How to Choose Your Lighting for a Bathroom Remodel
Has it been seven to 10 years since you’ve made any improvements to your bathroom? Perhaps you’re planning to do a bathroom remodel in the near future. It’s possible you may be overlooking one of the most important facets of this home renovation project – bathroom lighting.
A good bathroom remodel contractor will tell you Proper lighting in your bathroom is used both for the purposes of illumination and for enhancing the mood. The type and placement of the lights are important aspects of interior design when combined with the availability of natural sunlight, the room size, and the chosen color or theme.
Trust in 3R's Construction & Remodeling in Salem, Oregon with any bathroom remodeling! Our team provides general contracting services for all your home renovation needs.
Goals of Bathroom Lighting
As opposed to other rooms in your home, the bathroom has a sharply defined purpose. For example, you and the other house occupants should be able to go about your daily activities without fumbling around because of dim lighting.
Whether you have a large or small bathroom, you need clear and unobtrusive lighting.
The objective of bathroom lighting is to create an enjoyable, relaxing space. Here is what you should set out to accomplish:
- Ensure equal light distribution.
- Work with true or warm light colors.
- Produce a safe lighting layout.
- Minimize accidental shadows or bright spots.
Strategy for Bathroom Lighting
An initial step to determining the appropriate bathroom lighting is to consider the amount of natural lighting you’re getting. For example, if your bathroom doesn’t have any windows, then you’ll need a brighter overhead light. Conversely, if you have ample sunlight coming into the bathroom, you could opt for task or accent lighting.
A helpful general rule when it comes to lighting for the bathroom is to shoot for approximately 50 lumens per square foot to mimic natural daylight. The precise daylight required will be based on the square footage. However, you want adequate illumination to help you get ready in the morning but not so much that you’re overwhelmed by too much light after you first wake up.
The best way to undertake your bathroom renovation project when it comes to lighting is to begin from the top to the bottom. For example, make sure that you fill your space with sufficient light overhead with ceiling lighting.
Then, focus on vanity lighting. This is the most essential part of your bathroom. From a practical standpoint, task lighting is what you will utilize most frequently. It is also the type of illumination that comes with the most variety.
Don’t overlook the nooks and crannies of your bathroom. This is where the ambient or additional lighting, like the bathtub or shower lights, inject your bathroom with warmth and personality.
Contact 3Rs Construction & Remodeling for a FREE quote today, if you are looking to remodel your bathroom!
Types of Bathroom Lighting for Your Home Remodel in Salem
You might not give much thought to the different types of lighting in your bathroom. As you stumble into the bathroom from the bedroom, you just want to be able to find your way to the toilet and shower. But each type of light fixture provides the precise amount of illumination for a specific function in the bathroom.
The right type of lighting improves visibility. With increased visibility comes comfort and accessibility to make the bathroom environment much easier to use.
Here are some of the main types of lighting to consider for your bathroom remodel.
Ambient Lighting
This soft, glowing light shines on light-colored ceilings, walls, and other reflective surfaces to illuminate your whole bathroom. The beauty of ambient light is that it sheds light over a larger space and is not too bright.
Ambient light in the bathroom typically comes from wall fixtures situated above eye level, such as sconces or overhead lights with diffused shades like flush mounts.
Ceiling Lights
Ceiling lights play a big role in giving the bathroom a warmer ambiance. There are ceiling lights that are mounted flush against the ceiling and are totally enclosed behind diffused glass or shade. There are others that are recessed into the ceiling.
There are even chandeliers to add glitz and shine to smaller bathrooms.
Accent Lighting
The role of accent lighting is to brighten and create points of interest in your bathroom. You can use your imagination here and be creative. With the right application of accent lighting, you can upgrade from an average bathroom into a great one.
What’s unique about accent lighting is that it uses softened light by reflecting it off other surface features to highlight or modify the visual effect of the bathroom. Accent lighting can emphasize shadows to add depth – with its up-and-down lighting techniques – making the bathroom appear taller or more open.
Vanity Lighting
Vanity lighting consists of multiple lights situated on a single bar mount. Vanity lighting provides illumination for important grooming tasks such as applying makeup and shaving.
The individual lights have their own shades, and many are aimed to point in different directions and customize the illumination of the bathroom.
3Rs Construction Pro Tip: You want a lot of indirect light for the mirrors and need to be aware that too bright of bulbs will make seeing in the mirror very difficult. Bouncing the light to illuminate the mirrors will make your morning routine easier.
Task Lighting
Task lighting is designed to provide illumination for tasks in the bathroom that already has ambient light. This is focused illumination that is designed to assist you in getting a task done.
Task lighting is bright and directly focused exactly where it is needed. It is provided by light sources like track lighting or recessed lights. They can typically be adjusted to point to the working surface or to reflect off of other surfaces.
Need help choosing or installing bathroom lights? Contact 3Rs Construction & Remodeling, your general contractor today!
Pendant Lighting
Pendant lights can give your bathroom a decorative or even a dramatic appearance. A pendant light located above the bathtub can immediately uplift the mood of your entire bathroom.
Pendant lights can be used in your bathroom as long as they’re not close to water sources.
Recessed Wet Rated Shower Lights
There are lighting fixtures designed specifically for wet conditions experienced in a shower. They will usually be rated for damp or wet areas and may have extra features to make them more moisture-resistant. These can be a great investment when remodeling your bathroom shower.
Importance of Selecting the Right Lighting for Your Bathroom
Bathroom lighting poses a uniquely functional and pragmatic design challenge. We begin and end our day in the bathroom with the familiar routine that energizes us from our sleepy state in the morning and the evening rituals that help us to relax from a busy day.
The ideal bathroom lighting serves the functional needs that happen in the bathroom, such as grooming and bathing, in addition to the desired atmosphere and aesthetic of its occupants.
Your bathroom lighting needs to reflect your personal style. It’s also important that you have flexible light sources so they can accommodate the varied tasks performed in the bathroom.
So, next time you embark on a bathroom remodel, make sure you give the necessary time and attention to your lighting strategy. We recommend hiring a good bathroom remodel contractor like 3Rs Construction, who is both knowledgeable and efficient to help you get the bathroom of your dreams.
Look to 3Rs Construction & Remodeling for Your Next Bathroom Remodel in Salem, Oregon
3Rs Construction & Remodeling is the contractor to whom you turn to when it comes time to do a bathroom remodel. We have the expertise and experience to help you select the right items, such as cabinetry, showers, fixtures, styles for your bathroom renovation, and, yes, the all-important lighting fixtures.
We know how to perform a beautiful, transformative bathroom remodel in your Salem home. Call us at (503) 363-1059, so we can get started on realizing your dream bathroom remodel today!