The light in the bathroom has a practical and decorative function. It should facilitate everyday activities, but also give the interior a character. Poorly selected lighting will make the bathroom look gloomy or too sterile, and its use will become uncomfortable. How to avoid these mistakes?
The ideal solution in the bathroom is lighting that provides the appropriate level of brightness, and at the same time emphasizes the decorations and style in the interior. When choosing light for the bathroom, we must follow certain rules, depending on what colors dominate in the room, how the individual zones are arranged and whether there is a window in it.
How many light points in the bathroom?
The bathroom is based on bright, cool general light, which will brighten up all zones and good illumination around the washbasin and the mirror. In the bathing areas, i.e. where there is a shower tray or a bathtub, we only need softer local light with a warmer color. Finally, let’s think about decorative lighting. It will make our evening relaxation more pleasant and turn the bathroom into a cozy bath room.
The light color matters
Artificial lighting, just like natural lighting, has a huge impact on the human psyche, his mood and well-being. The color temperature of the lamps, expressed in Kelvin (K), determines how warm the light is. The color temperature of approx. 6000 K most resembles a bright, sunny day, but we rarely use it indoors.
Neutral, daylight color from 4000 to 5000 K, increases concentration, creates a sense of cleanliness and transparency. On the other hand, white light with a warm shade (below 3300 K) gives the effect of relaxation and relaxation. It is worth remembering when choosing interior lighting, also in the bathroom.
How to choose the color of light for the bathroom?
We must not forget that the bathroom is primarily used for daily hygiene activities that require bright light. On the other hand, it is also a place where we relax and calm down.
This option is eagerly used by exhausted parents, for whom the bathroom is often the only room in the house where you can experience a bit of peace.
Partly for this reason, we are more and more willing to convert bathrooms into bathing rooms, arrange them in the style of a home SPA, and thanks to plants, we create a small jungle inside. Too bright and harsh light will ruin the atmosphere of a cozy asylum.
Fortunately, we don’t have to choose between comfort and relaxation. It is enough to divide the room into zones and select a different type of lighting for each of them.
The number of lighting points should also be adapted to the bathroom finish. If it has bright, shiny tiles and traditional white sanitary facilities, the brightness effect will be intensified.
Large mirrors will do the same. In turn, recently fashionable bathrooms with dark ceramic tiles do not have to be gloomy, as long as we take care of a sufficient number of points of light and bright, cool general light.
The color of the main light in the bathroom
Let us not give up on it, even if there are many windows in the room. General lighting should be placed centrally and illuminate all parts of the room. This type of lighting facilitates the daily toilet and increases the impression of hygiene and cleanliness in the interior.
A popular and practical solution in this case is to mount the lighting in the suspended ceiling. A few or a dozen points of general lighting will illuminate even hidden corners and brighten a small, dark bathroom.
Ceilings, which have the additional advantage of being discreet and inconspicuous, are also perfect for medium-sized rooms. If we prefer more avant-garde interiors, let’s opt for a lamp resembling a chandelier with crystals, which will give the bathroom the character of a bathing room.
General bathroom light should be cool. If the room is dominated by cold colors, choose a color temperature from 4000 to 5000 K. If the toilet is kept in warm colors, lighting with a color temperature of 2700 to 3500 K will work better. Such light will brighten the room, but it will not conflict with its decor .
Make-up zone in the bathroom – which light color should you choose?
We usually need the most light in the bathroom in the washbasin, by the mirror. It is also a place that we often use for makeup, so choosing the right light is extremely important. Lamps by the mirror should be placed symmetrically and at eye level.
The light in this place should resemble the natural one as much as possible and have a temperature of about 5500 K. This will allow for precise makeup application and prevent the face from resembling a mask.
The color of light in the relaxation area of the bathroom
In the vicinity of the shower cabin, we do not need such bright and cool light as for the mirror, this rule applies even more to the bathtub. This is where we most often relax, and the choice of the right lighting will emphasize the atmosphere of relaxation even more. Warm-colored light bulbs make the bathroom cozier and begin to resemble a home SPA. To emphasize this, we can install light points in the base of the bathtub or in shelves. It is also worth remembering about traditional candles.
Designers more and more often install lighting above the shower tray, especially if it is quite large and has, for example, brick walls. In this case, we must remember the safety rules. The lighting points should be at least 60 cm from the water source and powered by low voltage electricity. Lighting at the paddling pool must be waterproof, have insulated fixtures and a high class of protection.
Decorative lighting in the bathroom
Remember that light can also decorate our bathroom. This is where LED strips or strips come in handy, and can be mounted, for example, behind a mirror, under shelves or under a bathtub. However, they are also used to illuminate more non-obvious places, such as various types of recesses or even between tiles, creating a light joint.