How to Make the Most of Your Bathroom Light Fixtures

Great lighting is the foundation of a functional and aesthetic bathroom. The lighting you choose for the room will create a huge impact on the overall impression the room makes. When designing the bathroom, devise a well-thought out lighting plan ahead of time to create a bathroom that both looks and feels like it has been architecturally designed.

Choosing the right bathroom light fixtures is key when rejuvenating or completely renovating your bathroom space. Here are some tips you can use to ensure that your room looks its best at all times of the day.

Functionality

It's important to consider not only the general lighting in the room but also the special task lighting that will be required. You'll need to have general lighting for regular bathroom activities such as taking a shower and you will need specific task lighting for shaving, putting on makeup etc. Overall, you'll need to make sure that your bathroom light fixtures are working for you. Some ideas for creating task lighting for your vanity include:

• A mirror on the medicine cabinet with a light ring
• A mirror with pendant lights on each side
• Lights attached to the wall either on each side of the mirror or above it
• A medicine cabinet with built-in lights 

It's all about choosing a lighting solution that directs light towards your face. At the same time you won't want the light to cast any directional shadows. Keep this in mind when choosing your bathroom light fixtures. Your face should be brightly illuminated without any shadows causing a distraction.

Don't Overdo It

The bathroom is already one of the smallest rooms in the house and adding too much lighting can make it look cluttered. Feature lighting doesn't need to be added in every area of the room. Consider the type of statement you want your bathroom to make and stick to it. Subtle light fixtures that provide bright light can add a lot to the room without overpowering it.

You may also want to consider adding a dimming feature to your lighting for bathroom trips. Low level lighting is all you will need and you won't end up hurting your eyes or waking other people in the family by turning the light on.

Bathroom Ceiling Light

There should always be a bathroom ceiling light installed to give general light to the entire room. Look for a ceiling light that can accommodate strong light bulbs and add a dimmer to it. The other task lighting can be turned on with a different switch.

The Best Height to Hang Bath Fixtures

There is really no right answer to this question since it all depends on the ceiling height, the size of the bathroom, the overall design of it and the lights you choose. The ideal spot to hang bath fixtures is based solely on where the light is needed. If you are choosing lighting bath fixtures that will be placed beside the vanity, for example, the right height to place them is where the light will shine best on your face.

Maximize Any Natural Light in the Bathroom

Natural light represents how others will see you once you step out of the room. Look for window treatments that allow the sunlight to come in or consider adding a skylight to the bathroom. This will provide you with a lot of natural light and you'll still have your general and featured lighting available on cloudy days and during the evening.

Use LED Lighting

LED lighting is by far the most economical way to light up any room in the house. It also gives you options for colour rendering, which refers to the way things appear when exposed to light. When you are looking for light bulbs for your bathroom light fixtures, search for LED bulbs that have high colour rendering. This means that they will have more red tones in them and will make everything appear in their natural colours. This is especially important for the bathroom since your skin tones will be represented the right way.

Getting the lighting right is crucial when you're updating the lighting in this room. If you put in the wrong type of bulb you may end up putting on too much makeup and if you put the lighting bath fixtures in the wrong spot you may end up working in the shadows.

When you're going shopping for bulbs, look for the brightest ones you can find. The best ones would be equivalent to 150 W and remember that you can put the bathroom ceiling light on a dimmer when you don't want to have as much light. LED bulbs are amazing since they are available in warm colours, which avoids giving the room a cold, clinical feeling.

LED Strip Lighting

When you want to add some accent lighting, turn to LED strips. They can be placed beneath the medicine cabinet, under the vanity and in niches in the walls. You can use LED strip lighting anywhere in the room that you want highlighted. Some people choose to use these strip lights as a way to find their way through the darkness of the room when the lighting is dim and it's late at night. The lights can be put along the wall skirting or right beside it along the floor to outline the dark room.

The lighting that you choose for your bathroom will help define its atmosphere. Do some careful planning when you want to add extra light to the room or feel that it's time to upgrade the current bathroom light fixtures. A little planning goes a long way when it comes to lighting. Both the bathroom and the kitchen require the most planning when it comes to choosing the right lighting for them.

Take a look through our lighting collections now at www.bathify.ca. You'll also find other bathroom fixtures and accessories on our website that you can use when you're updating the room.