April 4, 2023 Andrew Wilkinson

Bathroom Lighting Ideas: Essential Guide to Bathroom Lighting

The bathroom is a high-traffic space that warrants much attention when lighting up your home. But as you know, water and electricity aren't a good match. And yet, you need both in the room to safely shower, relax, and make the most of your skincare routine, begging the need for a good bathroom lighting design.

Unfortunately, most homeowners only consider a modern bathroom ceiling light when illuminating their spaces. But what if you had a ton of other unique LED bathroom lighting ideas to achieve general lighting and add fancy design touches that will create a relaxing spa-like atmosphere right in your home?

In fact, thinking outside the box and installing the most unusual bathroom lighting is the key to personalizing your space. The first step to do that is finding exactly what it takes to make the space appear brighter and more inviting besides leveraging bathroom ceiling lighting ideas. If you don't know how to go about it, read this detailed guide that provides the secrets to great bathroom lighting.

Layer Your Bathroom Lighting

Every space, including the bathroom, requires three layers of lighting, usually achieved through the following.

Ambient Lighting

Also known as general lighting, this type of light fills your bathroom with enough light to see everything, move around, and complete tasks such as showering and cleaning. Mostly, overhead lighting fixtures provide ambient lighting, so you can explore the bathroom ceiling light ideas you've been dying to try. At the same time, don't hesitate to consider others, such as downlights, pendant lamps and chandeliers.

Accent Lighting

Nothing beats an elegant bathroom that also feels therapeutic. This is where accent lighting comes in—it lets you draw attention to the room's most unique decorative elements and increase illumination in places like your bathroom shelves.

Accent lights for bathrooms should be focused and flexible without being too harsh. They can include wall sconces, spotlights and track lighting.

Task Lighting

Most of us apply makeup, style hair, shave, and perform other essential grooming activities in the bathroom, making task lights necessary. This form of lighting illuminates specific areas, eliminating all shadows that could impede visibility and prevent you from doing something effectively.

For instance, you can install task lighting around the mirror to guarantee the effectiveness of your skincare routine. The lights should be bright enough for the activity without necessarily causing eyestrain.

While you plan to layer your bathroom lighting, research the difference between luminance and illuminance. This should help you grasp the amount of light passing through various objects to fall onto different surfaces in your bathroom and how to select the best lights for task, accent and general lighting.

Install Dimmer Switches

As many homeowners can attest, installing dimmer switches is worth it. These devices allow you to dim your bathroom lights in the morning so the bright lighting doesn't assault your eyes that early in the day. You can also create a candlelit effect when you need to enjoy a long soak in the bath to relax.

Besides, dimmer switches help you reduce electricity expenses since your lights consume less energy if not functioning at maximum capacity.

The best place to place dimmer switches should be outside your bathroom, next to the wall light switch. Installing the devices inside the room is inadvisable because exposure to humid regions increases the chances of electrical damage, which could cause electrocution.

But before you install the switches, confirm they're compatible with your bathroom's lighting setup by consulting your electrician. You should also find out everything about the options available—regular and pull cord dimmer switches.

Understand IP Ratings and Bathroom Zoning

When lighting up your aesthetically pleasing and safe bathroom space, you must pay extra attention to the zoning and IP (Ingress Protection) rating. This enables you to choose the best lighting and place it in the right part of the room.

All lights have a particular IP rating to help you determine if they're safe to install in bathrooms. Ideally, it shows how resistant the lighting is to hazards like dust particles and water. And all you have to do is check the first and second digits after the initial "IP" to read it. So, the first number indicates the protection against dust particles, while the second one shows the protection rating against moisture.

The higher the rating, the safer the lighting is from dust and water damage. Let's look into some examples to help understand the IP rating for bathroom lighting.

IP20 – The lighting is protected against solid materials with a diameter of more than 50 mm (unless the intrusion is intentional), such as fingers. However, it's not resistant to moisture.
IP48 – The bathroom light is protected against solid items with at least 2.5 mm diameters, like wires and screws. In addition, it also has protection against uninterrupted submersion in water to a depth of up to 3m.
IP66 – The light is 100% protected from dust particles, and high-pressure water jets cannot damage it, no matter their angle.

Bathroom Zoning

As you consider the IP rating of your bathroom lighting, you must also factor in bathroom zoning, which dictates where you should install the lights to protect them against water. The lower the bathroom zoning number is, the higher the IP rating should be.

Usually, there are three bathroom zones:

Zone 0: This zone's minimum required IP rating is IP67, including the bath and showers.
Zone 1: Covers the region above your bath to a height of 2.5m from the floor and the same height between the latter and the top of your shower. An IP rating of IP65 is ideal for this area.
Zone 2: With a required IP rating of at least IP44, this region is 60 cm outside your bath, to a height of 2.25 from the floor.
Zone 3: Covers areas outside zones 0, 1 and 2, where you're likely to use water only during cleaning. An IP rating is not required for this region; IP44+ rated lighting is recommended.

Let's Help You Spruce Up Your Bathroom

It's easy to get edgy – and still be excited – when it's time to get your modern bathroom lighting, regardless if you're building, renovating, or planning in advance. You must worry about choosing the lighting and installing it in the right places while considering aspects like height, lumens, and light direction. Whether you're new to the game or know much about illuminating home spaces, it can all be confusing, right?

Thankfully, at Toplightco, we have your back. We provide ultra-modern lighting supplies in the UK to help you illuminate your bathroom in a manner that fits your personal style, no matter its size or design. Our inventory comprises a vast array of bathroom lights, ranging from LED spotlights and downlights to dimmable and unique wall lamps that you'll love.

Unlike some light shops, we don't just supply bathroom lighting fixtures. We go one better by helping you select the best options for your space and installing them at your convenience. If you'd like to know more, contact our experienced lighting professionals today.