Bathroom vanity lighting - eliminate shadows and glare

One of the biggest complaints that people have in the bathroom is not enough  lighting. If you don't have a skylight to brighten things up it is important to add an additional bathroom light fixture, but in a way that they don't cause glare.

The trick to proper light in the bathroom is to provide task lighting that isn't over powering and yet allows grooming or putting makeup on in natural light so you look your best.

Brighter is better

Sparkle with Bathroom Lighting from LampsPlus.com
From the soothing spa look to the refined traditional elegance look the bathroom has become the calm center of today’s home The right lighting in such a space makes all the difference.

Wall sconces, multi-light bath bars and ceiling lights make the bath space more appealing and pleasant LampsPlus.com offers designs in all these styles,from contemporary bathroom lighting designs in natural stones and woods to traditional bathroom lighting designs.

The color you choose should be warm toned so that it creates a accurate makeup light and shows your good skin tone.

For general bathroom lighting, areas over 100 square feet require several recessed down lights or decorative surface mounted fixtures. Use companion flush or semi flush mounts to supplement bathroom vanity lights in larger bathrooms. This size of a bathroom is considered large approximately 10 X10.

One fixture mounted over the bathroom mirror is common and normally enough in a small bathroom, but it can cause shadows on the face. If using recessed lighting, avoid shadows by not mounting them directly over the mirror. Adding wall sconces to the side of the mirror is one of the best way to eliminate shadows on the face.

Having bathroom vanity lights above the mirror is just not enough nor do they provide the best light to see yourself in. You should have a wall sconce or tubes running down the sides of the mirror.

For mirrors under 48" wide use vertically mounted vanity lights and position them 75 to 80 inches above the floor. If the fixture uses exposed bulbs, do not use a higher wattage than 40 watts. Fixtures with clear or well diffused glass use no more than 75 watts.

Color corrected fluorescent lamps should be used when fluorescent fixtures are desired. Use recessed lights or flush mount plastic units if you have lighting in the shower area.

Bathroom lighting fixtures equipped with incandescent bulbs behind glass or plastic diffusers provide the most flattering light. The strength of a bathroom mirror light bulb is the most important part of bathroom lighting. If you opt for more energy-efficient fluorescents, choose warm white tones. They come closest to the color of incandescent.

Your goal in using lighting as a bathroom decor is to create a shadow less light source.  If you have small mirrors in your bathroom use decorative wall brackets on each side, this will illuminate both sides of your face evenly. You can also mount a wall bracket across the top of the mirror. To bring more attention to your countertops or sink area buy cute bathroom accessories.

If you are decorating or totally renovating this room you can read more about  renovating the bathroom in this section.