Bathrooms today are more than just for washing and showering, they are places for comfort and relaxation. So bathroom lighting should become part of the overall design of the room rather than just an afterthought. There are fixtures that can produce direct and indirect lighting, some will maximise the space in a small bathroom and be highly functional for grooming, make up or shaving.
Safety is paramount so all fixtures should have the correct protection for each bathroom zone:
- Zone 0 This should protect against total immersion in water in the bath or shower.
- Zone 1 Should protect against splashing up to 2.25 m above the bath or shower tray.
- Zone 2 Should protect from splashing in an area 0.6 m outside the bath or shower as well as up to a height of 2.25m.
Types of Bathroom Lights - Your Options
Bathroom ceiling lights and over shower lights make ideal illumination for a small space. Mix mirror lights, wall lights and spotlights if your bathroom is large. In those spaces that have no windows, such as flat conversions or apartments built in the 1960s and 1970s, bathroom lights have to be switched on all of the time. Ceiling lights alone may cast shadows so an illuminated mirror may be a good solution to this problem.
Try adding a shaver socket to the light to save on space. In bathrooms with very good natural light access, use the lighting in different colours as a way of decorating or to produce diffuse effects as evenings draw in.
