The clocks go back on Sunday 25 October 2026 in the UK and Europe, and on Sunday 1 November in the US. From then on, most evenings start in the dark. The quickest way to make a home feel cosy is to switch off the ceiling light and use several small, warm lamps instead: warm white around 2700K, placed low and at different heights, in every room you spend the evening in. Cordless lamps make this easy, because you can put light exactly where it is needed, including windowsills, shelves and hallways without sockets.
There is one evening every year that everybody notices. You look up from the sofa at quarter to five and it is already dark outside. The room that felt bright and easy all summer suddenly feels flat, a little cold, and lit by one lonely bulb in the middle of the ceiling.
That evening is coming. This guide helps you get ahead of it, so that when the clocks go back your home feels warmer instead of darker.
When do the clocks go back in 2026?
- UK: Sunday 25 October 2026, at 2am the clocks go back to 1am.
- Most of Europe: Sunday 25 October 2026, at 3am the clocks go back to 2am.
- United States: Sunday 1 November 2026, at 2am the clocks go back to 1am.
You gain an hour of sleep, but you lose an hour of evening daylight. By December, much of northern Europe is dark well before 5pm. For roughly five months, most of the time you spend at home in the evening is lit entirely by lamps. That is why the lighting choices you make now matter more than any cushion or throw.
Why the ceiling light makes a room feel cold
A single overhead light does three things that work against cosiness:
- It lights everything equally. There are no darker corners and no glowing pools of light, so the room has no depth.
- It shines from above. Light from above casts shadows under eyes and noses. It is the light of offices and waiting rooms, not of living rooms.
- It is often too cool and too bright. Many ceiling bulbs are 3000K or cooler and at full power, which signals "daytime" to your brain.
Cosy rooms work the other way around: several small sources, at different heights, in a warm colour, with some shadow left in between.
The cosy lighting formula: warm, low, layered
If you remember one thing, remember this.
Warm. Choose light around 2700K or warmer for the evening. This is the colour of candlelight and sunset. Our guide to lumens and Kelvin explains the numbers in plain language.
Low. Put light at the height of people, not of the ceiling: on side tables, sideboards, shelves and windowsills. Light at eye level and below feels intimate.
Layered. Use three to five small lamps in a living room instead of one big one. Each lamp makes its own pool of light, and together they give the room depth. Group two or three lamps of different heights together and you have the classic stylist's trick; it is exactly what our Rijks Collection Mix & Match was designed for.
Dimmed. The final step is brightness. A lamp at half power in the evening feels calmer than one at full power, and it lasts much longer on a charge.
Room by room: where to put the light
Living room
Start with the sofa. A medium lamp on a side table at seated eye level, a second lamp on the sideboard, and a small one on a shelf or in a corner. Three warm sources, three heights, no ceiling light. Not sure which sizes fit where? Our table lamp size guide gives the exact rules.
Hallway
The hallway is the first thing you see when you come home in the dark, and in most homes it has the worst light. A wall light with a motion sensor, such as Tess, switches on as you walk in and off when you have gone. No wiring needed: it clicks onto a magnetic plate. Read our complete guide to Tess for how the sensor and timer work.
Bedroom
The bedroom needs the warmest and lowest light in the house. A small dimmable lamp on each nightstand, set to 2700K or below, helps you wind down instead of waking you up. We explain why in our guide to bedroom lighting and sleep.
Dining table
Dinners move indoors and get longer. A low cordless lamp in the middle of the table, under 25 cm so everyone can still see each other, gives the table a glow that a pendant cannot. Our dining table lighting guide covers how many lamps a table needs, and for the holidays we put together ideas for Christmas table decorations with marble and cordless light.
The windowsill
This is the Dutch touch. Walk through Amsterdam on an autumn evening and you will see it: lamps glowing in the windows of canal houses, often with the curtains open. A small lamp in the window makes the room feel warm from inside and makes the house look welcoming from the street.
Because cordless lamps need no socket, the windowsill is suddenly an option. A small travertine lamp or a glowing alabaster piece is ideal here.
The home office corner
Working at home in the dark afternoon? Keep a neutral light (around 4000K) for focus during working hours, then switch the same lamp to warm at the end of the day. It is a small signal to yourself that work is over.
A word about gezelligheid
The Dutch have a word for the feeling you are aiming for: gezelligheid. It is often translated as "cosiness", but it means more than that. It is the feeling of a warm room, good company and time that does not feel rushed.
Light is the fastest way to create it. You cannot make a room gezellig with a ceiling light. You can with three small lamps and a dimmer.
Many people reach for candles at this time of year; if you love the glow but not the open flame, read our comparison of flameless candles and cordless lamps.
The 15-minute checklist before 25 October
- Charge your lamps. Put every cordless lamp on charge this weekend, so they are full for the first dark evening.
- Pick your three spots in the living room. Side table, sideboard, shelf or corner.
- Set everything to warm. Switch lamps with adjustable light to 2700K or warmer for the evening.
- Light the hallway. One sensor wall light by the front door changes how coming home feels.
- Put a lamp in the window. Even one small lamp makes a difference, inside and out.
- Make the ceiling light the exception. Use it for cleaning and searching for keys, not for evenings.
- Plan the dining table. One low lamp per two to four people.
That is it. Fifteen minutes, and the darkest five months of the year start to look a lot more inviting.
Frequently asked questions
When do the clocks go back in 2026?
In the UK and Europe, on Sunday 25 October 2026. In the United States, on Sunday 1 November 2026.
What is the cosiest light colour for a home?
Warm white around 2700K or warmer, the colour of candlelight and sunset. Avoid cool white (4000K and above) in living rooms and bedrooms in the evening.
How do I make a room cosy without the overhead light?
Use three to five small lamps placed low and at different heights, for example on a side table, a sideboard and a shelf, set to warm light and dimmed. Each lamp creates its own pool of light, which gives the room depth.
How many lamps does a living room need to feel cosy?
For most living rooms, three to five sources work well: one beside the sofa, one on a sideboard or console, and one or more on shelves, in a corner or in the window.
Why put a lamp in the window?
A lamp in the window makes the room feel warmer from inside and the home look welcoming from outside. It is a common sight in Dutch homes in autumn and winter. Cordless lamps make it easy, because no socket is needed.
