Great lighting design can transform a bathroom at the touch of a button… Yet, lighting design is often overlooked when dream bathrooms are planned.
Many homeowners opt for the ease of the fluorescent strip or recessed lighting alone, when they could so easily use lighting to create an area versatile area which is ideal for relaxation and rejuvenation.
Lighting is the easiest way to create different atmospheres and moods within a bathroom, suiting both practical and personal needs. With the right lighting it is easy to swap between pruning, bathing, plucking and brushing, to a reviving spa-like zone to retire to at the end of a long day.
Lighting can make a small bathroom feel bigger, compensate for any lack of natural lighting, show off features and match every mood and setting required. In short, the right lighting will majorly improve the feel of any bathroom.
Here are some of our top tips for planning bathroom lighting…
Layer your bathroom lighting – Just, as we would suggest layered lighting throughout the rest of the home, using layers of lights in the bathroom, creates drama, interest, and atmosphere. Introduce ambient lighting, task lighting and also accent lighting.
Ambient lighting – Downlights are the most practical solution for general bathroom lighting, there are lots of options here so don’t be afraid to think out the box and maybe use those downlights to highlight your bathrooms beautiful finishes, rather than sticking with the traditional grid downlight layout.
Task lighting – Task lighting is all about being able to see clearly for the task in hand; bathrooms are often used for applying make-up, shaving, and general care. As such the mirror is a key point in which task lighting should be present, at the moment the trend is pendant lights but also think about wall lights, strip lights or backlights; the main thing to bear in mind here is that the lighting should allow lighting for both sides of the face and not be a downlight straight above the head, as this causes shadows and is not ideal task light.
Accent lighting – A nice way to create accent lighting is using strip lights – in showers, baths, and inside or around cabinets.
Work with what you have – Use any natural light, take time to consider any features to enhance using lighting and think about where task lighting will be required to see clearly.
Spa at Home – There is not much a long soak in the bath doesn’t fix… Give your bathroom a spa makeover with a few low-level one-watt LED’s. These project lights upwards from their low setting and will give your room a candlelit spa feel, perfect for those much-needed bubble baths.
Nightlights – you can also use low-level lighting for night time visits to the bathroom, low-level floor washing is a great technique providing the perfect lighting levels, for those night calls. It’s also a good idea to think about LED strips near the basin. These lights can also be set to come on automatically as a person enters the bathroom.