Bathroom Lighting
Lighting A Bathroom
As with all aspects of home design, bathroom lighting needs to be planned to be effective. Many people spend thousands of pounds planning the perfect bathroom layout but give little thought to the lighting plan.
If you have a blank canvass to start from, then you are very fortunate, as lights for the bathroom can be chosen well in advance and the required wiring installed at an early stage.
The first thing to remember is that most lights that go in a bathroom, must have an IP rating. IP stands for Ingress Protection which relates to water, either from a shower head or similar, or from steam. The first number relates to the impact resistance of the fitting and the second relates to its level of protection against water and steam. In both cases, the higher the number the greater the protection. Full information can be found by following the link to our Bathroom Light Zones guide.
Bathroom lights are mainly divided into four categories, ceiling lights, wall lights, mirrors with lights and ambient mood lighting. To achieve the best effect you should consider combining at least two of these in your bathroom. The important thing to remember is that a bathroom can almost always never be too bright.
Bathroom ceiling lights are now available in many styles to complement every type of bathroom from ultra modern to the more traditional or period bathroom. In a smaller modern bathroom, an energy saving flush mounted ceiling light is a good choice, whilst in a larger or period bathroom, a crystal ceiling light or bathroom chandelier may be more desirable.
Recessed downlights and shower lights are becoming increasingly popular in bathrooms. They are inexpensive, versatile and you can have as many or as few as you like. Bathroom downlights need to be chosen with care to ensure that you use the right downlight for its location. You can get further information by following the link to our article entitled Recessed downlights explained.
Bathroom wall lights are primarily used to illuminate an area that would otherwise be in shadow. A good example would be above or alongside a mirror or mirrored cabinet to light up your face whilst applying make up or shaving, but not both at the same time I hope?
Bathroom mirrors with lights are an excellent idea and will light your face just as a wall light would. They are available in different sizes and some even have demister pads attached to ensure that they remain clear when there is steam in the room.
Ambient mood lighting is really the finishing touch. The best example I can think of is lighting candles around the bath whilst having a relaxing soak. This effect can be created by using low level background lighting, normally in the form of white or coloured LED lights. A good example would be some small LED lights fitted in the bath panel, shower plinth or sunk into the floor. If you are starting your bathroom from scratch, they can be recessed into the wall around the top of the bath to create a lovely effect. LED ribbon concealed behind a pelmet on one wall can look absolutely stunning.
Plain mirrors are an excellent way of making a bathroom look brighter and larger that it is. A mirrored wall can add extra dimension to any bathroom. The careful placement of any mirror can transform a bathroom into a brighter larger space.
If you require any further help or advice on bathroom lights or any other aspect of home lighting, please contact us for friendly, honest and down to earth advice. Alternatively you can share your question with others by posting it in our customer interactive area.