Bathroom
Bathroom lighting is essential. It can accent the room, provide convenience and safety. A properly lit bathroom should not have shadows. To do this, mount a lighting fixture above the vanity. Decorative lighting in the bathroom can enhance the mood and give it a romantic or cozy feeling when taking a shower or bath. But it all depends on the size of your bathroom, for smaller ones vanity lighting will do just fine but for larger ones, consider a ceiling-mounted lighting fixture.
Bathroom Wall Lights
Task lighting at the sink is essential for putting on make up and shaving Bath vanity lighting and wall sconces can create task lighting for grooming, without casting nasty shadows. They can also bring a focal point and ambient lighting to the room.
Bathroom Ceiling Lights
Instead of using decorative fixtures that don’t cast much light, recessed lighting can be used as a supplement. They can either be wired into the ceiling or the mirror. If you are using the mirror option, make sure to place the fixtures as close to the plane of the mirror as possible and use at least two fixtures and space them so that the light from one works with the light from the other. Use a flush mount light for general light or upgrade the feel to a semi-flush, which is suspended slightly from the ceiling and can a face-lift to your bathroom. For an even more elegant feel consider hanging a chandelier or mini-chandelier which can cast a soft sensual light that is very calming. For an elevated feel, hang these fixtures over a bathtub. An alternative to sconces or over the sink lighting is pendants, which can be hung in front or to the sides of a mirror. They should be hung at a height that provides the best lighting while avoiding being so low that someone could bump their head.
Mandy’s Top 5 Bathroom Lighting Questions
- Can I have a stylish yet energy efficient bathroom?
Yes! Today’s fluorescent fixtures offer dimmable ballasts, accurate color representation, cool white and full spectrum colors, all while using higher quality materials and innovative design styles.
- Does my bathroom lighting have to be waterproof?
If you have a lighting fixture close to water such as in a shower, then yes it should be waterproof.
- Should the vanity lights face upward or downward?
This is really personal preference. Down lights typically collect more dust and are brighter. But if you don’t like to see the bulbs and are looking for a softer light then upward pointing lights work. They work especially well with high ceilings where the light can bounce off and cast downward.
- Should my bathroom lighting be connected through my GFCI circuit?
GFCI (Grounf Fault Circuit Interrupter) prevents you from being shocked if your electrical appliance comes in contact water. Correctly wired, a GFCI should control all electrical appliances and fixtures in the room where it is installed. For example, in your bathroom, the vanity lighting, electrical outlets and shower lights should run through your GFCI. GFCI outlets are easily identifiable by their "test" and "reset" buttons. Not only is it a good idea to install a GFCI near water sources, it is required by the Building Code in your jursidiction.
- How do I stop vanity lights from fading the wood border on my mirror?
First you should coat the exterior of the frame with UV resistant varnish and next you should make sure the bulbs face up and do not bake the frame.
Loading...