Ample lighting is essential for safety and convenience in the bathroom. Some tips follow.
Instructions
1. Place wall fixtures on each side of a small- to medium-size mirror (about 36 inches or narrower) over the sink to illuminate your face as needed for shaving or applying makeup. Ideally, these fixtures should be 28 or more inches apart and about 60 inches off the floor.
2. Hang a row of lights with halogen bulbs above a large, wide mirror.
3. Provide lateral lighting on a large mirror by drilling through the mirror to install light fixtures.
4. Consider theatrical lights, which feature exposed incandescent bulbs, around the perimeter of the mirror if your layout permits it.
5. Use color-corrected fluorescent bulbs (so they won't tinge objects with blue) if heat buildup from incandescent bulbs poses a problem.
6. Install recessed downlights, designed for use in wet areas, in the shower and above the tub.
7. Plan a central that will give adequate light for general tasks, including dressing and cleaning, in the bathroom.
8. Put a separate ceiling fixture, either recessed or surface-mounted, in a separate toilet compartment.
9. Provide a night-light for safety. A conventional night-light or a dimmer switch on other lighting will be fine, but you could also go with low-voltage linear lighting mounted in the toe-kick space beneath the vanity or base cabinets.
10. Dress the bathroom's window or windows so that natural light beams in while preserving privacy. Consider a skylight for natural lighting in a bathroom that lacks a window.
Tags: about inches, ceiling fixture, incandescent bulbs