7 Lighting Tips for Your Bathroom

What's the best lighting for bathroom areas? Here are a few tips to keep in mind:

1. Use diffused light

The best lighting for the bath is even diffused light that mimics natural daylight. This type of lighting makes grooming and applying makeup much easier and more precise. To get this, you want light sources that are even with your face and this usually means having lights on either side of your makeup mirror.

2. Use lighted mirrors

Lighted mirrors are another great choice. Don't rely just on overhead lights. These designs are good for overall room illumination but these by themselves will only cast shadows across your face.

3. Consider sidelights

For an average-sized bathroom mirror, buy sidelights that are 18 inches or less. Position them where they evenly light your face.

4. Use lights above a mirror

You can augment your overall vanity lighting with lights above a mirror, positioned so the light is one to five inches above the mirror.

5. Try ring lights too

Freestanding or wall-mounted vanity makeup mirrors can also be useful. The best are ring lights that have a built-in light source that goes all the way around the mirror. How much light do you need? Well, in the bathroom, especially for the lights flanking the mirror, the more light, the better.

6. Check the light output

Always check the lumens or light output of the bulbs or LEDs used in the fixtures you are considering buying. To see how much light they produce, you can place your wall fixtures on dimmers to control the light output. Dial-up the output for grooming set a lower level for other times

7. Read through light quality

Light quality is important as well. Look for bulbs or LED light sources that have a color temperature in the 4,800 to 5,000 range. These lights mimic natural daylight. A small crystal pendant or wall sconce can be used as an accent piece to add a little wow to a room.

*All images are from the internet.