BATHROOMS - RETREAT FROM THE WORLD
The best bathroom lighting can multi-task: bright and illuminating for practical purposes like grooming, doing make-up or bathing the baby; low and soothing for unwinding in a relaxing bath after a long day. With the right light, you can easily accomplish both. Dimmers and alternative light sources offer a convenient and beautiful way to get the light you need and look you want.
There are many creative methods for creating just the light you need for your bathroom. Check out the tips below on how to do just that.
Small-room options
A small bathroom demands smaller fixtures- with no compromise to illumination. Try a 2-4 light overhead vanity strip or decorative wall fixtures for a practical - and pleasing - alternative. To ensure you and your guests see yourselves in the best and most complimentary light, mount wall fixtures 60-70" from the floor, and no further than 30" apart to avoid shadows.
Shower and tub lighting
Tub tasks like grooming, reading labels or relaxing with a good book demand additional shower and tub lighting. Because they can get wet, try recessed downlights (suitable for wet locations) for a dramatic - yet practical - look. Be sure they are shielded to diminish unwanted glare.
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Ceiling lighting
An overhead light is the easiest way to bathe the room with light for safety and practicality - as well as add a decorative touch to your bathroom.
Lighting a large mirror
Apply that make-up perfectly or get a nice, nick-free shave with a horizontal vanity light strip. One of the advantages of this type of lighting is that a multi bulb light source will provide shadow free illumination for your grooming tasks.
The ideal height for the light strip is 78" from the floor.
Theatrical light strips
An alternative to the vanity light strip, these softly glowing strips of globe-shaped incandescent bulbs provide shadow-free light with a distinctive look. A dimmer allows you to control the amount of light.
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Mood Lighting
Go ahead. Create a bathroom that doubles as a cozy retreat. By simply adding a dimmer to your choice vanity, overhead or wall lights, you can control the atmosphere of your bathroom to fit your mood perfectly.
Night Lights
Night lights don't have to be unsightly. A low-voltage linear lighting system in the toe spaces beneath cabinets will provide a safe and soothing amount of light for those late night wake up calls.
Time to Upgrade Your Bathroom Lighting?
Proper lighting is essential to the look and function of the room where you get ready to face the world everyday. So why do so many people put up with uneven shadows and straining to see their faces in the mirror every morning? Fortunately, upgrading vanity lights can be cost-effective and simple. Following are some solutions from the lighting experts at the American Lighting Association to help you solve the most common bathroom lighting problems.
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Problem: You often nick yourself while shaving in the shower.
Solution: In order to be fully functional, lighting in the shower stall or over the tub should be bright enough for cleaning, shaving and reading shampoo labels. If you have an older home, built before the proper rated bulbs and fixtures were available, add some recessed downlights designed for use in wet areas, and put shields around them. (Shielded fixtures will protect reclining bathers' eyes from glare.) Another option: an adjustable accent light aimed from outside the tub is dramatic, glare-free and great for reading in the bath.
Problem: You are often frustrated by uneven shadows or glare, and feel the lighting is inadequate when you look into the mirror.
Solution: By simply removing your old fixture and replacing it with a new one, you can achieve shadow-free lighting with cross-illumination.
If you have a single ceiling-mounted fixture over the vanity or a light bar over the mirror - and you don't want to cut new holes for electrical connections - you can mount a track over the existing electrical outlet and hang a decorative fixture over the sink and pendants from either side of the mirror.
Kichler Lighting, based in Cleveland, Ohio, introduced a new vanity lighting solution called "Beauty Wraps" which can be mounted from one outlet. It provides stylish bath lighting through a three-light bath bar and pendant - all in one inclusive fixture. They are design coordinated, including the same glass, so the pendants will match the design elements in the bath fixture.
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Problem: You don't want others to be rudely awakened when someone in the household has to use the bathroom in the middle of the night.
Solution: Install a low-voltage linear lighting system in the toe spaces beneath the vanities and cabinets.
Problem: The unit housing your bathroom's overhead light and exhaust fan is yellowed and cracked, and it looks out of place with your current décor.
Solution: In recent years, a number of lighting companies have introduced decorative exhaust fan/overhead light combinations that really help dress up the room. A variety of finished styles can be coordinated with your faucet, your other lighting fixtures, or even the floor tile.
BATHROOM RETREATS
Add some splash to the bath with stylish new lighting
In an era when going away on vacation is not in the budget, many homeowners are finding it makes fiscal sense to turn the master bath into a spa environment with high-end amenities such as soaking tubs, saunas, whirlpools, granite countertops, double sinks, marble and tile flooring, and his and her dressing areas.The finishing touch to a redecorated bathroom is complementary lighting that is highly functional and attractive. In response to the increased demand for luxurious bath amenities, lighting manufacturers now offer more high-end fixtures than ever, making this the perfect time to create a splashy bath.
BATHROOM RETREATS
One of the most common mistakes people make when planning a bathroom renovation is not to think about, and plan, the lighting for their new bathroom. The right lighting will make the room. Without it, everything else you purchased won't look half as good as it could and should. People are often making a significant investment and creating a bathroom retreat reminiscent of a hotel room at their favorite vacation spot. Redoing the bathroom is an economical way to update the look and feel, as well as increase the value of a home. Even simply installing a shower light or a chandelier or spotlight over the tub can enhance both comfort and ambiance.
There are two must-haves for proper bath lighting: an ambient light source and task lighting. There has never been a better time to buy a decorative ambient fixture than right now. Lighting manufacturers have designed some truly elegant and highly functional fixtures that will set a luxurious atmosphere for the room and make your guests envious.
The most critical area for proper bathroom lighting is at the mirror, where the majority of grooming tasks – from make-up application to shaving – takes place. Although many builders and interior decorators install one recessed light over the sink, this is not ideal for putting your best face forward.
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The best scenario at the bathroom mirror is a lighting fixture at the top and two smaller wall-mounted fixtures located on either side of the mirror. It is possible to add a recessed light over the sink as a supplementary light source, but it should never be the primary light because it will create shadows on the face.
Decorative sconces that either match or complement the over-the-sink light will evenly illuminate both sides of the face. To ensure sufficient lighting for grooming tasks we recommend a minimum of 150 watts of incandescent lighting per sink, or 40 watts of fluorescent.
An alternative to a compact fluorescent is low-voltage halogen which can provide 28 lumens per watt. Halogen provides a lot of light and gives good color so that skin doesn't look washed out. Many people are looking for energy-efficient lighting solutions, but also want quality light that helps them look good.
And don't forget a dimmer. Dimmers are essential for creating a soothing and comfortable environment. Installing a dimmer in your master bath is one of the easiest, least expensive and mood enhancing techniques you can apply.
The reality is that the amount of light provided by typical vanity fixtures gives much more lighting than we need for the majority of times that we are in the bathroom. Once you have installed a dimmer, being able to adjust the light levels for different situations is amazingly practical and helps to prolong bulb life and reduce energy costs.
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