How to Make Your Room Look Underwater with Lighting

The feeling of being underwater creates a comforting sense of peace. As light gently filters through pulsing waves and the sounds of civilization cease, it's easy to forget the troubles of the world outside. Recreate the look and feel of being underwater with creative lighting to bring these feelings home. There is no one “right” way to achieve this look; feel free to experiment and add your own distinct ideas to the mix.

Equip built-in lighting fixtures with light blue bulbs, available at most hardware and home and garden stores. These bulbs feature a special coating that filters out the yellow tones of the color spectrum, making for cooler light.

For an even more intense effect, choose party light bulbs or specialty bulbs with a dark blue coating.

Stick with 25-watt bulbs to keep the lighting soft and dim. Target your light fixtures first, as built-in lighting has a lot of influence on the look of your room.

Install textured glass globes over any naked bulbs. Globes soften the intensity of the projected light. Select boldly textured globes to break up the light as it hits the walls, recreating the texture of broken rays of underwater light.

Accent the main lighting fixtures with ancillary lights. Put blue shades on any accent lamps to further enhance the cool tones of the room. Equip lamps with flickering bulbs and flame-shaped candles available at home improvement centers to create a subtle flickering light that mimics light filtering through the ocean.

Place the lamps in the corners of the room to avoid overlighting. Select paper lamps, which cast soft, soothing light.

For a bold choice, offset blue built-in lighting with yellow paper lamps to recreate the mingling of water and sunlight. Consider using lamps alone without overhead lights if you prefer dimmer lighting.

Consider novelty lamps, which can add movement to the lighting and further accent the theme. Cool-hued bubble and lava lamps cast pulsing light filtered through water. Crystal salt lamps mimic underwater rock formations, while plant-shape iridescent lights resemble phosphorescent seaweed.

Hire an electrician to install dimmers in the room. Dim lights replicate the feeling of being deep underwater.

Paint the walls and ceiling in the room blue, turquoise or another waterlike color. Walls serve as the main reflective source for interior room lighting; providing light sources with cool hues to bounce light off mimics the tones of underwater environments.

Use textured or iridescent paint to heighten the oceanic theme. Hang lightweight blue curtains over the windows to soften natural light while still allowing trace amounts of sunlight to enter the room.