Perfect Bathroom Lighting

Lighting can make or break a space – it is the difference between a warm, inviting atmosphere, and a cold, clinical one. Bathroom lighting is an important factor to consider in your home – the bathroom is often a space you spend time in to groom yourself. Therefore, optimal lighting in your bathroom is essential. Poor lighting can result in misapplication of make up or missing areas when shaving. According to experts, there are four types of lighting needed in order to create the best bathroom atmosphere. They are task, accent, decorative and ambient lighting.

1. Task Lighting

   Task lighting is the recommended light to use at the mirror in your bathroom. When the task lighting is placed on each side of the mirror (not directly above the mirror), you can create an unhindered illumination which stops shadows from being cast. This type of lighting is the best for makeup application, shaving, and checking teeth etc. Placing the light directly above the mirror will create shadows on the face which makes grooming more difficult. Downlights are perhaps the worst type to use for task lighting in the bathroom. Another good space to make use of task lighting is in the shower. A glass lens, recessed light works best in the shower area as well as in the toilet or over a bathtub.

2. Accent Lighting

   Accent lighting is the perfect bathroom lighting to use when you want to create and show off a focal point in your bathroom such as highlighting a piece of art. Accent lighting works by providing a focused illumination for the particular area or item you are shining the light on.

3. Decorative Lighting

   Decorative lighting adds visual sparkle to your bathroom. It can add just the right touch of creativity and flair to create perfect bathroom lighting.

4. Ambient Lighting

   Ambient lighting is great to use in bathrooms with taller ceilings or cantilever details. These architectural details create indirect lighting and can be a source of both decorative and ambient light. Ambient lighting is a “fill-in” light which serves as a substitute for natural light.

There are other important factors to consider when choosing lights for your bathroom. For example, the type of bulb you use or whether you add a dimmer feature or not. You can see your skin tones better in a crisp white light than in a dim or yellow light. Therefore, it is recommended to invest in these crisp lights for your bathroom in particular. Dimmers are also a must – they are known as a “lighting designer’s best friend”. Dimmers allow you to have control over your lighting of the room. This in turn, allows you to have control over the mood of the room. It is far better to “overlight” the bathroom and provide dimmers for making adjustments than it is to underlight it. By simply turning the light knob, you can darken or brighten the room depending on the mood you are aiming for.

Your bathroom is an important room in the home when it comes to lighting because it is usually the first room you make use of when you wake up in the morning, and it can set the mood for the day. You do all your grooming and washing in the bathroom and therefore optimized lighting is often needed.