It is one of the first things that welcome you each day, yet the bathroom light too often gets overlooked. It also can be misunderstood from both a functional and interior design perspective. Clearly the aim of proper bathroom lighting is twofold: ensure lighting is adequate for your grooming and other personal needs while you inhabit the space; and also at the same time protect your safety.
It may be somewhat difficult to link bathroom lights with safety, but much can go wrong in a bathroom, mainly due to the presence of water and electricity. There also is the fact that often people are in a hurry to get in and out. Repetitive routines can result in the failure to notice a need for improvements, until there is an accident. Improved lighting can do wonders for a bathroom in many different ways, whether it involves improving safety or just making a room look better.
Not many people think about the bathroom light fixtures they depend on each day for the important tasks of making their face and hair look as best they can to face the world. Bathrooms come in many shapes and sizes, but most often people deal with two light sources – above the mirror, and above your head.
Bathroom lighting fixtures that supplement the mirror are typically the vanity variety, a strip of lights, usually four, immediately above the mirror. This is known as “task lighting,” to enhance your vision for close-ups and shadow-less conditions necessary for personal grooming. Not all above-mirror configurations are vanity lights, as some can be sconces or vertical fixtures, mounted on the sides of the mirror. Sconces are essentially wall-mounted single lights that protrude away from the wall.
Vertical fixtures and sconces allow for choices for more style in a bathroom. Vanity lighting strips are typical and since mirrors are generally square or rectangular and vanity lights are rectangular, it limits layout and design options. Sconce fixtures can protrude away from walls considerably, and can come with decorative piping and accessories and can be better selected to match or accent a room.
The types of lights used near a mirror can be important. Translucent shades are preferred in bathroom fixtures to diffuse light. Exposed light bulbs should be frosted to reduce glare. Most people do not desire too-bright bathrooms, which can be annoying in early mornings, and do not always accurately convey a person’s looks with makeup compared with outdoor or natural light.
Beyond the mirror, there is the general overhead lighting, the main room light needed regardless whether a person needs to use the sink or touch up a face or hair. Wall sconces also can be used here, but more options are available compared with above-mirror. Typically today you can find recessed lighting, flush-mount ceiling lighting, close-to-ceiling lighting or pendants, or sometimes either of those along with additional lighting in the shower or bath area.
Some property owners choose to go rather extravagant in bathrooms, with mini-chandeliers, or bathroom fans. With these fixtures, there are many different styles, such as contemporary, traditional, vintage, modern, etc. Those choosing to go this route may have to shop around a bit to find the fixtures right for their taste or bathroom design.
Probably a final consideration for bathroom light today is energy. It is difficult to talk about light and electricity today without delving into energy conservation and areas such as Energy Star® qualifications. When replacing bathroom light fixtures or doing a bathroom redesign, you can probably save money long-term by selecting fixtures that are Energy Star® qualified. Reports also suggest they are safer and are better for the environment, if these aspects are important for you in product selection.