291 Traditional Bathroom Lighting and Vanity Lighting

Besides a place to shower and freshen up, the bathroom is also a spot for applying make-up, shaving and getting ready for your day. For those reasons, it’s important that you have ample lighting that will aide you in your every day activities. To maximize the lighting in your bathroom, consider your needs, reducing shadows, space and style preference.

If you’re searching for the perfect bathroom lighting, be sure to keep the following in mind:

What types of lighting works best in bathrooms? Strip lights, recessed or overhead lights and wall fixtures generally provide the best lighting for bathroom spaces. Read on to learn about each.
Strip lights: When placed above or alongside your bathroom mirror, strip lights will significantly reduce shadows, helping you shave or apply make-up. Available in a variety of styles, including globes or upturned or downturned cups, strip lights work best with halogen or fluorescent bulbs.
Recessed and overhead lights: For general or task lighting, particularly above the shower or commode, recessed or overhead fixtures are generally your best bet. Depending on the light bulb and wattage you use, they can provide a soft glow or a bright light.
Wall lights: A wall light, such as a bracket or sconce is ideal for accenting and complementing overhead lights. They can add a decorative flair to the bathroom and can also be installed beside mirrors to help reduce shadows.


What style lighting is available? Consider your bathroom’s décor to decide what style will work for you. Choose a sconce light for your wall with an ornate design with a bronze finish for traditional appeal, or choose a sleek metal finish to tailor to a modern style instead. Choose a finish for your lighting fixtures that matches the finish on your bathroom hardware to pull together the design details of your bathroom.

What size should your fixtures be? If you’re leaning more toward wall lights, strip lights or overhead fixtures where you need to determine size, start by assessing the size of your bathroom. You want your lighting to provide ample light, but you don’t want the fixtures to be visually overbearing. Make sure the fixtures are in proportion with your bathroom cabinetry and other bathroom design elements.

Where should you place your bathroom lighting? In order to avoid unwanted shadows that may make grooming in the bathroom difficult, it’s essential to get the placement right when installing lighting. If you have a small bathroom, such as a powder room, it’s possible that light from one source will be sufficient. Cut down on shadows and create even lighting by installing a strip light above the mirror instead of a fixture or recessed lighting in the ceiling. Though that may create enough light for the room, you may want to consider installing additional lights at the side of the mirror to further reduce shadows. In larger bathrooms, you may need a combination of mirror, shower (make sure it’s waterproof) and overhead lighting to appropriately light the entire space.

What additional features might you consider for bathroom lighting? For adjustable light that you can customize accordingly, outfit your bathroom with dimmers, or choose frosted bulbs over clear bulbs to reduce glare and shadows. As a functional and practicla design solution, you may also want to consider combining your lighting with your exhaust fan.

Continue your hunt for the perfect bathroom lighting solution by browsing through a wide variety of bathroom lighting styles here.