Choosing the right lighting for a bathroom is important. Most bathrooms have limited natural light due to a lot of homeowners having frosted glass put in place to prevent people from being able to see inside.
A bathroom isn’t just a place to go to the toilet and have a wash, for a lot of people it can be a place to get ready or wind down after a long day. Read on to learn more about what to consider with bathroom lighting, and what lights can be used in a bathroom.
Bathroom Lighting: What to Consider
Getting your bathroom lighting right is key when you’re wanting to create a space that looks great and feels homely.
The first factor you should consider before buying bathroom lights is where you want them to go and what you use your bathroom for.
Think carefully about how much time your spend in your bathroom and what exactly you use it for, do you apply your make-up in there and is the natural lighting reliable?
Remember to keep decor in mind, the last thing you want is a beautifully furnished bathroom to be ruined by bad lighting.
Consider the ambience you want to create - do you want your bathroom to have a more relaxing, therapeutic feel to it? Or are you after that simplistic, minimalist look?
Look around your bathroom and plan where you're going to place accessories such as mirrors and plants. If you already have a designated area picked out to place a mirror, consider having good lighting nearby. This will help when it comes to things like shaving.
What Colour Lighting is Best for a Bathroom?
Bathroom lights should be bright, mimicking natural light.
Having bad lighting in a bathroom can make it hard to differentiate certain colours and prevents you from picking up on finer details of things.
The reason you should try to mimic natural lighting in your bathroom is that that’s what shade of light our eyes are used to. Our eyes adapt easier to specific shades of white light and allow us to still see things even when it’s dark outside.
Daylight white, warm white and cool white are the three most commonly used shades that people look for when they buy a bulb for their bathroom. Although they all have a slightly different hue to them, they still have similarities to natural lighting.
Here are the main types of coloured bulbs looked at in more detail:
Daylight White
This shade has a blue hue to it and has exceedingly high brightness. It mimics daylight the most, giving the best quality lighting possible as well as having a wider light spectrum.
Warm White
If you’re after a bulb that’s significantly less bright than the rest, we recommend the shade of warm white. It doesn’t do a great job at mimicking natural light, as it has a slightly orange appearance and has a lot warmer tones.
Cool White
Compared to warm white, this has the opposite effect. The appearance of a cool white lightbulb actually looks light blue, creating a cold atmosphere - hence its name.
Bathroom Lighting Regulations
It’s common knowledge that electricity and water don’t mix, so make sure to check that whichever lighting you decide to accommodate in your bathroom is safe.
If you’re unsure about how to check whether a specific light is okay to use in your bathroom or not, then you’ll be glad to know that every light fitting has an IP rating.
IP ratings refer to the extent that the lighting fixture will go to stop water from getting inside. You will need to make sure you choose the correct IP rating for your bathroom zone.
Bathroom Zones
As well as checking IP ratings, it’s vital to know your bathroom zone. Zones are typically split into four separate groups.
We’ve put together a guide for all four zones:
Zone Zero
This zone refers to how much water is surrounding the area of the light. An example is if it was to land in a bath or on a wet room floor. An IP rating of 67 will work best for these lights.
Zone One
These are the type of lights you would usually place over a bath or shower. Similar to zone zero, we recommend an IP rating of 67.
Zone Two
This is likely the most common lighting requirement that covers the majority of the bathroom space, as well as the sink area - you will need an IP rating of 44.
Zone Three
This zone is referring to the areas of your bathroom that don’t come into contact with any water at all. Because these lights aren’t considered a high safety hazard, you don’t need any specific lighting.
Saying this, we do recommend an IP rating of 20, which is the minimum.
Popular Lighting Choices for Your Bathroom
The most popular way to light up your bathroom is by installing LED lighting.
LED lighting is generally the most superior source of lighting due to its incredible brightness and long life span.
Apart from having a long list of advantages when it comes to comparing LED lights to others, it’s probably the most eco-friendly decision to go for as well.
If you’re wondering why LED lights are so environmentally friendly, it’s because they last longer than regular filament bulbs, which means less goes to landfill.
As well as regular LED spotlights, downlights and mirrors have proven popular as well.
Downlights
At LED Supplier, we offer a wide range of downlights for your bathroom. The number of downlights you need ultimately comes down to how big your space is.
Downlights are an excellent choice if you want to add light to the shower, bath or sink area. Downlights distribute an even amount of light - allowing every aspect of your bathroom to be covered.
Our extensive collection of downlights includes various sizes, finishes and colour temperatures. This means you’ll never find yourself out of options when it comes to browsing through our downlight products.
LED Mirrors
Having a good-quality mirror in your bathroom is essential, but having the right lighting around it is even more important.
If you don’t want to overcrowd your wall space with different lights, buying a mirror with LED lighting integrated into it could be an option to consider.
LED bathroom mirrors look sleek and add style to your home, perfect to match any interior. An LED mirror will be a great aesthetic and functional addition to your bathroom.
Available in a wide variety of shapes, sizes and finishes, LED Supplier will have the right mirror for you.
Often with added features like colour-changing light temperatures and a de-mister pad, they’re free to mount anywhere, allowing you free-reign when it comes to deciding where it should go.
The great thing about our LED mirrors is their functionality. You’ll never struggle to get the perfect clean shave or winged liner right again.
