Cloud Ceiling Lights

How to choose cloud ceiling lights

Scale is the real decision. A cloud form has no straight edge to line up with the room, so it has to be judged against the ceiling area rather than against a wall. In a nursery or a small bedroom, 16 to 24 inches across usually sits right. Past about 24 inches the shape starts to dominate a low ceiling.

Then account for whatever else lights the room. An enclosed diffuser hides the bulb completely, so output is even and glare is not an issue from any angle. Even light is also flat light, which is why this shape pairs well with a table lamp or a sconce that gives the room some direction.

Which cloud fixture for which room

Type	Best in	What it does	Price here
Plain acrylic cloud	A nursery, a child's bedroom	One soft white glow, shape reads first	$180 to $362
Color changing cloud	A playroom, a shared child's room	Warm white for reading, colors for play	$362

What to know about a shaped fixture

Acrylic cloud form: The cloud shape is molded acrylic, light enough to hang from a standard ceiling box and unlikely to shatter the way glass does. It yellows under heat over years, so a cool running fixture holds its color.
Integrated LED: Both fixtures hold their diodes inside the body with no socket. There is nothing to change, which keeps the shape unbroken by a visible lamp, and the whole fixture is what gets replaced one day.
Color changing: One fixture here shifts color. In a child's room that is play rather than lighting, so plan the warm white setting as the one used for reading and treat the colors as an extra.
Where it belongs: A shaped fixture reads as an object rather than a light source. That suits a nursery, a child's room or a playroom ceiling, and it suits a hallway less, where an even wash does more work.
Cleaning a shaped shade: A molded form has recesses a flat shade does not. Dust settles in them and shows against the lit surface, so a dry cloth every few months keeps the shape reading cleanly from below.

Ceiling clearance for cloud ceiling lights

Most of these fixtures mount flush or semi flush, so the drop is short and clearance is a question about the shape rather than the stem. On an eight foot ceiling, keep the lowest point of the diffuser at seven feet or above anywhere people walk under it. Over a crib or a bed, appearance takes over.

Diffuser material sets the upkeep. Acrylic and fabric collect dust on the upper curve where nobody looks, and a dry duster twice a year keeps the surface even. Check whether the diffuser comes off before ordering, since a sealed body means bulb changes happen at the canopy.

Are these fixtures only for kids rooms?

No. Nurseries and kids rooms are where they appear most, because an enclosed diffuser keeps the source out of view from a crib. The same softness works over a bed, along a hallway, or in any low room where a bulb behind an open shade would be visible from below.

How much light does an enclosed diffuser give?

Less than an open shade at the same wattage, since the material absorbs part of the output. Read the lumen figure on the product page instead of the bulb wattage, and plan a second source in any room larger than roughly 12 by 12 feet.

See also Flush Mount Ceiling Lights, LED Flush Mount Ceiling Lights and Semi Flush Mount Ceiling Lights. Browse the wider category at Ceiling Lamps.