Vanity light fixtures come in as many shapes and forms as there are styles of homes, and the one that you’re looking for is out there waiting for you.  In this article we’ll take a look at some of the different types bathroom vanity light fixtures, how to get the best results from them, and how to install them.

Styles of Bathroom Vanity Light Fixtures

Like I said above, most people think that a vanity light fixture is five or seven bulbs above the mirror.  How wrong they are!  I’m sure that you have a pretty good idea of what the “style” of your home is, be it modern, contemporary, country, etc.  There are bathroom light fixtures that will meet the needs of your home and help prevent the room from feeling like a forgotten artifact in the design of the house.

Modern bathroom vanity lights are usually sleek, elegant, and sophisticated without being snobbish or pretentious.  This modern look is very popular with new and young homeowners who are looking for their home to grow in sophistication as they are in their personal and professional lives.  I feel that that modern light fixtures fit well with calm and muted colors, such as greys and browns that will offer a clean look and feel to any bathroom.  Most modern vanity light fixtures are silver, brushed aluminum, or stainless steel.  In some homes these materials may feel cold and harsh, but when the entire home has a modern feel to it, these textures fit in perfectly.

Contemporary bathroom light fixtures are a bit more conservative than their modern counterparts.  Again, these bathroom vanities share the same materials such as chrome, stainless steel, or brushed aluminum, but many also come in gold and bronze options that give a bathroom a much warmer feel.  These light fixtures pair well with bathroom vanity sinks and are perfect for the growing family that is working to make their house feel like a home.  Contemporary bathroom fixtures will pair well with the bold colors that young families love.  Hunter green and navy blue both pair excellently with the silver and gold finishes and give a bathroom a warm feeling.

Getting The Most From Your Bathroom Vanity Light Fixtures

There is a little bit more to vanity lights than installing it and flicking the switch.  When you’re still in the planning phase you must consider the way that the light is going to shine onto the face when it’s in front of the mirror.  If the only light in the bathroom is coming from a light fixture directly above the mirror, harsh shadows are going to be cast along the length of the face.  Applying makeup and shaving is going to be difficult without being able to clearly see the face.  For best results, there should also be some sort of light coming in from the sides of the mirror.  In bathrooms that are painted white and have light colored countertops, this isn’t an issue since the light will reflect off of those, but for those with dark walls or counters it can be difficult.  This problem can be resolved by simply adding another small light on each side of the mirror.

Installing Bathroom Vanity Lights

If you already have a vanity light installed above the mirror, installation is as easy as turning the power off, removing the existing sconce, and installing the new one.  If you don’t have preexisting wires, it’s much trickier and may require professional help.  The electrical work isn’t difficult, and neither is the drywall, but there is a lot of room for error when working inside walls to run wires.

After the sconce has been installed, your choice of light bulbs is almost as critical as the light fixture choice.  Choosing a bulb that is too bright will make your bathroom feel like the Vegas strip, and too dim will cause it to feel like a dungeon.  The wattage that you need depends directly on how many lights are on the vanity.  I recommend 60w for three lights, and 10w less for each light added.  Your results may be different depending on the size of the bathroom and the colors of the walls.

If you’re working to make your house as green as possible, avoid using CFL bulbs in your vanity lights.  Fluorescent light will cause the skin to have a yellow tint on it when looking in the mirror.  Yellow skin will at least make it hard to put on makeup, or at the worst make you think you have jaundice!  Instead, halogen bulbs offer a clean, white light and much better energy efficiency than traditional bulbs do.

This post should act as the foundation to your bathroom vanity light fixture shopping list.  Vanity lights come in many shapes and sizes, as well do bathrooms.  It may take a few installations and removals before you find the vanity light fixture that you are absolutely happy with.

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3. Bathroom Light Fixtures

Bathrooms are the most commonly looked over area in the home by my clients.  Most people just don’t think to invest in bathroom light fixtures, and this leaves that area of the house feeling forgotten and unattended.  Bathrooms are beginning to play a more important role in the home, as multi-head showers and saunas are being installed, but many people are forgetting the importance of lighting and its effect on the entire room.

A bathroom lighting fixture is much more than the light that goes above the mirror.  There are many delicate things that happen in bathroom, things like shaving and putting on makeup need quality light to be done as well as they can be.  A simple plan of where the light shines and how it should look will help you transform your bathroom to extraordinary levels.

When planning your bathroom lighting fixtures, careful attention must be paid to angles and positions of the lights.  Think of the mirror like a flash on a camera, and how harsh and direct light can create sharp shadows on the face.  This type of lighting is going to make shaving and makeup very difficult.  A bathroom vanity light fixture should be above the mirror with bulbs that all the light to shine down.  For increased quality of light, fixtures should be on the sides of the mirror as well.

Choosing the correct bulbs is also very important.  My family is very energy-conscious and uses compact fluorescent lights all throughout our house, except in the bathroom.  CFL bulbs cause the skin to appear very yellow, so we use halogen bulbs that give off a great balance of white light, and last a very long time.  Most bathroom light fixtures are a series of lights that require multiple bulbs.  This can be a major drain on the power meter, so use the lowest voltage light you can.  60 watt bulbs are usually too dim for single use, but when there are 4-5 of them they can be very effective at lighting a large area.

Master bathrooms should always be equipped with a dimmer for the main lights.  This offers the ultimate lighting control and can turn a bathroom from a place to do your “business” to a romantic and relaxing getaway.  Dimmers are surprisingly easy to install, and can be done by the average weekend-warrior who understands how to turn off power to the switch, in just a few minutes.

Bathroom lighting is what makes a bathroom feel like it’s part of the home, and the proper light fixtures are key to making it happen.

Related posts:

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3. Choosing Bathroom Light Fixtures