Proper bathroom lighting is a necessity if you care about aesthetics. Consider first how good lighting impacts your morning routine. The bathroom is where you and other members of your household get ready every day — where you brush your teeth, put on makeup, do your hair, shave and prepare to meet the challenges of the day. If it’s poorly lit, you won’t be able to see yourself well enough to artfully apply your makeup or style your hair, and your appearance could suffer as a result.

Beyond your personal cosmetic needs, good lighting can provide the perfect finishing touch to your bathroom decorating scheme, showcasing impressive design features and adding an element of luxury or clarity to the bathroom space. When it comes to bathroom design, the right lights can make a big difference!

So, taking the importance of lighting into account, how can you select the right fixtures and bulbs for your bath? What shopping tips are useful to keep in mind? To help answer these questions — whether you’re lighting a powder room or a spa-like master retreat — here are a few tips for picking lighting installations you will love now and in the future.

Know what you need 

Every well-lit bathroom requires an appropriate amount of light for its size. This always includes, at a minimum, strong task lighting. Effective task lighting ensures that the room where you survey yourself before leaving the house every day is sufficiently bright to send you off in confidence. Depending on the size and use of your bathroom, this will likely require multiple light fixtures. In big rooms, you’ll want more and larger fixtures while smaller bathrooms or powder rooms can get by with fewer or smaller lights. In those settings, include at least a pair of sconces, with one on each side of the mirror. This minimizes shadows and gives you a clear view for grooming.

Think top to bottom

When planning your sources of light, start with the top of your bathroom and work downward. Ceiling-mounted or recessed lights will illuminate the room while task lights will highlight the vanity, and lights above or around the bath or shower can brighten up your regular bathing routine. Ambient light, which is installed around the edges of the room, is also a nice touch. Other possibilities include wall sconces, cabinet lighting, accent lighting and focus lighting for artwork or other displays. Including multiple light sources provides depth and dimension to the bathroom. It also gives you the most versatility and function and the best overall results.

Maybe skip the over-mirror light

While bathrooms traditionally include a light fixture above the vanity mirror, this may not be the best option for a main or master bath. A light over the mirror can cast unflattering shadows, which can make it tricky to attend to your daily hygiene and grooming. Side sconces, in contrast, provide more appealing, complimentary and effective light for those tasks.

Don’t forget decoration 

While function is key when it comes to bathroom lighting, that doesn’t mean design isn’t important. Beautiful decorative lighting can add real sparkle to the bath, as well as a bit of your own personal style. So, if there’s a chandelier or bold lighting fixture you love, don’t be afraid to work it into your bathroom design.

Skip the clear lightbulbs

Once you’ve selected your lighting fixtures, don’t underestimate the advantages of well-chosen light bulbs. It may seem counterintuitive in a room where maximum visibility is the rule, but clear lightbulbs are not your friend. Instead of providing bright, sharp light, they tend to cast unflattering shadows. Instead, opt for frosted or opaque bulbs in your bathroom.

Choose the right wattage 

On the subject of lightbulbs, make sure you have fixtures that can accommodate a high enough wattage to adequately light your room. The best bet is in the 75 to 100 watt range. And because you don’t always want full-force light in the bathroom, adjustability is key. Dimmer switches are a great solution, allowing you to turn the brightness up or down as you desire.

Consider LEDs

Not only are LEDs energy-efficient, but they also are convenient. Unlike traditional bulbs, they don’t need to be replaced for years. Even better, today’s LEDs are not your parents’ LEDs. Once available only in cool, harsh tones, these bulbs now come in various hues, including warmer white colorations that not only are more flattering, but also create a more comfortable ambiance in the bathroom or anywhere in the home.  

Stick to similar finishes for consistency

To create a cohesive look for your bathroom lighting scheme, choose the same finish for all your fixtures. Whether that’s bronze, nickel or something else, sticking to the same look will ensure a unified design. And if you’re in doubt about which finish to pick, rest assured that both brass and chrome are versatile and widely popular options. Either one can complement a wide range of bath accessories.

Whether you’re making cosmetic changes to your bathroom or remodeling it from the ground up, you’ll want to give careful consideration to your light fixtures. The right light can dramatically impact not only the aesthetics of your bath, but also its utility as the space where you get ready to face the world. By using these tips for incorporating quality lighting into your design, you can create a bathroom that’s both beautiful and functional!

Author bio: Erica Garland is Content Marketing Manager at Modern Bathroom and has 15-plus years of experience in the bathroom renovation industry. Modern Bathroom sells a variety of products you would need for any bathroom renovation project. With such a large selection of vanities, faucets, sinks, toilets and showers, Modern Bathroom is sure to have the perfect piece to give your bathroom an updated look.

 

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About Fine Home Lighting and Fine Home Lamps

FineHomeLamps.com has been in operation since early 2009. We carry over 10,000 hand-selected home accessories such as table lamps, floor lamps, chandeliers, including wall mirrors, wall clocks. and wall art. We continually expand our inventory in order to provide additional choices for our customers.

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