Sally Storey, Creative Director at Sally Storey Design, shares her best tips and ideas for bathroom lighting. She also provides products to help you achieve the perfect bathroom lighting. The lighting in a bathroom can transform the feel and look of the room with a simple switch. You can earn a “get up and go” feeling in the morning or a “spa-like feel” for relaxing at night. We will share some of the best bathroom lighting tips and ideas to make your bathroom look great.

You will first need to determine your bathroom lighting requirements. Consider how often you use the bathroom and what natural light is available. Consider mood lighting for your bathroom. What features would you like to highlight, and where do you need the task light to see clearly?

General lighting

Instead, highlight the finishes by placing the LED close to the tiled or stone wall. The LED water spring can be placed close to the stone or tile wall. This will create streaks of light that look like flowing water. The perfect balance is achieved by placing one above the WC and the other near the basin.

You can find the zones and ratings of an IP rating in your bathroom using our guide: Bathroom Zones and Ratings.

Task lighting

It is essential to have task lighting around the mirror, as you’ll need it to wash your face, shave and apply makeup. This can be achieved by placing a light on either side of your face. Pendants are now being used instead of wall lighting on either side of the bathroom mirror. Charms such as Grissini and Pene are among the best options for bathroom lighting. Consider wall lights and frosted strips that are integrated into the mirrors. A backlit mirror is another way to achieve the effect. The Contour LED HD27 strips can create a floating mirror effect.

Avoid a low light directly above your head. It casts unflattering and distracting shadows, making it a poor task lighting.

Spa magic

The best bathroom lighting is to use low-level LEDs that are one watt. This will make a huge difference. Lucca uplights can illuminate a wall behind a bath or light shutters on a window sill. It’s like placing nightlights all around the room – an instant candle. Combining these with floor wash under the sink and on the side walls to wash the floors using Sirolo or Cazalla will reflect the light from the bottom, creating another layer.

Additional impact

Add another layer to your bathroom’s lighting for more drama and interest. Consider adding lit niches in the shower or above the bathtub. As shown in the display unit, these can be illuminated with Contour LED Strip or Etta’s eyelid. It also adds depth to your bathroom.

Night light

The addition of low-level lighting that comes on as soon as you enter the bathroom will provide perfect lighting for visits at night. Consider adding low-level Floor Washing that comes on automatically with a Presence Infrared. Use the Sirolo and Cazallafloorwashers as night lights, or place a Contoured LED strip beneath a floating sink. It also shows off the surface of your floor by washing light across it.

Finishes

The finishes can influence bathroom lighting. You could see the reflections if you were adding a low-level floating effect beneath a vanity with shiny flooring. This would ruin the illusion. You would then need to position your led strip and use a frosted profile carefully. Consider using a single-point light source, such as the Cazalla.

Lighting control

Dimming is crucial to creating the perfect balance between the different light layers. Consider using two dimmed circuits for a simple effect—one for the general lighting and another for the task/mirror light and lower-level effect lights. The control system is the perfect solution. It allows you to have four different scenes, allowing greater flexibility.

Zones and IP ratings

You must determine if the fittings you choose for your bathroom are IP-rated. Ratings will differ depending on the distance from water sources. It would be best to look for IPX4 or higher in a shower. You only need an IP-rated fitting in some rooms if your ceiling height is 2.25m. Learn more about the lighting zones in your bathroom.