Great lighting has the ability to make any space look amazing… but get it wrong and it can have the polar opposite effect! Bathrooms run the risk of being cold, uninviting rooms because of the sheer nature of all the hard surfaces. Lighting will be your savior in bringing warm glowy vibes to your bathroom.
So, where to start?
Lovely lighting in your bathroom (or any room in the house for that matter) doesn’t happen by chance. You’ll need to think about what sort of lighting you want and plan where you want it to go. When considering lighting for each room, we break it down into three groups:
This is the overall light source for a room and this family of lighting includes downlights, pendants, chandeliers, wall sconces and floor lamps. The importance of ambient lighting could actually make or break how your room ends up feeling. Install too few downlights and you’ll be forever cursing as you search for your favorite lipstick in the vanity drawer. Install too many downlights and your bathroom might end up feeling like a supermarket, especially if you choose cool white globes!
This is lighting for specific tasks, such as applying makeup in a bathroom, reading in a bedroom or working in a home office. Be very clear on what you want achieve in each space, then light it accordingly. This may mean installing wall sconces above your vanity, placing soft lighting at face level around a bathroom mirror and placing small lights in cupboards or wardrobes.
You like the drama, Mama? That’s what you’ll get from accent lighting. Accent lighting can be used to highlight things around your home that you want to draw attention to. An example of this might be spotlights above a piece of art or lighting in cabinetry to illuminate the decorative objects on display.
Buyer beware, not all downlights are created equal! We chose 4 ‘LEDlux’ downlights from Beacon Lighting and spaced them evenly in the bathroom ceiling. We love using these downlights because they’re color changing, meaning you can flick a switch inside the light and choose between warm white, cool white and daylight. If you ask your sparky nicely they should be happy to let you see each color in situ in your bathroom before making the big decision. They’re also dimmable which is handy if you love to relax in a warm bath without being blinded by the lights.
These sexy beasts are made from natural alabaster stone so each light is totally unique… which makes us love them even more. They’re called the ‘Times’ LED wall sconce, also from Beacon Lighting. We paired two side-by-side for extra glow goodness. These lights can also be dimmed - turn them up when you need a little extra task lighting to apply your makeup or dim them down in the evening and they look like pieces of art on the wall.
Never underestimate the impact of natural light in a bathroom. Wherever possible, we like our bathrooms to have windows for airflow and skylights to flood the room with light.
Depending on the climate where you live, you might like to incorporate underfloor heating, heated towel rails and heat lamps to keep your bathroom warm and toasty. Don’t forget to include those in your Electrical Plan too.
