The Ultimate Bathroom Lighting Guide

Introduction

The mighty bathroom! It’s easy to overlook the lighting in the bathroom as just being utilitarian. However, you can take this space to the next level with some easy tweaks that will make it not only useful but a place for relaxation. At Gantri we strive to create lighting that’s beautiful, economical, and environmentally sustainable no matter what it’s lighting. This guide is meant to help you create the perfect bathroom for you!

Utilize lighting layers in the bathroom

Layering lighting is one of the key components of interior design. It provides your space with a variety of looks and functionalities for different times of day and lighting conditions. 

Ambient lighting

Ambient lights provide a room with a base level of bright lighting. They tend to throw light widely to cover a large space. They help create the atmosphere and “mood” of a room by being the most wide-spreading lighting source. A room requires a solid base level of lighting for accents to pop and for an area to feel complete.

Task lighting

Task lighting is specifically utilized for working or performing a task. A common example is the makeup lights surrounding a mirror or vanity. Task lights tend to be bright and practical rather than focusing solely on aesthetics. They usually don’t fill a space light, but instead highlight a specific area. 

Accent lighting

Accent lights (such as under-cabinet lighting or spotlights) are typically more narrowly focused than ambient lighting’s wide throw and help highlight unique features or fixtures of a space. This includes furniture, artwork, or unique design elements — such as the shower, bathtub or shelving. Accent lights help guide the eye and emphasize the unique individuality of a room. 

Decorative lighting

Decorative lighting pieces are great, fun additions to give a space a little more personality. This includes plug-in LEDs or strip lighting that likely won’t be filling much of a space, but look great and help make a room more uplifting!

Bathroom lighting design

Natural lighting is great to light up any space (bathrooms included!), and a window can be great for allowing fresh airflow if your bathroom doesn’t have it. If you don’t have the benefit of natural light, here are some other great options for installing great lighting solutions in your bathroom.

Vanity lighting

Vanity lighting is one of the most important fixtures in a bathroom, so you want to make sure the placement and color temperature of the bulbs are just right. It’s important to place the lighting on the sides of your mirror if possible. This will give you an even wash on your face to eliminate shadows. If the lighting is above the mirror you’ll be heavily shadowed, and it can make it tough to get a realistic feel of your look.

The color temperature of the bulbs (and their CRI (color rendering index) — more on that below) should be as close to natural/neutral light as possible to give you a realistic depiction of your face. Nobody wants to be surprised to find their color palette looks completely different once you step outside!

Tub and shower lighting

When we start to talk about lighting close to sources of water and condensation, it is important to consider safety. For lighting around your tub and shower, you want to look at the IP rating of fixtures and bulbs. (We cover what IR ratings are more in-depth below.) You also want to avoid any lights that have cords. That’s why lighting recessed into ceilings or covered in walls is best for these areas. 

Cabinets and drawer lighting

For lighting cabinets and drawers, there are a few different options to make a creative lighting setup. We suggest strip-LEDS or mountable mini-lights placed in smaller spaces to make it possible to illuminate a darker crevice. These are very useful for when you need to fish something out of a drawer but don’t want to blast light in your eyes in the middle of the night.

Importance of IP zones

IP zones are code measures for installing lights inside a bathroom area. Their purpose is to ensure the safety and security of lights installed within a certain distance of wet zones such as a sink, shower, or bathtub. Since these areas produce steam, moisture and water, they can pose a risk to the insulation of lighting and — more urgently — a hazard of electrocution.

As alluded to previously, an IP rating is a two-digit code that rates a light’s protection against both solid contact and water vapor. Displayed IPXX: the first number rates protection against small solid debris, and the second number rates protection against liquid.

Infographic lifted from Standard Pro

The four IP zones are as follows:

Zone 0 - An area directly inside the bathtub or the floor of a shower. Large quantities of water will be sitting in these areas. A light used in these areas must carry a minimum rating of IP67 to be safe.

Zone 1 - An area above or around the sink basin, bathtub, or shower floor at a distance of up to 2.25 meters. A light used in these areas must carry a minimum rating of IP44 to be considered safe, though a safer consideration is a light rated at least IP65.

Zone 2 - An area extending 0.6m outside of a washtub or shower. This includes the space above it up to 2.25m in length. The outer edge of these areas. To account for potential splashes or moisture perforation, any light used in these areas must carry a minimum rating of IP44.

Zone 3 - Any area located outside of the previous three zones, these areas have no direct exposure to splashes or moisture under normal circumstances. There is no required IP rating for this zone. We do still recommend using a light with a rating of at least IP20.

Bulbs and fixtures

Now that you’ve thought about the different areas to light and how to light them, it’s time to pick the right fixtures and bulbs to make it happen!

Best color temperature for bathroom lighting

A great bathroom has a level of ambient lighting that’s personable and shining to accentuate bright tilework while functional, but still warm enough to instill a sense of comfort. All of our Gantri lights use a unique 2700K temperature LED bulb, which glows with a beautiful radiance and gives a natural glow to ambient lights. You also want to consider the CRI of your bulbs, especially with vanity lighting.

CRI rating

A light’s CRI, or color rendering index, measures the accuracy of color emitted by the bulb. A CRI rating of 80 or higher is best for bathrooms as it produces vivid light and color without looking as gray and flat as lower-rated bulbs.

Fixture size and shapes

Keep your fixture material and shapes consistent to create a unified look for your bathroom. Compact lighting fixtures such as sconces with multiple bulbs look great and stand out while not dominating a space — important for smaller bathrooms. Also, don’t forget to consider the aesthetics of the rest of your home. It might not mesh for two different rooms to feel out of two different eras. 

Depending on the decor style you’re going for, metals like steel or bronze make a well-lit bathroom truly shine and help protect against damage from moisture. You also may want to avoid fixtures with wood in the design as the moisture in a bathroom could affect them over time.

Dimmers or switches?

Everyone loves a high-tech dimmer for being able to set a comfortable mood for their bathroom. Their versatility often comes with a slightly higher price and more specialized fixtures needed to utilize them. If you simply want reliable, consistent ambient lighting then an on/off switch should do just fine. You can still replicate the various lighting levels of a dimmer switch by layering your lighting as we discussed earlier!

Make your bathroom livable

We hope you’ve enjoyed learning some tips from this guide to creating a bathroom you’ll love! Just remember, having a good perspective on the aesthetic goals of your bathroom space will help you make the decisions on what products are best for it. If you’d like to see more, check out Gantri.com for our wide catalog of beautiful, eco-friendly lighting solutions and more inspirational pieces just like these!