How to Design Your Bathroom Lighting
6 Tips for Bathroom Lighting Design
You’re in the process of installing or renovating your bathroom lighting. You need to find the best lighting fixtures to brighten the space. And you believe there’s a way to design your bathroom lighting to fit your personality and lifestyle.
At The Light House Gallery, we agree with you. There is a way to install bathroom light fixtures to fit your lifestyle and emanate your personality. It’s no surprise why so many homeowners take the chance and DIY their bathroom lighting and don’t get the results they want. It’s not easy finding lighting that fits you because there are so many options to choose from. This is why the team at The Light House Gallery wanted to put together some quick tips on how to choose bathroom lighting:
#1. Understand Light Levels
You use your bathroom for a variety of activities, and it’s important to have the proper lighting for each and every one of those activities. This can mean getting a variety of light fixtures for your bathroom.
The light levels refer to the power or illumination of a given light fixture. For example, if you’re shuffling into the bathroom to get a towel or wash your hands, you probably could get by with 10 footcandles (fc). But, if you’re about to shave, you may want something like a 100fc lighting fixture.
How do you determine what you need in regards to footcandles? Use this general rule: the age of the individual plus 20 equals the amount of footcandles needed to light a space.
With this information at hand, you can almost guarantee you will get the proper strength of bulbs for your bathroom.
#2. Utilize Daylight
There’s nothing more natural than allowing natural daylight to flood a room. It warms the room, helps set your circadian rhythm, and adds a nice layer of light. There are a number of scientific studies that show an enhancement of sleep cycles in people when they are exposed to natural light early in the morning.
If you don’t have a lot of daylight, get lighting fixtures that mimic daylight so that you can at least get your body up and awake first thing in the morning.
#3. Know Your Color Rendering Index
While the term Color Rendering Index (CRI) may sound complicated, it’s actually quite simple to understand. The CRI of any given bulb tells you the color of the light and which colors the illumination will accentuate. If you can find it, you want to get CRI ratings at 100, but that’s rare to find. If you get ratings at or near 80 CRI, you’re in good shape.
In combination with CRI, make sure you look at lamp temperature in Kelvin (K). For example, a standard lamp is usually about 2,700K, which is about the same as your standard incandescent bulb. Many clients prefer these. If you raise your temperature to a 3,000K bulb, you get a whiter, warmer light. For most residential homes, staying below 3,500K for temperature is suggested.
#4. Understand Vanity Lighting
Do you spend time in front of the mirror doing makeup or preparing for the day? Vanity lighting can be a great addition to your mirrors. There are a few subtle tips to keep in mind to get the best lighting without casting shadows under the brows, eyes, or nose.
If you can get vertical light fixtures installed on both sides of the mirror at about eye level, this is the best choice. However, you may be tempted to get those big box lights you see in Hollywood movies. Avoid these at all cost. While those box lights look great, they actually don’t give you the truest light possible.
Give yourself a range of lighting with LED fixtures and a dimmer switch. In some cases, you don’t need the full power of your vanity lighting. Get a lighting set up that includes a dimmer switch to make the most of your lighting.
Avoid downlights for lighting your face in the mirror. They are effective ambient lighting fixtures, but they do not do your beauty justice being used to get your makeup just right.
#5. Lighting Over Your Tub or Shower
If you haven’t discovered, building codes are quite strict in regards to lighting over or near tubs or showers. In most cases, hanging lights cannot be within eight feet of the water source, as well as no closer than three feet in front of the tub or shower. Most bathroom ceilings are no more than eight feet tall, so this keeps you from including your chandelier in the bathroom.
A great way to get lighting over your tub or shower is to position it beneath or near natural lighting. A skylight positioned over or near your tub or shower can add some great light layers to your bathroom. Also, a skylight is a fantastic option for allowing natural light while maintaining privacy.
For showers specifically, there are plenty of dome lights that can direct light down into the shower, as well as be dimmed with a switch. This combination is probably the most common, since building codes are so strict and the lights are super effective.
#6. Light Your Bathroom at Night
Since we all use our bathroom in the middle of the night from time to time, it’s best to have lights that are not as strong as your daytime lighting fixtures. Did you know the moon gives us about 0.01fc? This means that if you flip on a full switch overhead light to use the bathroom, you’re causing your pupils, brain, and body to “wake up” entirely. A 5-watt light fixture for night time bathroom breaks should be enough for your sight and not disrupt you getting back to sleep.
9 Types of Bathroom Lighting
Now that you have some ideas on how to choose your bathroom lighting, it’s time to look at which types of bathroom lighting are available. It’s important to get the exact lighting that will fit your preferences and lifestyle. It can be easy to choose lighting based on price alone, but the “budget” option may not get you the illumination you need — and that can cause some major issues like risk of falling and poor visibility while in the bathroom. You want your bathroom to be bright, vibrant, and comfortable. So, choose lighting fixtures that help you achieve that:
#1. Chandelier
The chandelier is an undeniably beautiful lighting fixture. It’s also a common request for bathroom remodeling projects. If you’re a homeowner who wants a chandelier in your bathroom, you will want high ceilings and at least three feet of space between your tub/shower and your chandelier placement to meet most building code regulations.
#2. Sconces
While sconces may be viewed as an outdoor light, you can utilize them for indoor bathroom lighting. They are absolutely perfect for your bathroom. They can be placed nearly anywhere and give you a nice ambient light needed to be comfortable. What’s more, lighting sconces come in a variety of styles, so you’re not stuck with one or two options.
#3. Ceiling Lamps
As one of the most common sources of lighting, ceiling lamps are a cornerstone in nearly every bathroom. Make sure you get ceiling lights that illuminate the entire space. And if you didn’t get one with the remodeling or renovating your bathroom, let The Light House Gallery know!
#4. Mirror Lights
You can build lights directly into your mirror or you could get separate lights to illuminate you in front of your mirror. As mentioned in the tips above, you want to get lights that remove shadows from beneath your eyebrows, eyes, and nose. You can attach LED strips down the sides of the mirror or get a vanity mirror that includes lights.
#5. Ceiling Fan Plus Light
You can upgrade your ceiling light into a ceiling fan and get more functionality from it than ever before. Being able to move air and moisture around the bathroom helps it dry out faster and regulate the climate.
#6. Low-Hanging Lamps
Unique, modern options for lighting can be found. The low-hanging lamp is a great way to bring some style into your bathroom without breaking the bank. What’s more, a low-hanging lamp is great for over your sink or entry into the bathroom. It creates a unique layer of lighting and a modern feel.
#7. Windows
If you’re curious as to what you can do with natural lighting, you can get patterned or decorative windows to filter light in unique and beautiful ways. This is a great way to layer the lighting in the bathroom.
#8. Light Tubes
We know what you’re thinking, “light tubes look cheap.” In some cases, they can. But if you design and decorate your bathroom properly, you can use light tubes to get a clean, white light to fill your bathroom. What’s more, they add a consistent light layer you can build other lights around. Light tubes are a great addition, if you do it right.
#9. Skylights
In addition to windows, you can install skylights to get all the natural light. A skylight offers you natural lighting while maintaining privacy from your nosy neighbors. What’s more, your skylight can be positioned over your shower/tub to create the feeling of bathing outside.
How to Find the Best Bathroom Lighting Fixtures
Now that you know some tips about bathroom lighting and the types of lighting fixtures available to you, it’s time to consider how to find the best lighting for your unique bathroom. Here are three easy ways to determine what you need:
#1. Search Online
Do your research online. Get as much info as you can find on bathroom lighting fixtures for the style and type of bathroom you have. If you can educate yourself to the point of knowing what you want and don’t want, the rest can be taken care of by your local lighting showroom.
#2. Visit Your Local Lighting Showroom
You can skip the internet research and visit The Light House Gallery for all your bathroom lighting needs. Our 50-plus years of lighting experience is at your disposal. Our team will help you find the best lights for your bathroom.
#3. Research Online and Visit Your Local Showroom
You can do a hybrid of one and two above. This gives you a broad understanding of bathroom lighting fixtures, as well as the specific expertise of 50-plus years in the lighting industry. For most, this is the most common option. However, you don’t need to be a lighting expert to come see us. We’re more than happy to help you find your next bathroom lights right here in Branson or Springfield.