Above, designer Phoebe Howard uses a combination of pendants, recessed cans and natrual light from the windows in this lovely white and green bathroom.
There are typically four layers in lighting design - ambient, task, decorative and focal. The focal layer provides focused light to displays such as artwork, signage and architectural features. Normally, this layer is not used in bathroom lighting designs.
The ambient layer provides the overall lighting in a room, but does not illuminate specific tasks. Recessed or can lighting is great for this purpose and works well above the shower, tub and toilet areas. In this bathroom - again by Phoebe Howard - the ambient lighting is from a ceiling fixture.
The task layer provides light to specific locations. In the bathroom task lighting is usually required at the mirror and referred to as vanity lighting. The best vanity lighting will illuminate the face evenly and minimize shadows.The bathroom above by designer Amanda Nisbet is an example of great vanity lighting - and so stylish too.
Vertical fixtures and wall sconces on either side of a mirror are best for casting even light for grooming. A typical rule of thumb for fixtures is to be approximately 66” above the finished floor and 36” – 40” apart. Here's another bathroom by Phoebe Howard with sinks flanking the tub. The wall sconces are perfectly placed to allow for excellent vanity lighting.
Due to the size or position of some mirrors like the one designed by Tobi Fairley above, sidelights are not an option and a fixture needs to go over the mirror. The fixture should be at least 24” long and mounted 75” to 80” above the finished floor. For whole wall mirrors, certain fixtures can be mounted directly onto the mirror. This is typically more expensive and requires more planning. Also, the vanity fixture(s) selected should provide color quality that is flattering to skin tones – lamps at 3,000 Kelvin (color temperature), 150+ watts and 80+ CRI (color rendering index) are recommended.
The decorative layer provides the room with “architectural jewelry”. Depending on how much light is emitted the decorative layer sometimes doesn’t serve a purpose other than catching one’s eye. Chandeliers, sconces, pendants and lamps can fall into this category. Because the quality of decorative lighting is always improving, I like to use decorative fixtures for task and ambient lighting. The lovely tranquil bath above designed by Steven Gambrel is a wonderful example of how decorative light fixtures provide the ambient and task layers of light.
A current trend in bathroom lighting is adding a chandelier {although for safety should be simply decorative over a tub like this}. I found this beautiful cottage bathroom in blue-green with a gorgeous chandelier at Erin's House of Turquoise. Keep in mind the overall style and size of the space when selecting a chandelier. This helps ensure the fixture is in proportion to the room. Place the chandelier on a dimmer for more control over the ambience of the room. Also, note that all lighting fixtures placed near a tub or shower {usually 6 feet – check your local codes} must be "wet" or "shower-location" rated.
Another important consideration in bathroom lighting design is to add windows and skylights to increase natural lighting and reduce energy consumption. Windows above tubs can create a lovely backdrop and bring the outside in. Above, the windows provide beautiful natural light in this tranquil bath with clawfoot tub - simply gorgeous and also found at House of Turquoise.
Keep in mind your lighting layers the next time you design a bathroom. Let there be light!
* images from S.R. Gambrel, Phoebe Howard, Amanda Nisbet, Tobi Fairley and House of Turquoise
