Brighten up Your Bathroom
Times Have Changed...
For many people the bathroom is one of the most carefully designed spaces in our home. We will spend hours deciding what type of tile we are going to use, what color we are going to paint the walls, what types of floor mats we are going to have, and the color of our hand towels. It used to be that when it came to lighting we could just mount a ceiling light in the middle of the room and be done with it but those days are gone. With the move to larger and more spacious bathrooms lighting a bathroom has become more and more complex. In order to make your bathroom warm, inviting, and useful it is important to combine accent, ambient, and task lighting to create the effect you want. Today I am going to explore the different types of lighting you can use and give you a few tips to help you get the look you want.
Mirror Mirror on the Wall...
The most important lighting in a bathroom in task lighting. Your bathroom may look amazing but if it is not functional you are not going to like it. In particular lighting around your mirror needs to be well planned. The two main types of mirror lighting are sconce lighting (placed on either side of the mirror) or overhead lighting (placed at the top either facing up or down). I recommend sconce lighting because it gives light equally on both sides of your face and does not create shadows. When mounting sconce lighting you want them as close to your face as possible so place them a few inches away on either side of the mirror just above eye level. In order to provide adequate light you will want the equivalent to 75 watts of incandescent lighting from each side. If you go with over the mirror lighting you will want to mount the fixture at least 78" above the ground and make sure the lights go the length of the mirror so you get even lighting across your whole face. In order to provide adequate light from an overhead light you will want the equivalent to 150 watts of incandescent lighting. As a quick tip when purchasing light bulbs for your fixtures you will want to look at the color temperature. The color of a light it measured in kelvin and skin tones look most flattering in light that is less than 3500 K.
Time to Relax...
You get home from work or school after a long day and decide it is time to relax with a nice warm bath or shower. In order to make your bathroom a sanctuary from the world ambient lighting is key. Ambient lighting is lighting that distributes light in all directions but is usually directed towards the floor. When used properly ambient lighting will create a soft glow in your bathroom making it the sanctuary you desire. In bathrooms ambient lighting can be accomplished using pendant lights, ceiling lights, recessed lights, or even chandeliers. Consider adding dimmer switches to your bathroom lighting so you and your family can create the mood he or she desires.
Display your Skills...
As mentioned earlier we often spend a long time planning and designing the look of our bathroom so why not accent your decorations with lights. As bathrooms become larger and larger more and more decorations are being used to fill the space. Accent lighting is a great way to focus the eye on specific areas or displays and can really add to the effect of the room. Recessed spot lights, directional lights, and even some pendants are great ways to accent your bathroom and can help your friends and family notice the little things. Also when choosing accent lighting it is important to layer it together with your task and ambient lighting. I like to think of lighting a room like a cake. It needs to have layers and they all need to work together to create a masterpiece.
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Bulb Base Medium (E26)
