Your Own Inexpensive Designer Bathroom - Part III Lighting

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Let us continue our journey further into doing and re-doing bathrooms. After last week's look into contemporary baths, this week let us focus on lightings in bathrooms.

It is not surprising to find people not investing into bathroom lighting. "We would rather put them into our living room," is the most common response. Like we have seen in our earlier series, that times and preferences are changing, more and more people today understand the need for a good relaxing ambience in a bathroom, for, after all, this is where you begin and end your day. This is where your grooming for the day happens. Shaving, make-up, combing and be embarrassing and time- consuming with poor and faulty lighting. So this week, let us concentrate on illuminating your bathrooms.

Lighting done with a little care can change the whole look and feel of your baths. In most bathrooms, a single ceiling light does it all. Ideally, what you need is ample lighting in the shower and shaving areas. Ceiling lights cast shadows on the face and hair making daily grooming a difficult task. The best way to tackle this is to place vertical sconces on either sides of the mirror. This will cast light evenly across the face. One or two light fixtures is called wall sconces.

Vanity lighting steals the show when it comes to illuminating. In case of huge mirrors vanity lighting will help as it spreads across a fixture atleast 24 inches long. Three or more lights are called vanity lights. You could also have small round bulbs surrounding the mirror. This gives an art deco look to your bathroom. They are also called Hollywood style strip lighting.

Shower area is the next priority for lighting. If yours is a small bathroom, with or without the bath glass cabinet, ceiling light or a recessed light will do well. It also works well over a bathtub.

A boring ceiling light can be given a classy touch with a pendant lamp or chandelier. You can also go for rope lights, which drop several inches below the ceiling. It is a soft lighting, which gives a romantic feel to the bathroom. A small recessed spotlight shining on an art piece or tile work will add a sparkle.

When you select your lights, choose bulbs accordingly. White, halogen, low- volt, fluorescent and dim maybe used. Where white light sets in earth shades, a halogen bulb gives a golden touch. Though they are slightly more expensive than regular bulbs they last longer. The low- voltage variety converts 120 volts to 12 volts and fluorescent bulbs offer good colour. For soft and relaxing atmosphere use dimmers.

Bathroom lightings are available in a variety of materials that suit your budget. They include chrome, stainless steel, polished steel glass and plastic.

Whatever be your lighting, safety must be top of mind always. Electricity and water are lethal combinations. It is advised that you consult an electrician before you undertake even a small, simple lighting project.

Lighting a bathroom is quite different than lighting any other room. The lighting you choose should shine out and up from the walls and not down from the ceiling. Lighting the top of your head from a can light does not work as well as wall sconces and vanity light bars that shine out from the wall to light up your face.

Good bathroom lighting is an essential component of overall bathroom design. The right choice of bathroom lighting will add ambience and elegance to your bathroom and at the same time be bright and functional