Choosing proper bathroom lighting for the bathrooms in your home isn’t always as easy as it initially sounds. Sure, you might think you just have to go to the store, select the lights of your preference and get them installed. But there’s a lot more that goes into purchasing optimal lighting than simply picking and choosing.
In this blog post, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about buying the best bathroom lighting for your home. At The Light House Gallery, we’re proud to offer a large selection of bathroom lighting products in our Branson and Springfield lighting showrooms, on top of several other types of light fixtures and home decor. If you still need help choosing bathroom lights after reading this article, don’t hesitate to contact our lighting experts today.
Continue reading to check out The Light House Gallery’s bathroom lighting buyer’s guide!
The Three Types Of Bathroom Lighting
When browsing light fixtures for your bathroom, you want to ensure you include and layer three types of lighting: ambient lighting, task lighting and accent lighting. When you blend these three lighting types, you’ll find yourself with an optimized lighting solution that properly illuminates your bathroom for multiple uses — from applying makeup to simply taking a relaxing bath.
Your bathroom shouldn’t be a room that is only lit with one source of light. Here’s a breakdown of what choosing each of these three lighting types for your bathroom entails:
Ambient Lighting
Ambient lighting is the overall lighting of the room, and it is most commonly purposed through ceiling lights. Associated with the word “ambiance,” this type of lighting will set the general mood of the room and will allow you to perform everyday tasks in your bathroom with ease.
Task Lighting
Task lighting is exactly what it sounds like — this lighting type is installed and utilized in order for you to perform a specific task at hand. Basically, task lighting directs light to one specific area.
An example of where you’d use task lighting in your bathroom would be around your mirrors for when you are applying makeup or shaving your face.
Accent Lighting
Accent lighting fixtures are often the “finishing touches” of light when illuminating a room. This lighting type helps balance out the lighting of the room, and it is also used to highlight the other areas of your bathroom that your task lighting and ambient lighting can’t.
For example, accent lighting fixtures in your bathroom would be wall sconces installed next to an art piece or your door. They aren’t necessarily the best source of lighting by themselves, but they still add to the overall lighting of the room.
Bathroom Lighting Ratings
Unless you’ve purchased bathroom lighting before, you might not know that there are different ratings for specific bathroom lighting products. So, what exactly is a rating? It’s a specification that verifies a light as being safe to install near a water source.
We’ll go over the difference between damp location ratings and wet location ratings below.
Damp Location
Damp location lights are bathroom lighting fixtures that are OK to be exposed to occasional moisture and condensation; however, they aren’t best for areas that are directly exposed to water. For example, damp location lights are ideal for any lights surrounding your sink.
Wet Location
As opposed to damp location lighting, wet location lights are OK to install in areas that are directly exposed to water, like the areas surrounding your bathtub or shower. This essentially means the light can withstand any water damages if accidentally splashed.
It’s safe to assume that most bathroom lighting fixtures you purchase are designed to withstand any dampness or exposure to moisture, but if you’re unsure, check for its damp or wet location rating. Also, don’t forget to check your local codes regarding your jurisdiction’s lighting safety requirements, since they typically vary depending on where you live.
Choose Light House Gallery For Bathroom Lighting
If you’re in the market for some new bathroom lighting fixtures or designs, look no further than our selection at The Light House Gallery. We’ve been serving the area since 1961, and we have the best variety of lighting products in the community when it comes to style, color and cost. Our lighting experts at our Branson and Springfield lighting showrooms are more than happy to help you find the perfect bathroom lighting and design for the bathrooms in your home.
Have any further questions? Want to schedule a consultation with our lighting professionals? Contact our team today. You can reach us by calling our Springfield showroom at (417) 268-9444 or our Branson showroom at (417) 213-5312. Feel free to also fill out our online form.
To be the first to receive important company news, special discounts and freshly written blog posts, sign up for The Light House Gallery’s monthly newsletter.
