Lighting

It's important to find the lighting that works best for your bathroom. Plan around major bathroom fixtures such as the shower, bath, or sink. Areas over 10m2 require several recessed downlights or surface-mounted fixtures. Use companion flush or semi-flush light to supplement vanity lights in larger bathrooms.

For bathroom mirrors, you can choose a band of bathroom vanity lights or place one light at either end of your mirror. Ceiling-mounted bathroom fans are great as they provide enough light for all of your bathroom needs, as well as provide a fan during hot showers and baths. If using recessed lighting, avoid creating shadows by not mounting them directly over the mirror. Adding wall lights to the side of the mirror is one of the best ways to eliminate shadows on the face. For mirrors under 120cm width use vertically mounted vanity lights and position them 190cm to 200cm above the floor. If the fixture uses exposed lamps, do not use a higher wattage than 40 watts. For fixtures with clear or well-diffused glass use no more than 75 watts. Colour-corrected fluorescent lamps should be used when fluorescent fixtures are desired. In the shower, use recessed lights or a flush plastic unit.

For bathroom accent lighting, a small recessed light directed at a piece of decorative art work or a beautiful sink creates an extra layer of lighting. Angle a recessed fixture and highlight nice tiles or make your shower fixtures sparkle.

Bathroom Lighting Tips:

• • Don't forget the area over the toilet. A recessed light unit is always a good choice.
• A crisp white light renders skin tones most accurately.
• Halogen bulbs are generally the standard for bathroom lighting, but the newest compact fluorescent bulbs are also a great and more afforadable option.