Creating the Perfect Ambience: 11 Office Desk Lighting Ideas

Encouraging comfort & focus

Office lighting is about more than simple functionality. Of course, it plays a huge role in making sure workers stay productive—after all, you have to see what you’re doing to do it at all. But it can also prompt workers toward certain moods, encouraging focus and bringing life into the workspace.

At Walmart Business, we know getting started with lighting design can be the hardest part. With this guide, you’ll get plenty of ideas for office desk lighting that will get your creative juices flowing, empowering you to create a working environment your employees love.

Why office desk lighting is important

As a baseline, workers need to be able to see what they’re doing. Natural light can go a long way toward that goal and provides numerous benefits to employees. But where it falls short, you’ll need to pick up the slack with lighting of your own.

Computer Vision Syndrome, or CVS, affects an estimated 60 million people worldwide, including around 67% of office workers. Symptoms can range from dry and irritated eyes to blurred vision, double vision, light sensitivity and even changes in color perception. Proper office desk lighting can help keep these symptoms at bay.

Ambient office desk lighting ideas

There are three general categories of lighting. We’ll start with ambient lighting, which refers to lights that contribute to baseline lighting throughout the space. These are often unshowy overhead lights that are more functional than attractive, using diffuse light to minimize shadows. Their aim is simple: make sure everyone can see what they’re doing.

1. Panel lights

Panel lights are the standard in ambient office lighting. They’re installed in the ceiling and cover a lot of ground at once. These squares full of LEDs provide a lot of lumens per square inch at a very affordable price. Arranging them in a line above your desks can lead to full, even lighting. That helps make up for their lack of personality.

2. LED strips

To add a little more flair to your ambient light, consider hanging LED strips from your ceiling. Thanks to their narrow shape, these will create less light that’s slightly more directed. That makes them a little less cost-effective at lighting up an entire office, but their striking appearance can give your office an edgier appearance.

3. Pendant lights

If you prefer your lighting to have a homier feel, consider pendant lights. These individual bulbs hang from the ceiling to create their ambient glow. They can work in rows to illuminate the desks below them, or they can stand alone over a collaborating space to create an anchor

Task-oriented office desk lighting ideas

The second category of lighting is task lighting. Rather than trying to light up large areas, these lights focus on specific workspaces. They’re often adjustable, so your employees can move them based on their current needs.

4. Desktop lamps

No task lighting office setup is complete without the classic desktop lamp. These lamps point the employee’s focus directly at their desktop, letting them more easily dig into their work. When combined with a lower ambient light level, these lamps can also help create a cozy atmosphere in the office.

5. Monitor lights

If your workers spend most of their time looking at monitors, they may appreciate monitor lights. These bars of LED lights hang just above the screen, reducing glare and shadows in an effort to combat eye strain. They also have the advantage of preserving desktop space for uses aside from lighting.

6. Clamp-on ergonomic lights

Another way to keep desk space productive is to attach your office desk lighting via a clamp. If you go that route, be sure the lamp has a highly adjustable arm. Look for multiple points of articulation and wide ranges of motion. That will give your employees maximum control over their task lighting, allowing them to seamlessly move from drawing diagrams on paper to designing decks on their computers.

7. Ring lights & softboxes

If your employees take lots of video calls from their desks, a ring light or softbox can create a more professional appearance. These lights are designed to illuminate the face evenly, eliminating unsightly shadows and making the user’s expressions easier to read. They can also place highlights in the user’s eyes or help conceal blemishes, helping your employees feel their best and speak with confidence.

8. Battery-powered lamps

If you’ve dined at a fancy restaurant recently, you may have seen these small tabletop lamps used in place of candles. Their great strength is how easily they can be repositioned—your employees can use them as office desk lighting one day and then move them to a collaboration space the next.

Office desk lighting ideas that add a bit of style to your space

Accent lighting helps your office feel beautiful and dynamic. It highlights areas and features of interest, guiding the eye toward what you think is important.

9. Desk-mounted LED strips

Installing LED strips along the edges of your desks creates pops of color in your work areas. If you want to keep the effect a little more understated, try installing the LEDs along the back of the desk tol create more diffuse light.

10. Floor lamps

Floor lamps sacrifice a little square footage to create a more homey and inviting feeling in your office. Place them near a desk for a functional shadow filler. Alternatively, spread them throughout the office to highlight your collaborative and lounging areas.

11. Front desk statement fixture

Every light in your office contributes to the atmosphere, but some do more heavy lifting than others. The same is true for your desks—the front desk pulls double duty as a workstation and a greeting point.

To make a strong first impression on visitors, consider installing a chandelier or another large light fixture over your front desk. That can help you light up the space and convey your business’s commitment to greatness in one fixture.

Lighten the load with Walmart Business

Choosing the right lighting for your office means weighing lots of options. Luckily, with Walmart Business, you can shop hundreds of bulbs and fixtures in a single storefront. When you find what you need, you can apply your organization’s tax-exempt status to start saving.

Already have a Walmart Business account? Push your savings to the next level with a Walmart Business+ membership. With free shipping,¹ free delivery from stores² and Walmart Business Rewards on purchases over $250,³ you can save as much as $500 a year.⁴ Click here to sign up today.

¹Excludes most Marketplace items, freight and certain location surcharges.

²Restrictions apply. 

³Rewards can only be used toward future purchases on Walmart Business. Additional terms apply. 

⁴Savings based on 1 free $35+ delivery order vs. $9.95 fee and 1 free shipping order under $35 vs. $6.99 fee biweekly, plus 2% Walmart Business rewards on monthly order >$250 (average value of $400).