Monday, March 9, 2009

Bathroom Lighting Suggestions

By Chris Jones

When deciding the interior lighting of your home, the bathroom lighting usually gets the least amount of attention. Most people are more concerned about the lighting for the living rooms and kitchens. Believe it or not we actually spend more time in our bathrooms than we realize, especially if we have Jacuzzi tubs and large shower stalls.

Many bathrooms have only one light fixture in the ceiling no matter how large the bathroom. This one light fixture in the middle of the ceiling will not provide an adequate amount light to enjoy a bath in a Jacuzzi tub or a nice long hot shower. The bathroom is the first room you see in the morning and the last room you see at before you go to bed so it is important to create a relaxing experience in this room, which starts with a great lighting arrangement.

Great bathroom lighting consists of multiple lighting sources. The places in the room where you shower, shave or put on your makeup need to have plenty of light. Vanity lighting is used to highlight your face and head for shaving and putting on make up.

Avoid recessed lighting fixtures for vanity lighting because they tend to create shadows on your face which will make it hard to see what you are doing. Vertical fixtures placed on the sides of a mirror will eliminate the shadows on your face and create an overall even lighting making it easier to perform your daily grooming. Vanity lighting fixtures should be a minimum of 150 watts.

Task lighting is a great way to illuminate the shower area. If you have an average size bathroom and it has a shower stall with a glass door instead of a curtain, an additional fixture may not be needed. If the bathroom is very large or has a thick shower curtain, an additional single recessed light about the shower stall works well.

When creating your bathroom lighting arrangement, another recessed light over a toilet or tub will provide extra lighting.

When choosing which light bulb is best for your bathroom a bright white bulb is the best choice. This is due to the fact that it creates the most natural skin tones. Halogen light bulbs are more expensive than traditional light bulbs. However, they will give off the most natural type of lighting. They are also 10 times more energy efficient.

One good thing to remember is that a lot of water in the bathroom can be dangerous if it mixes with electricity. Be sure that all of your lighting fixtures are a minimum of 6 feet away from any sinks, tubs and showers. Be sure to visit our website for additional information about bathroom lighting and discount light fixtures.

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