Bathroom Lighting Should Be Functional Above Everything Else

The main purpose of bathroom lighting is simply to make the room more functional. But that doesn't mean it can't make the room look better as well.

When picking out lighting for your bathroom, first keep in mind that this is the one room in the house that is used at all hours of the day and night. Remember the last time you had to use the bathroom at 3:00 a.m. Chances are once you finally got there you found yourself running your hand up and down the wall to find the light switch. You can make this much easier in the middle of the night by simply installing a light switch that not only turns on the lights, but has a tiny light of it's own. It's easy to find and turning on the lights will be much easier.

That's just a simple tip to get you started. Now let's figure out the type of bathroom lighting that goes best in your house. You'll have a lot more options if you're looking to light a full bath that has a tub, shower, toilet and sink. But whatever kind of lighting you select, you'll need to make sure it throws off enough light to fill the entire bathroom.

Start by lighting the mirror if you have one. You'll want to light it separately from the rest of the bathroom. There are numerous fixtures made specifically to be used just over the mirror. Once this is accomplished, the rest of the bathroom lighting is much easier.

Keep in mind that most bathroom lighting is designed to be functional rather than fancy. It's common to find recessed lights that are put into the ceiling, thus giving you "head room" yet still providing plenty of light. Other options include lights that are mounted flush against the ceiling and lights that aren't even on the ceiling but attached to the wall. Florescent lights are great for bathrooms. They use less electricity, are less intrusive, and provide plenty of needed light.

If your bathroom has a very small window, you may want to consider a light with a fan. The key thing to remember with bathroom lighting is functional should be your first priority, and making a fashion statement is way down on the list. Remember this is simply a bathroom.