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Bathroom lighting is often overlooked, people tend to focus much more on the kitchen and living room than in the bathroom. This room needs a mixture of task lighting, as well as general illumination.
- Task lighting is necessary because it's important to illuminate the vanity are of the bathroom. You can install recessed light fixtures such as pot lights but place at least 2-3 feet behind you. Installing 2 wall mounted light fixtures, one of each side of the mirror is perfect for lighting up the room.
- Once you have the task lighting figured out you can focus on decorative lighting. One tip is to install a ceiling lamp that will illuminate the room from above. Ceiling lamps also provides an elegant touch while adding extra light.
- if you need more light but don't want to mess around with adding wall sconces and recessed lighting you can always place a table lamp on the counter for extra lighting.
- don't have the budget to renovate your washroom , then you can do simple and cheap projects like updating your existing light fixtures with new ones, that will illuminate more light.
- use coated light bulbs around the vanity to give the room a nice glow.
- besides lighting upgrades, you can choose light wall colors (yellows, light greens, light blues, white) to help brighten up any room in your home, this is a great way to upgrade without renovating.
- you could also install a skylight to give you natural light, this is however a large project that requires cutting into your roof.
There are numerous types of light fixtures, from modern and contemporary (brushed stainless steel look), Rustic (bronze finish) and Victorian to name a few. Remember to have a design plan before you start your project, give the room a consistent look and feel.
The bathroom always seems to be the most neglected of all the rooms when it comes to lighting and decorating for usability. Yet, we start and end every day in the bathroom and spend more time throughout the day in there. With the bathroom becoming a more user friendly room; with spas and saunas and Jacuzzis that are being added, the bathroom is probably 2nd only to the kitchen in popularity. It is sad to say that many people simply do not take the time to think about the lighting for this multi-purpose room and often there is one ceiling light for the whole room. This is not efficient in either using the lights to the best of their ability or in cost saving for your energy bill.
A good lighting plan is made with a series of layers. You will want to note what it is needed for showers, shaving, or putting on makeup in your plan. The main light source should bring a bright overall mood to the room. Consider windows merely for aesthetics, because they are covered most of the time anyway, so your room must rely on artificial light.
- The ambient is the overhead light, or a lighting track affixed around the ceiling that lights the whole room.
- The accent and task will focus on particular areas such as the vanity for shaving or putting on make-up, or the shower or the hot tub area.
Keep in mind while deciding on these lights that water and electricity are lethal, so you will want to watch the safety issues on all lights in the bathroom. If they are within 6 ft. of the tub or sink, for instance, they must be "wet" or "shower-location" rated in most counties. Don't confuse this with the “damp” rating. The National Electric Code requires all new outlets to have GFCIs - ground-fault circuit interrupters. Generally speaking, if you are not an electrician, consult one before you install anything as it just might save your life or the life of someone you love.
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