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Decor & Renovating Interior Design // Bathroom // How to Choose Bathroom Lighting
The best lighting for your bathroom depends on how you use the room. For powder rooms, overhead lighting is adequate, although you can make a more dramatic statement with other kinds of lighting. From a functional point of view, overhead fixtures work in a powder room although they limit your ability to enhance the room’s décor with lighting.
Master bathrooms are used to get its occupants ready to face the world so lighting that allows you to see your face as you shave or apply makeup is crucial. Strip lighting, placed over the top of your vanity mirror or along the sides will do the job. If you have existing lighting near your vanity mirror or medicine cabinet that is controlled by a wall switch, you can install a dimmer switch which will allow you to control the intensity of the lighting.
Strip lighting is available in a wide variety of styles, finishes, and colors. Contemporary styles generally use special vanity style light bulbs mounted on sleek metal strips with different edge treatments. Some experts will tell you side lighting is superior to over the top strip lighting for eliminating shadows which makes it difficult to apply makeup. But either side lighting or top lighting is vastly superior to the single overhead fixture, which only lights the back of your head as you stand at the sink. If you’re going to use strip lighting over an existing medicine cabinet, make sure the strip is the same length as the cabinet.p>
If you like to take long, luxurious baths, consider adding recessed lighting cans above the bathtub area. They are available in waterproof styles and when controlled by a dimmer switch, they can be dimmed to create a relaxing, sedate mood.
Lighting can make a big difference in a master bathroom but unless you are planning a major renovation, you may think you are limited to replacing existing fixtures. While this is the most cost effective approach, it’s not the only alternative.
In many cases, professional electricians can run wires through walls to tap into existing power sources without having to rip out the walls themselves. Before you discard the idea of adding lighting fixtures in areas of your bathroom where none currently exist, you may want to invest in calling an electrician for advice. In a matter of minutes, they can tell you whether you can do the kind of lighting you would really like to have without removing sections of your wall. It’s an investment you might be glad you made.
