When you’re renovating a bathroom, it’s easy to get excited about furniture, tiles, and colour schemes. But lighting is the single most feature that breathes function, character, and style into your room at the touch of a button. So don’t let it slip down the list of design choices to make. Here, we’ll look at the best bathroom lighting solutions and the core design principles behind them. Lighting really is one of the most versatile room design elements, and here’s how to make the most of it!
The principles of layered lighting
One of the most effective approaches to bathroom lighting is layering. Layered lighting ensures your bathroom is versatile, offering the right light for every function and mood. It’s a principle that holds true across every room of the home, and bathrooms are no different.
Ambient Lighting
Ambient lighting forms the foundation of your bathroom’s illumination. It provides general lighting that ensures even brightness across the entire space. Ceiling mounted fixtures or spotlights are great options for creating this base layer. Think of ambient light as the backdrop that ties all other lighting elements together.
Task Lighting
Perfect for activities like shaving, applying makeup, or skin care routines, task lighting ensures you’ll never squint in the mirror again. Position task lighting around mirrors with wall-mounted sconces at eye level, or backlit mirrors to minimise shadows on your face. These lights work best with a warm white hue to optimise visibility.
Accent Lighting
This layer adds depth and highlights bathroom design features. For instance, use LED strips to illuminate architectural details like recessed shelving or niches, or place spotlights on statement pieces such as a freestanding bath or an elegant vanity area. Accent lighting helps transform your bathroom from ordinary to luxurious.
This combination of light sources ensures your bathroom caters to both practicality and indulgence.
Lighting and Mood
Bathroom lighting isn’t just about functionality; it can create atmosphere and elevate your space. From soft, warm hues for calming evening baths to bright daylight-replicating tones for energising morning routines, lighting plays a huge role in building atmosphere.
- Choose the right colour temperature: Use cooler hues (4000K-5000K) for task based areas, such as around your mirrors. Warmer hues (2700K-3000K) work best for accent and ambient lighting, creating a cosy and relaxing environment.
- Install dimmable lights: Give yourself complete control to adjust light intensity based on the time of day or your activity. Dimmers add versatility and make it easy to shift between bright and soothing lighting.
- Position lights strategically: Position LED strips under cabinets or shelves for a floating effect. Lit recessed shelving gives depth to the room as well as providing helpful storage. With coloured LEDs, you’ll have even more versatility of mood. Carefully placed spotlights can highlight features like artwork or textured walls.
Your bathroom lighting plan
The position of much of your lighting is set within the structure of the room. Especially if you’re refitting a whole bathroom from scratch, you’ll need to have a plan for where each ceiling spotlight will be prior to any installation. Similarly, lit recessed shelving needs to be planets so that contractors can build the wall structures accurately. To create a lighting plan that has functionality and style at its core, it’s worth thinking about these things first:
Understand Functional Needs
Outline what you need the lighting to achieve. Consider daily activities like shaving, skincare, and bathing, as well as the ambiance you want for relaxation. Is the bathroom a shared space where you need to consider multiple needs, such as bathing small children?
Evaluate Existing Infrastructure
Take note of electrical points and restrictions. If you’re working with professional design and installation specialists, like us here at Stone & Chrome, we can advise on feasibility and safety regulations, especially for wet zones.
Choose the Right Fixtures
Select fixtures that align with your bathroom’s style and offer long lasting performance. Waterproof LED lights work great for wet areas, while modern sconces and pendant lights can add a decorative flair to dry zones.
Think About Natural Light
Maximise any available natural light by installing mirrors where light can reflect and by avoiding bulky fixtures that block windows. Natural light not only reduces energy costs but also enhances your bathroom’s overall brightness.
Incorporate Smart Lighting
Consider integrating smart lighting solutions that allow you to control your bathroom lights via smartphone or voice commands. Smart systems offer customisation options, including pre-set scenes for tasks like “Morning Rush” or “Relaxing Spa.”
Professional Advice
By appointing bathroom design specialists, you’ll maximise on the experience of a multitude of bathrooms. Our designers at Stone & Chrome understand how to use layers of lighting within a unique room space to really enhance a design concept. So from traditional spaces with exposed beams to minimalist wet rooms, we have lighting ideas to match.
Lighting Design and concepts
Lighting is not a mere afterthought; it should be an integral part of your bathroom design concept. With positioning, colour tones and warmth of hue, your lighting can support specific design concepts. These are a few examples:
- Opulent spa: Make sure you have sufficient lighting options beyond ceiling based ambient light. This means that you can keep ceiling spotlights turned off and indulge in spa-like mood lighting when you want a bit of zen.
- Contemporary cool: With lots of brighter hues, these lighting plans focus on spaces like the vanity, with a nod to subtle design features such as recessed shelving.
- Natural and traditional: Here, the lighting will support and reflect natural light. Light surfaces and large mirrors will bathe the room in natural light during the day, while soft but plentiful diffusion will make the room feel naturally light during darker hours.
If you’re ready to redesign your bathroom, visit us at Stone & Chrome to explore tailored lighting solutions and expert designs. Browse our gallery and chat to our friendly team to help you create a bathroom you’ll love for years to come.