When planning a home renovation, and it’s the bathroom’s turn to get a revamp, you’ll need awe-inspiring bathroom lighting ideas to make it functional and visually appealing. With lighting done right, even the smallest bathrooms can feel spacious and airy, so this is one area of your home upgrade you shouldn’t take lightly.
Even if the grout work is good and the antique brass fixtures are shinier, when good lighting is missing in your bathroom setup, it won’t work. That’s why we’ve put together these best bathroom lighting design ideas to help you give one of the most important relaxation havens in your home an upgrade.
Before Getting Starting, What’s Your IP Rating?
Before choosing a lighting scheme for your bathroom, where do you plan to put the different lighting fixtures? Whether it’s a pendant, overhead, or sconce, you need a specific minimum IP (Ingress Protection) rating. This rating heavily relies on the position of the lights to the waterworks of your bathroom.
IP rating tells you the waterproof strength of a light and its voltage. All lighting fixtures in a bathroom must have a minimum IP67 rating, which means they can withstand immersion and have 12V maximum voltage. Another IP standard you’re going to come across in bathroom lighting is IP44, which means the lights are splashproof and are generally safe when placed within a reasonable distance from a shower, bath, or sink.
However, if any of your bathroom lights won’t be anywhere near water, such as a pendant light, then you don’t need to worry much about its IP rating.
Top 10 Bathroom Lighting Ideas to Revamp Your Space
Now that you’re set, let's have a look at the 12 best bathroom lighting ideas to help you give your bathroom the ultimate luxury look and feel.
-
Incorporate Layer Lighting in The Entire Bathroom Space
When you combine different types of lighting in one space, you end up with one of the best lighting schemes for a bathroom. This is what layer lighting is, and it creates a calm, rounded scheme that is also functional. Whatever types of lighting you consider in the setup, make sure you don’t miss ambient, accent, and task lighting.
To achieve this, mount recessed spotlights into the ceiling to function as overall background lighting. These recessed lights give a neat, unobtrusive brilliance and a great ambient light. The illumination is also widespread, allowing anyone to manoeuvre the space with ease and safely.
Once done with ambient lighting, proceed to task lighting. Assess the specific spots that need illumination to make it convenient to perform the required task. These areas include around your mirror or even in the shower, which in this case should have an IP67 rating.
To finalize, install accent lighting to make decorative features like artwork, greenery, and shelves more visible. Accent lighting sets the right mood while in the bathroom and adds depth to the space.
-
Install Built-in Mirror Lights For Small Bathrooms
Working with limited space? Then get creative with small bathroom lighting ideas, like built-in mirror lights. Here, mount a mirror with an arc on one side while ensuring it’s not overpowering the wall it’s mounted on. Then install a warm white LED strip on the mirror’s edge, ensuring it’s hidden but the light is visibly uniform.
This bathroom lighting idea works with any bathroom space, but it’s even better when you don’t have lots of square footage to work with. The built-in mirror light isn’t bright enough to help you when applying makeup or trying to get a flawless shave. So don’t forget to install a task light, either a pendant or recessed light.
-
Install Chandelier To Make A Statement
Chandeliers are typically reserved for sitting rooms and hallway spaces, but that shouldn’t hold you back from installing them in your bathroom if you want anyone using it to go wow. These lighting fixtures can instantly give your bathroom a luxe feel. To achieve a modern luxury bathroom aesthetic, go for sleek matte black walls and fittings.
Give your bathroom space a bold and extravagant appeal with a fully detailed chandelier. You can also consider a chandelier-style pendant with lots of details and character. This can wow guests and create an incredibly luxurious and opulent feel.
-
Consider Ceiling Lights
Perhaps you’re striving for a minimalist theme and want something simple. Ceiling lights don’t need a lot of planning, yet they deliver a functional and elegant appeal. These lights serve the purpose well when your lighting scheme is uncomplicated; install one in the centre of your bathroom to act as ambient lighting. Then install several other lights at strategic spots on the ceiling. These will be the task lights.
-
Lighting The Vanity and Sink Area
Looking for bathroom lighting ideas to transform your sink and vanity from a dull to empowered appeal? A well-lit vanity and sink area is incredibly important because it’s the space that helps you look good and ready every morning. The idea of installing two feature lights on each side of the mirror is magical because it will create a framed, symmetrical appeal.
During the early design planning phase, ensure you size the mirror accordingly to leave enough room on both sides for the feature lights. This will tie your vanity area beautifully together. Although any shape of mirror can do, a circular one gives the best complete look when paired with the symmetrical lights.
-
Use Focused Spotlights
Using focused spotlights is a great ceiling bathroom lighting idea if you want to focus small amounts of brilliance on one specific area of the bathroom. In most cases, they work perfectly in the shower, where a little extra lighting may be needed.
Focused spotlights often rhyme perfectly fine with ceilings and are best kept hidden so they don’t steal the beauty of your bathroom’s beautiful design. They also present an affordable way to transform your bathroom into a modern one with an elegant lighting scheme.
-
Decorate Spacious Bathrooms with Neon Signs
This one might sound a bit awkward, but yes, using neon signs in the bathroom is a thing. If your bathroom is enormously big or feels sufficiently spacious, pick a wall where you can mount an acrylic-backed neon sign with a calming phrase like “Relax & Unwind” in warm white. Or choose something inspiring like this Love Yourself First neon sign to empower you when feeling low and just want to soak in the bath.
Whichever neon sign design you go for, make sure to match it with the right colour glow. If you want a cosy, spa-like feel, choose soft pink neon lights. But if you want something rejuvenating, pick neon blue or warm white glow. Plus, ensure it’s acrylic-backed and has an IP67 waterproof rating, especially if you’ll place it near moisture-prone spots. The best spots to mount your neon sign include above the bathtub or near the vanity for a soft, calming glow that makes every bath feel like a luxury retreat.
-
Balance Your Lighting Scheme with Dimmable Lights
Whichever bathroom lighting ideas you decide to go with, they’re only good if you can strike a balance between the different light sources. For instance, overhead lighting works best if used to illuminate the entire bathroom, while wall sconces or pendant lights concentrate the glow to a specific spot. However, if you exaggerate with the former, your bathroom lighting becomes too harsh. In the case of low-level lighting, if you get it wrong, you’ll most likely ruin the mood of the space.
The solution to this problem and striking a perfect balance in lighting is to use dimmable lights. Being able to dim the lights when you want gives you total control over creating the perfect atmosphere in your bathroom. Even though they might be a bit costlier, investing in dimmable lights is worth it; they generate light that makes you look beautiful when in your birthday suit.
-
Create an Airy Feel with Mirrors
If you’re revamping a windowless or small bathroom, it can be challenging to get the lighting right. Mirrors are a game-changer in such a situation because they amplify the light in your bathroom, making the space feel bigger. When placed at the right spot in respect to the light source, mirrors reflect artificial and natural light, brightening up the bathroom.
When choosing mirrors, go for large frameless designs to add a sleek, modern look, but you can also opt for the rounded backlit ones to add style and function. Another important consideration is to place the mirror opposite to a window or a source of light if it’s a windowless bathroom. This can maximise the amount of light, whether natural or artificial.
-
Hidden Lighting
Not a fan of gigantic and bulky ceiling lights and pendants? There’s still another way to keep your space well-lit without ruining your style preference. Use hidden lighting in spaces like the shower or around the bathtub to craft a detailed and attractive atmosphere. It’s also a nice way to create an intimate space and add a sophisticated feel to your bathroom.
Final Thoughts
Lighting in the bathroom is just as important as having skid-free floors. You might not realize how important good lighting in the bathroom is until you’re a guest at another house where bathroom lighting is taken seriously. With these 10 bathroom lighting ideas, there’s no lighting style you cannot achieve. Whether you’re limited on space or have plenty, you’ll find the right type of lighting for your bathroom.
Better yet, don’t limit yourself to only one idea; be open to combining different ideas and even try layer lighting to see the beauty it uncovers in your bathroom. And if you’re not sure which lighting idea works well with your bathroom, let a professional lighting designer help you with this one.