Homeowners spend hours choosing just the right bath tile, countertop, flooring, fittings, and fixtures, but lighting is often an afterthought. Designers forget about creating a lighting scheme that will showcase the finished project.
“If you're going to spend money on nice finishes, but you can't see to appreciate the finishes or to function in the bath, what is the point?” asks Peggy Fisher, design director of the Fisher Group in Annandale, Va. She spends up to 5% of the project budget on lighting. “It's hard to sell an intangible. Our clients go on blind faith up front — and only appreciate lighting afterwards,” she says.
There are two types of lighting needed in the bathroom. First, there is the overall light in the room — the ambient light. Second, homeowners need task lighting for the vanity, shower, and tub.
Ambient LightFisher says rooms are easier to live in if they are not evenly lit. “People get tired in all fluorescent office space because it is evenly lit and the eye has no place to rest,” she says. She recommends creating light and dark areas in the room. Fisher starts by evaluating the finishes in a bathroom. The three primary light-reflecting sources are the floor, ceiling, and walls. “You can have dark walls and a light ceiling and floor and the room will seem bright.”
Fixtures flanking the mirror provide better vanity task lighting than overhead strip lights.
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