You might be surprised to learn how much time you spend in the bathroom getting ready for your day and winding down in the evening. The bathroom is such an important room in any home and most of us don’t think that much about it. If you’re getting ready to remodel your bathroom or you’re building a new home, you want to have the best possible lighting in your bathroom so that it is a comfortable and useful room that meets all of your needs.
Come by Hobrecht Lighting’s showroom today to talk to a lighting expert about how to best light your bathroom for maximum usefulness. Our store is full of lights of many different kinds and styles, so no matter what vibe you’re going for, we can make it a reality. Read on to learn about a few quick bathroom lighting tips to keep in mind when you’re planning your new bathroom.
Layering Your Lighting
One of the best ways to make your bathroom into a flexible room is to effectively use the different kinds of lighting. General, or ambient, lighting is usually found in the center of a room and provides enough light that you can do almost anything in the room. Task lighting is used to perform more specific tasks while accent lighting is used to highlight architectural features or artwork. If you have a smaller bathroom, you might not need accent lighting, but task and ambient lights will also be important.
Lights by the Mirror
We see this mistake a lot — bright lights mounted directly at the top of the mirror above your sink. While those fixtures cast a lot of light into the room, their position does your face a huge disservice. Being lit from above with bright light can create deep shadows on your face that make it hard to shave, apply makeup, and even brush your teeth. We suggest installing light fixtures to the sides of the mirror at just above eye level. When installed in that way, your face is lit in a more natural light and won’t be covered by a shadow. You’ll be able to see more clearly which means that your morning and nighttime routines will go more smoothly and the results will be better.
Lighting the Shower or Bathtub
When you have a smaller bathroom, the central ambient fixture is usually bright enough to light the entire bathroom, including the shower or bathtub. However, with a larger bathroom comes the need for more lighting. If you have an especially large bathtub, you may want extra lighting above it so you can relax in the bath while reading. Recessed lighting can be a great option and so can special chandeliers that are made to resist moisture.
There are so many more factors to consider when you’re working on designing your new bathroom that we couldn’t possibly fit them into one blog. Come back soon for part two in this series where we will cover some more bathroom lighting tips and tricks. If you’re ready to start finding your new fixtures, browse our online catalog or stop by our gigantic lighting showroom in Sacramento. Our staff is ready to show you all of the possibilities for your new bathroom!