Bright Ideas

There's no law requiring bathrooms to be the least-lit room in the house – though a quick survey of bathrooms might contradict that. Bring on the light and do it with style, purpose and a touch of fun

By CTW Features

Play with your bathroom's lighting to ensure proper – and flattering! – coverage. Image courtesy Kohler Co.

When it comes to the bathroom decor, the brightest ideas depend on light – or, to be more precise, lights. According to the Dallas-based American Lighting Association, a well-lit bathroom depends on a savvy mix of lighting fixtures and bulbs. Today's more spacious, multi-functional bathrooms demand an array of lights that work together to illuminate the room and to complement the design scheme.

“The bathroom is the part of the house with the densest assortment of materials and finishes,” says Dan Blitzer, New York-based continuing educator for the American Lighting Association. “You have wall tile, floor tile, shower tile, faucet hardware, towel bars, wallpaper and paint all in a space often smaller than 100 square feet.”

Layers of light also help reduce glare, an important consideration for an aging population. “As the eye ages, glare becomes a bigger problem,” says Blitzer. “The eye needs more light to see well as the aging eye lens yellows and thickens. By 55 years old, you need twice as much light to see as you did when you were 20.”

Think of lighting the bathroom the same way as creating the perfect ensemble, suggests Blitzer. “You want everything to coordinate so that anyone walking in views the room as a whole. Everything should work together as opposed to supporting one astonishing fixture.” To light your bathroom right, the ALA suggests the following:

• Vanity lights are the hardest working light source in the room. They must be bright enough so you can see to shave or apply makeup, yet soft enough to compliment facial features. Set fixtures located on each side of the mirror at eye level to be most effective. A halogen light above the vanity provides cross illumination when used in conjunction with wall sconces.

• A decorative light fixture suspended from the ceiling provides general lighting and an elegant touch. Avoid recessed or canned lighting as a bathroom's main source of light, since they tend to cast shadows across the face.

• Lighting in the shower stall should be bright enough to help avoid spills while making shaving and shampooing easier. Choose light fixtures designed for use in wet areas.

•Tubs, like showers, need good general light, which can be provided by a recessed fixture. To avoid glare, aim the light's beam at the outside edge of the tub. •Indirect cove lighting adds a soft, warm glow to the upper perimeter of the bathroom.

• Create a nightlight by illuminating the floor in the toe-space below vanities and cabinets with a linear lighting system.

• Add an unexpected touch with light sources not typically used in a bathroom: wall sconces, a chandelier, a skylight, lamps perched on a table or vanity, a reading lamp by the toilet.

• To further reduce glare, opt for frosted white bulbs, rather than clear models and avoid fixtures with exposed bulbs.

Be sure to check with local building inspectors about electrical codes before installing any new lighting. Fixtures used in wet areas must be approved for such a specific use. Sometimes there are restrictions on the placement of various types of lighting fixtures. Portable lamps, for example, should not be put near a sink or tub because of the possibility that it might fall into the water and electrocute you.

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