Good home office lighting lights the desk and the wall behind the screen, not the screen itself. It works in layers: soft light for the room, focused light on the work surface and, if you sit at a monitor for hours, a little light behind or above it. Here is how to set up each one.
Our first pieces are on their way. We are choosing them one by one from European workshops and makers. Tell me when they arrive.
Buying guide
Most rooms used as offices were designed for something else, a bedroom or a dining room with a single pendant in the middle. That light falls behind you and throws your shadow across the desk. Adding two or three smaller sources fixes it.
Place the desk so the window is to your side, not behind the screen and not behind your head. Light from behind the monitor makes you squint; light from behind you reflects off the screen. A sheer blind or curtain softens direct sun in the afternoon.
This is the base of home office lighting: a ceiling light, wall lights or a floor lamp bounced off the ceiling. It should be bright enough that the room is not dark around a bright screen, a common cause of tired eyes in the evening. Dimmable fittings let you lower it after work.
A desk lamp puts light where you read and write. The usual guideline for office tasks is about 500 lux on the desk surface. Choose an adjustable arm and a shade that hides the bulb, and place the lamp on the side opposite your writing hand so your hand does not cast a shadow. Keep it to one side of the screen to avoid reflections.
A monitor light bar clips to the top of the screen and lights the keyboard without shining into your eyes or onto the display. An LED strip or a small lamp behind the monitor, known as bias lighting, reduces the contrast between a bright screen and a dark wall. A picture light or wall lamp adds warmth to a video call background.
Many lamps now let you change the colour temperature. Use cooler light in the morning and warmer light once the day winds down.
On camera, light your face from the front and slightly to one side, diffused rather than direct. Facing a window works well during the day, as long as the sun is not shining straight in; in the evening, a lamp with a fabric shade beside the screen does the same job. Avoid a bright light or window behind your head, which turns your face into a silhouette.
Dimmers let one fitting serve both work and the evening. Smart bulbs can change brightness and colour temperature on a schedule, which is useful if the office is also where you relax.
Look for LED bulbs with a colour rendering index (CRI) of 90 or more, which show paper, skin and colours accurately on a video call. Avoid bare bulbs at eye level and glossy desk surfaces directly under a lamp. Good home office lighting is mostly about angles: if you can see the bulb or its reflection while you work, move the light.
At a glance
| Kelvin | Feel | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 2,700 K | Warm white | Evening and ambient light |
| 3,000 K | Soft white | Reading and general desk work |
| 4,000 K | Neutral white | Detailed work and daytime focus |
A mix of daylight from the side, soft ambient light for the room and an adjustable desk lamp giving about 500 lux on the work surface.
Poor light makes you squint, sit awkwardly and tire faster in front of a screen. Balanced light around the desk makes long days easier.
On the side opposite your writing hand and beside the screen rather than behind it, so it lights the desk without glare.
If you work in the evening, yes. It lights the keyboard from above without reflecting on the screen and takes no desk space.
Rooms:Home office