Of those options, I would select the 3 light option with a dimmer. As you get older, you will need more light.

My preference, however, would be to have 3 vertical lights over your vanity with one to the left of the left sink and one to the right of the right sink and one in the middle. I prefer that look and think that the light is more flattering and useful.

Thanks! I will definitely consider that option. The light fixture collection also has a sconce.

The three light option give you 360 watts (60*6) or 4800 lumens. The two light option is 240 watts or 3200 lumens. Just three vertical sconces as Carolyn suggest would be either 180 watts (2400 lumens) or 300 watts (4500 lumens) if you find fixtures rated for 100 watt bulbs. It they are rated for max 60 watts, then you may want to add a recessed light over each sink.

When I design bathroom lighting with 3 vertical sconces, I do, as Fred mentioned, select sconces with 100 watts , or if my client falls in love with sconces with only 60 watt or equiv. bulbs, then I add 2 recessed lights.

Well, I really have to make a decision on this one since the electrician is doing his part now. I love the look of the three individual sconces, but the collection that I have fallen in love with only has a 60W bulb. So I am picking between three 60 watts at a lower height versus two light bars with three 60W bulbs EACH, one above each mirror. My electrician said that a recessed light over the sink isn't going to make a difference due to the ceiling height, and he recommended the second option (2 light bars with three bulbs each). Hopefully that made sense. Any opinions?

If the 60 watt bulb in the sconce is a standard bulb, you may be able to put an LED bulb in the sconce that gives more light. Ask the lighting store.

I was a lighting consultant for 6 years up until recently, so I love these questions!!! Love the look of the 3 individual sconces (especially the one the right!!)...if you mount them at the right level, then 60W max lamps should be fine. They really should be mounted at about eye level to give you the best lighting, especially for make up. I would stay away from anything with paper shades too as they tend to absorb much of the light output, unless you have cans. Sconces like the ones pictured on the right can often be found with 2 x 60lamps per fixture...so each sconce could yield 120W each. it will obviously cost more to do this with adding in the electrical, so keep that in mind for budget. How tall is your ceiling??...there are MANY types of recessed cans out there, you just need the right one dependent on the application. recessed cans are always a great supplement...bathrooms can never have too much light!!

Do you have a picture of the sconce you like?

How high is the ceiling?

The ceiling is 9 feet. Here are my two options. They are a silk shade. Thank you!

You will definitely need recessed cans if you go with sconces like these. they are beautiful, but am afraid they will be not very functional in a bathroom without supplemental lighting (even if you go with the 3-light vanity above the sinks). 9ft is not at all too tall to add recessed cans! You can expect great light output from the recessed cans with this ceiling height. Can't believe you were told otherwise!!!! I prefer the look of smaller recessed cans, so I would suggested using a 4" aperture, as it is less obtrusive and has a "higher-end" look. You can either do a standard incandescent, which will yield about a 50-60W maximum. Use a PAR20 type lamp if you go this route. If you really want a good punch of light you can use what they refer to as a low-voltage 4" recessed can. Also a 50W max, but the lamp type is a MR16 halogen that packs more punch (lumen output) than an incandescent lamp. These do tend to get warm, and can heat up the space., especially on a 9ft ceiling. The other option is a 4" LED recessed can...I would suggest Cree. Great price point (for LED) and great light output, and color rendering from an LED. The order I listed these options is the order of the price point, lowest to highest. Do you have a picture of the space, by chance? Placement of the recessed is very important too.

This floor is a completely new build (and in-process right now), so no actual pictures. Here is a floor plan (I apologize....it is fuzzy for some reason).

And to clarify, my husband was the one that spoke to the electrician. I guess he actually didn't say it was the ceiling height that was the problem, he just didn't think a recessed light would make a difference and thought I would like the number of bulbs provided by the light bars instead. Thanks again!

The recessed cans will indeed make a difference, so I would definitely encourage you to pursue that. One above each sink would be ideal...and def 4" since the space is smaller. Anything larger will overwhelm the ceiling in the particular space. With 2 recessed above you sinks, you will probably be alright with light output with the sconces you like...BUT shades (especially silk) are always risky. Keep in mind humidity accumulating from the bath and shower as well...and splatter from the sinks...toothpaste...etc. (lord knows my mirror stays a mess from the sink, can't imagine having anything silk near it!!!) Something more durable and easier to clean would probably be a better choice.

I am sure they have probably already added these to the electrical plan, but be sure you have additional cans in the ceiling space between the vanities and tub. You don't need a lot of them, but will need at least 2. You could stick with the 4" here...or go with a standard size can. Either way...I am type A and would prefer them to all be the same!! LOL!!

The ceiling is not too high. However, with 4" cans, the light may look a little flimsy. It will still supplement the sconces nicely. A 6" recessed will put out twice the lumens of a 4" recessed, so consider putting two 4" cans over each sink with those sconces.

You can achieve this look with a glass shade...these also have 100W light bulbs. Win..Win!!

http://www.feiss.com/38426/Vanity-Lighting-VS53001CH.html

Look at the rest of their vanities too. www. circalighting.com has some great fixtures as well.

If you go with a couple extra recessed in the middle of the room as Timeless suggests, then one over each sink would suffice.

It sounds like both of you concur that three sconces plus one recessed light above each sink would be better than the three bulb light bar above each sink?

Yes, agreed

Mostly, I am about getting the look YOU want with the light you need. Both ways would be fairly comparable with minor differences at this point.

Thank you everyone! That was a huge help!

Hi, just joining the thread. I have a 62" vanity and am not sure what to do for lighting. Presently, we have decided on two fixtures built into the mirror, one over each sink. Each are 20"wide with 3 lights that I believe can take up to 100 watts. They will be on a dimmer. My concern is that it will be too much light and light fixture for the 62" alcove vanity(sales person advises it will be fine). Another option is the 14" fixture with 2 bulbs or I could go with one bar with 4 - 6 lights. The other bathroom lights (singles) are over the toilet and in the shower. Thanks for any input.

You need to know for sure how many watts it can take. There is a big difference between 9600 lumens with 3- 100watt bulbs each and 3200 lumens with 2- 60watt bulbs each. The latter may not be enough light depending on the color and opacity of the shades, and the colors in the room. You can always use lower output bulbs in any fixture, but you cannot use a higher wattage that specified. Dimming the lights at the mirror is not an option if the light is too bright initially for applying makeup. The reason is that dimming will change the color of the light output which is very bad for makeup application. Your other lights in the room will help as well, if needed. Without more concrete information, I would guess that the two light fixtures will look better and be enough light for that size space.

Thanks very much for the information, that was very helpful Fred. .

Where where can I find those mirrors in the second picture?

Miran - it looks like Restoration Hardware.