adds that the vertical shape of the lighting and long wire also aids the eye upwards, visually giving the impression of a taller ceiling irrespective of the room's square footage.

From a stylistic point of view, Marlena says, 'Dianne's bare bulb lighting choice adds an industrial charm to her bedroom and embodies her artistic and understated approach to decor. This timeless yet unique design instantly makes her room look more expensive – and is so easy to replicate at home.'

Shop pendant lighting

The best thing is pendant lights come in all sorts of shapes and sizes to suit whatever your interior style is and can be stylised to fit your needs seamlessly. Ally Dowsing Reynolds, co-founder of Dowsing and Reynolds explains that you can position them lower over your bedside table to amp up the cosiness or hang them slightly higher to create an ambient glow that spreads throughout the entire room.

Better yet, if you do opt for low-hanging pendant lighting as Dianne has, Julian explains that they not only act as a statement piece but also 'doubles as a handy task light – providing proficient lighting for tasks such as reading your favourite book in bed', for example. So, now you've got your big ceiling light, traditional table lamps, as well as hanging pendant lights for the ultimate sumptuous feel.

It's this very idea of layering lighting that instantly makes a space feel more considered, and Dianne's pendant lighting choice has nailed this design trick entirely.

Jullia Joson
Junior Writer

Jullia is Ideal Home’s Junior Writer and the Ideal Home Certified Expert in Training on Vacuums, having spent over 60 hours testing different models. She’s always loved all things homes and interiors, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Architectural Studies from the University of Nottingham where her love for writing blossomed following her internship at ArchDaily. Now focused on home tech and cleaning, Jullia works on writing features and explainers to help people make the most of their home appliance investments, putting the newest launches through their paces. When she isn’t writing, she loves exploring the city, coffee shop hopping, and losing hours to a cosy game or book.