Bathroom Lighting Conundrum! Help, please!

11 years ago

last modified: 11 years ago

Hi there, we are remodeling our bathroom upstairs with slanted attic ceiling. See the picture attached. I want to make sure the lighting is awesome. Here are the questions:

1. We have our 60" vanity against the short wall, only 6 feet high. On each side of the vanity will be 5 inches. We have a mirror that came with the vanity we will be using, also 60". It's not a huge bathroom, so keeping the full size mirror is preferable, rather than moving to a two-mirror set up. That being said, I want sconces on each side of the mirror, but that would put them 5 feet apart, and not at the suggested 36-40". How can I be sure I have enough vanity lighting so I don't have shadows or lack of light? We don't have space above the mirror due to the 6" ceiling height, so I am assuming recessed is the only option? Is that weird on a slanted ceiling of the lower height as you can see in the pic attached? Any other options? Thoughts on wattage?

2. We are putting in a 2x2 skylight to also bring in more natural light. We live in the the Pacific Northwest, so this is super important! The window has a big Japanese Maple outside of it, so we don't get enough with the window alone. Originally I thought to put the skylight above the vanity, but that may create problems with having enough light since the sconces will be so far apart. So, my thought is to do it above the toilet. Agree/disagree? I also thought at one point to do it above the shower but then we would want to buy an opening/closing type to avoid condensation that close to the shower, which is way more expensive, and this dang remodel is already more than I wanted to spend. Isn't that always the case? :)

3. Currently we have a stupid fan/light combo that is super old above the toilet, and I think it may make the most sense to put this fixture above our new shower (5 feet x 4 feet). Any suggestions on great fixtures or if this is a smart idea? Should it be an all-in-one? Multiple fixture and keep the light above the shower and then move the fan elsewhere?

Any other thoughts or suggestions for consideration are welcomed!!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (3)

User
11 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
I can't answer Q2 and 3 but your contractor probably can. I'm not sure you need a light over the shower if you have adequate vanity lighting and a skylight, unless you shower at night. What about a Solatube instead of a skylight? Are they okay for inside a shower? Panasonic is the preferred fan from what I've read on the forum.

On to Q1! I think you could add a third sconce in the middle of the mirror. I'm not sure a glass company would want to cut the hole in your mirror, but they may be willing to risk it if they break it, you buy the replacement from them. I think bath bar lights work best in narrow spaces. Some are 4" wide.
techmom1
11 years ago
Another option for lighting would be track lighting on the ceiling above the vanity - they make very trendy track lighting now - and from the box stores they can be reasonably priced. I was thinking the skylight might be better placed over the shower, especially since you already have a window across from the toilet. And finally, if your light/fan combo is older and noisy, it might be worth purchasing a new quiet one, and place it over the toilet area. It's nice to have a light in the toilet area (for those who read there,) and that's really where you need the fan, as well as to clear up the fog (to use the vanity after your shower.) Assuming you'll have a large glass door & panel for the shower, between the vanity lighting and overhead light (from the fan/light) there should be enough light to shower, even if it's dark outside. Good luck!
Related Professionals
Belleville Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Fort Dodge Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · New Bedford Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Concord Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Santa Maria Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Yakima Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Palm Bay Bathroom Remodelers · Oxford Bathroom Remodelers · Charlotte Bathroom Remodelers · New Haven Bathroom Remodelers · Des Moines Bathroom Remodelers · Elmira Bathroom Remodelers · La Crosse Bathroom Remodelers · Nashville Tile and Stone Contractors · Kearney Tile and Stone Contractors
LE
11 years ago
We have a skylight on the ceiling behind us as we face the vanity, so during the day the light bounces off the mirror onto your face and provides a realistic view (for better or worse). Not sure if that would work with your roof configuration, though. I think I'd rather have it over the shower than the toilet, however. It also makes the shower space seem larger, since it bumps up.

I do think 5 feet could be too much separation for the sconces. The track light solution might be your best bet if you want to keep things simple. We had the sconces put through our mirror, but I don't know if you are open to that idea. I don't really know how much it cost since it was part of a whole house.