Bathroom Lighting Ideas to Illuminate Your Space
Whether you’re looking for the perfect bathroom vanity lighting ideas or ways to spruce up your small bathroom, you’ll find lots of inspiration here. Lighting is important in bathrooms, as they tend to get less natural light than other rooms. Professional bathroom lighting uses three types of lights: task lights for specific activities, ambient lights for overall brightness, and accent lights for decoration. Incorporating these types can give your bathroom a designer look.
Bathroom Sconces for Bathroom Lighting Ideas
A sconce is a wall-mounted light. The term goes back to wall-mounted candles, and even torches. As bathroom specialists we install a lot of sconces, because they make excellent task lighting for shaving or makeup application, either over or on both sides of the bathroom mirror. Lighting sconces can also make beautiful statement pieces to reinforce the concept behind your bathroom’s style.
Sconces range from very traditional to very modern.
Wall mounted lights save space, but mounting sconces on (actually through) the mirror additionally creates reflections that make the room brighter.
Ambient Ceiling Bathroom Lighting Ideas
Ambient light is the main light that helps you see and move around safely. The most common ambient bathroom light ideas include ceiling mounted fixtures, but ambient light can also come from windows, skylights, reflective surfaces, and just about any kind of fixture. What makes lighting ambient is that it lights the entire room. Good ambient lighting is even from corner to corner, and feels warm and inviting.
A single light fixture can leave shadowy corners. Several light sources, including windows and skylights as well as fixtures, light a room more evenly.
If you’re looking for an elegant ceiling mounted light, the Galaxy Chandelier Light Fixture is the perfect choice for your bathroom.
Layered Bathroom Light Ideas
Speaking of multiple light sources, that’s what layered lighting is. It’s also an ingredient in that ‘secret sauce’ that gives rooms a polished, designer look.
Skylights make a smart addition to a new or renovated bathroom. They let in lots of natural light without costing anything for power.
Is adding light fixtures going to cost more in terms of energy? No. Layered lighting with multiple controls enables users to only turn on as much light as they need, which is often far less than that one fixture your bathroom may have now.
Accent Lights for Bathroom Light Ideas
What is accent lighting? Also known as ‘mood lighting’, it’s generally much dimmer than ambient lighting, and may spotlight a specific area, like an interesting architectural feature or piece of furniture.
If you have room for a side table or a long vanity, a small lamp can be your accent, or you can use hidden LEDs, the shower light, or even an aquarium. This is where you can express yourself because brightness is not critical. Edison bulbs, with their low-intensity but creative light make excellent accent lighting.
LED Vanity Lighting Ideas
LED lighting has come a long way in a short time. Fixtures run cooler, smaller, and more energy-efficient than incandescent lights. Often using multiple light sources, it will make your bathroom sparkle from every polished surface.
We tend to think of vanity lighting ideas as task lighting, but the same LEDs can also be accent lighting. LEDs are particularly suited for accent use as well as smart technology due to the many colour variations available.
Used as indirect lighting, LEDs cast a magical glow from behind mirrors and other objects.
Bathroom Chandelier Ideas
The chandelier, once a hanging holder for multiple candles, adds posh glamour to any space. These historic chandeliers would only be used for parties, so bathroom chandelier ideas are a modern concept and should not be limited to a traditional clear crystal, nor set in traditional decor (although it looks great that way, too!)
A chandelier can be used over a stand-alone tub to add elements of fantasy and luxury, especially on a dimmed setting, and it might also be used to draw the eye to an interesting ceiling.
Looking to upgrade your bathroom? The Small Tower Crystal Chandelier adds the right amount of glitz and glamour to your space.
Vanity Light Ideas With Task Lighting
The main task to light up in a bathroom is getting ready for your day, usually in front of the vanity mirror. Choose your task lighting based on the size and shape of the vanity mirror or mirrors. Sconces on each side of the mirror at or just above eye level are ideal, providing even lighting for the user’s face.
Modern bathroom lighting ideas over a mirror should be as wide as possible, up to the full width of the mirror, to avoid shadows on the face that make some parts difficult to see.
Pendant light fixtures or table lamps can also be task lighting, and task lighting may be used in other locations, for instance, to light a shower cove, making products easier to find.
If you’re looking for a modern and sophisticated type of task lighting, consider the Orbit Pendant Light Fixture to update your bathroom.
Ceiling-Mounted Bathroom Lighting Ideas
A single, flush-mounted ambient light is the most common bathroom lighting choice, and also among the worst bathroom lighting mistakes.
Shower lights need to be waterproof, so flush-mounted ceiling lights work well in shower applications, because they can be water-resistant or water proof. Ceiling mounted lights may also be necessary where the ceiling is lower. We can also show you some very creative ceiling bathroom lighting ideas using backlit stretch ceiling.
A ceiling-mounted light may also be semi-flush, which opens up further creative possibilities.
Interested in a simple but elegant type of ceiling mounted bathroom light fixture? The Crystal Grid Ceiling Light Fixture will add the perfect amount of sparkle to your bathroom.
Ceiling Bathroom Lighting Ideas With Recessed Lights
Recessed lights are pot lights set into the ceiling. They help brighten dark corners. LED recessed lights will generate less heat than the older halogen type, while saving energy.
A good general rule to decide how many recessed lights to use is to divide the height of your ceiling in half, and space the lights by that much. So for instance, recessed lights on an 8 foot high ceiling would be spaced 4 feet apart
Damp or moisture-rated recessed lighting will improve your showering experience. We recommend one for a single shower, two for a double shower.
Hanging Bathroom Pendant Lighting Ideas
A single hanging pendant light or a cluster will add elegance to a bathroom. Mirrors catch their light easily and reflect it to light up your face or just add light to the room.
A hanging pendant light also adds warmth and a striking focal point to any bathroom. The 2 Ring Pendant Light Fixture is an excellent addition for your next bathroom lighting upgrade.
Globe shaped pendant lights soften a hard edged modernist bathroom while staying modern. Bathroom pendant lighting ideas also lend themselves easily to traditional lantern and industrial styles.
A decorative pendant, like a chandelier, will likely not provide enough light to be the room’s only source, but it can be a gorgeous accent, and add a lot of personality to your space.
Let’s Start Your Bathroom Light Ideas Today
Lighting is the finishing touch that pulls a bathroom together. We recommend layering your bathroom lighting ideas in a way that suits the overall style of the room.
If your bathroom is ready for a renovation, contact us today. Siga Home Comfort can help you choose lights or install lighting that you've picked.
