Bathroom Lighting Options

Mirror and Vanity Lighting

This portion of the bathroom is by far the most important one to get the lighting just right. There are two types of lights in particular that work best for lighting up the sink and mirror.

You are going to want to have the light source between you and the mirror so that it doesn’t create any annoying shadows.

The most common choice is the vanity light bar, this sits above the mirror and casts light down the mirror surface so you have an even light across the entirety of the mirror.

Typically the vanity light bar should be 3/4 to the full width of the mirror. If your vanity area is a lot longer than the mirror is wide you may need additional lighting above those areas.

This could be easily done using small pendants evenly spaced in these areas. Another option is to install wall sconces on each side of the mirror, you will need to put them eye level or above so you are not blinded by the lights.

Ceiling Fixtures

If your bathroom is large enough to accommodate a ceiling fixture there are many different styles of pendants to choose from. To pick the correct size pendant, measure the area that it will be lighting. Then you just add those two measurements together and install a pendant that has that same diameter. {Example- the room is 10X10, which when added together equals 20, you’ll want a pendant that has a 20″ shade.} Remember with all the other lighting in the bathroom if your ceiling light is an inch or two smaller in will not make much of a difference.

Night Lighting

Some sort of lighting that can be left on throughout the entire night is not only a safety solution but will also allow you to make those midnight trips to the bathroom without turning on blindingly bright overhead lighting. There are two main ways to create a soft non-glaring light for those late night trips to the bathroom. One is to place a small accent table lamp on the vanity out of the way, or you could add a wall sconce in the appropriate area on its own switch that you can leave on all night long.

There are a great many components to bathroom lighting. Use your imagination when picking the colours and styles of fixtures, but don’t ignore the more important areas of your bathroom. Good bathroom lighting results in a better start or end of your long workday.