Planning bathroom lighting- advice from the experts

Bathroom lighting can be a tough call if you have not planned for it properly. If you are planning on renovating your bathroom or just want to change the way it feels, lighting is a crucial step you should not overlook.

This blog post will give you a little insight into the key things to look out for. 

1. Focus on multiple layer lighting

The best lighting schemes rely on light coming from several different sources to create a relaxed feeling, but one that is functional as well. It is useful to think of the various areas separately. The shower, the toilet, the mirror- they all deserve their own lighting, and they are not the same as each other.

2. Consider smart lighting

Seeing as we are living in an era of technological innovations, now is your chance to take advantage of it. Not only is it useful for small bathrooms, were you can't have too many fixtures, but it is also energy efficient as often times those devices can regulate themselves depending on time, movement, and presence. For instance, our CHIC CH79668IC IP44 Bathroom mirror allows you to alternate between cool white and warm white. 

3. Be smart with spotlights

Rather than positioning them central to the ceiling, decide on the features you want to highlight and locate the downlights according to that. For instance, instead of focusing on the middle of a shower, it's better to light the wall as not only does it accentuate its role in the design, but it makes the shower space seem bigger.

4. Create a feature in a small bathroom

If you're working will a small bathroom, one problem you will face is to add dimension and mimic the illusion of space. A glass pendant is the perfect bathroom lighting as the diffused light effect will visually enhance the space, drawing attention to the interesting shapes rather than to the size of the room. 

5. Bare in mind IP ratings

For any lighting within the bathroom you would need to consider if you require any IP rated fittings.  The rating will vary based on how close the light sources are to water. Generally, a bathroom is split up into three different zones. For instance, Zone 0 (bath tub or shower) requires a minimum of IP68. Zone 1 is the area directly above a bath and within a shower cubicle, up to 2.25M in height and requires IP44. Zone 2, the area outside the bathroom and shower zone, can be fitted with IP44 as well. 

We hope that you enjoyed this little guide and remember, we are always ready to help you with any other questions you might have at our Cardiff or Neath branch. 

Our bathroom lights collection is available to shop from HERE.