Bathroom Lighting Buying Guide
Although your bathroom may be one of the smallest rooms in your home, it may also be the one that needs the most attention when it comes to lighting. Whether you are shaving your face or applying make-up, you want to be able to see clearly. You want to make sure that shadows are kept to a minimum, and that your fixtures produce natural looking lighting.
At the same time, the bathroom is a private, intimate space. Many people use bath time as an opportunity to relax, meditate, and reflect upon their day. Accent lighting can make this room even more special.
Water is always a factor to consider as well with bathroom lighting fixtures. Water and electricity can be a dangerous mix, so you need to be especially careful about the placement and type of light fixtures. Make sure that any light fixture placed near your bath or shower has a proper rating for wet locations.
Ceilings
Most people usually think about flush-mounted lights when they are designing their bathrooms. There are many advantages to this type of ceiling light. They don't take up much room and they usually provide good, even light. Also, flush-mounted fixtures have a simple, clean look, which reinforces the idea that the bathroom is a room which will always be kept neat and clean.
A small chandelier can often fit into a bathroom space, and makes
bathing a bit more of an aesthetically pleasing experience. Try to pick a short chandelier, unless you have very tall ceilings, as people often reach their arms up in bathrooms, and you don't want to knock into it.
Recessed can lights are another option as ceiling fixtures, although are not great for ambient light. Placing a can light with a heat lamp
light bulb near the shower is a wonderful way to keep warm when you are drying off.
If you want to be very efficient, you can install a combination ceiling light with ventilation fan, getting double-duty out of the same ceiling space.
Walls
Most bathroom light fixtures sold are designed to attach to the wall. The main reason for this is that ceiling lights tend to cast shadows downwards. When you are shaving or applying make-up, you want to avoid facial shadows. Wall light fixtures shed light from eye level or below. Combined with ambient ceiling light, this gives you good lighting on your face without heavy shadows.
Wall sconces are a practical and beautiful way to give some side lighting in the bathroom. Sconces and brackets are available in thousands of designs with anywhere from one light socket to eight. The most popular number of sockets seem to be either two, three, or four.
Mirrors call for special attention. You do not want any light glaring into the reflection. One solution is to place wall sconces with frosted glass on either side of the mirror.
Another way to avoid mirror glare is to place a fixture on the top of the mirror, so that the light falls forward on your face, rather than behind you.
You can also place a strip of lights, called Broadway lights on the upper edge of the mirror. These are a very popular option.
Lighting Accents
Beyond the ceiling and walls, you can add lighting accents through smaller accent lights. For example, you may want to add a small table lamp to your bathroom counter or the top of your toilet tank.
Candles also help to create a mood, especially if you use scented ones. Individual candleholders can be placed on countertops or on the edge of that bath. You can also find some wall brackets that hold small candles.
Dimmer switches are another great way to vary and control the lighting and the mood in your bathroom.
Styles
You may want to design your bathroom to match or complement the architectural style of your house. Alternatively, you may want to use the room to contrast the predominant decor of your home. Here are some of the more prevalent decorative styles available.
Arts and Crafts
The Arts and Crafts style harkened a return to simplicity after the opulence of The Victorian Era. It emphasizes sturdy materials, such as iron and bronze, and uses strong plain lines.
Art Deco
Based on the industrial boom of the early 20th century, Art Deco fixtures have a timeless, classic beauty to them. Their use of clean lines make them a natural fit in the bathroom.
Colonial
Colonial style fixtures are practical, simple and elegant, recalling the refined sensibilities of our founding fathers.
Mission
The Mission style is often characterized by its use of strong geometric shapes. However, when it comes to bathroom fixtures, this is usually softened into simple curves.
Rustic
Rustic isn't an actual architectural design, but it is growing in popularity as an interior decoration style. Rustic pieces are designed to look as though they were fashioned out of natural wood, so even metal Rustic fixtures have a twiggy and outdoorsy look to them.
Victorian
Victorian fixtures are modeled after the gaslights used during Queen Victoria's reign. The stems on the fixtures tend to be thick and a bit away from the wall, as the original lights needed hollow tubes to carry gas to the light. They are very ornate.
Materials
One final consideration is the type of material you would like your bath fixture to be made of. Many manufacturers offer their designs in a variety of different materials and finishes. Nickel, chrome, stainless steel, bronze, and brass are the most common, but there also are many fixtures available in pewter, iron, platinum, and gold.
Price Range
As with all types of light fixtures, prices vary widely according to the material craftsmanship quality and the aesthetic value. There are many good bathroom light fixtures available for less than $50. There are some that cost more than $500, and even a few that will cost you over $1,000. Overall, the vast majority of bathroom light fixtures are priced at around $100-$250.
With that much variety, you're sure to find something that suits you, no matter what your budget.