12 Tips to Improve Your Bathroom Mirror Lighting

Sian Victoria © - Bathroom with trendy tiles and lighting

Bathroom Lights: How to Get Flawless, Shadow-Free Illumination

I’m sure, like me, you’ve experienced at least one time looking into your bathroom mirror and being startled by what you see. Either you looked completely washed out, or there was an odd, sharp shadow casting across your face, giving you an appearance of a villain straight out of a vintage movie noir.

Obviously, it was unlikely to be your face but rather a poor quality of the bathroom lighting. Bathroom mirror lighting is one of those small design elements that will drastically change your entire morning routine.

So, to improve your bathroom lighting, this post includes twelve easy-to-use tips to make your bathroom mirror a well-lit and bright space. Whether it's a process of shaving, applying makeup, or a long skincare routine, these tips will ensure perfect bathroom mirror lighting and save you a lot of time so that you're not struggling to apply beauty products and shave while fighting off shadows.

1. Avoid the dreaded overhead downlight

The worst thing you can possibly do is to put up a single overhead spotlight or even worse, a downlight, right above your mirror. The reason why this is such a terrible idea is that any light coming down straight from above your head is going to hit your forehead, creating dark shadows below your eyes, nose and chin. You'll age at least ten years in just seconds, not to mention having to struggle with precision applications.

2. Harness the advantage of side lighting

The best way to illuminate a mirror in the bathroom is through the use of fixtures placed on each side of the mirror. Through the use of wall sconces or vertical lighting on both sides of the glass, the result will be perfect cross lighting. This simply means that you will have even light washing your face from two opposite sides, hence removing all shadows. This type of lighting resembles natural daylight and thus reflects an accurate image of yourself.

3. Find your perfect eye level

If you are going to mount the lighting fixtures on either side of your mirror, then height is what really matters here. A great tip to follow would be to mount the centre of your light fixtures at about six feet, or sixty inches, above the ground. Ideally, it would be great if the bulbs could reach your eye level. However, if you share the bathroom with a person whose height differs greatly from yours, then try finding a middle way or installing tall vertical lights.

4. Think about the scale and proportion

Always ensure that the size of your lighting fixtures complements the size of your mirror. For instance, if you have an expansive mirror, the small wall lights will be dwarfed by the mirror and will be unable to give adequate lighting. In addition, if you have a small mirror, oversized lights will create an overcrowded look. You can place a horizontal multi-bulb light fitting on a wide mirror if you cannot use side lights due to the width of the mirror. Just ensure it covers at least a third of the mirror's width.

5. Consider colour temperature

Have you ever found yourself picking up light bulbs and ended up giving your bathroom a hospital or basement feeling? The answer would be the colour temperature, which is measured in Kelvins. It is best if, in the bathroom, the best choice would be warm white light, and it should be within twenty-seven hundred and three thousand Kelvins. If it goes below those numbers, it would have a yellowish tint, which is too relaxing and hard to see things clearly. Anything beyond four thousand Kelvins would look bluish, which is not flattering in the morning.

6. Look for a high colour rendering index

To make sure that the makeup will appear identical both indoors and outdoors when you go out in the afternoon sun, you must make sure that you look at the Colour Rendering Index of the light bulb, which is commonly abbreviated as CRI. This is the index that helps measure the capability of the light source to render the colours of the object correctly. When you purchase light bulbs or integrated LEDs for your bathroom mirror, then a rating of ninety CRI or better is highly recommended.

Sian Victoria © - Bathroom with round LED mirror

7. Say hello to modern illuminated mirrors

Whether it be a full bathroom remodel or simply an aesthetic makeover, the illuminated mirror could be a great choice for you. Such mirrors have LEDs installed in the frame itself or along the edges of the glass, making it appear very beautiful and creating the floating backlighting effect.

When adding an illuminated mirror to your space, they deliver superb front lighting without any drilling on your tiled walls for installing separate wall lights. The latest models even come equipped with demister pads to make sure the glass remains crystal clear after taking a bath.

8. Put everything on a dimmer switch

This will depend entirely on what time of day you are dealing with. If it is seven in the morning, then you will want some very sharp lighting to get yourself going for the day. If it is ten o'clock at night, then you will want very ambient lighting to tell your brain that it is now bedtime. Installing a dimmer switch for your mirror lights will give you complete control over the mood. You can go from practical lighting to a spa-like mood with the flick of a switch.

9. Layer your light sources

There is no one lamp that can perform all tasks in the bathroom. You have to use layered lighting. This involves incorporating your mirror task lights along with your ambient lighting from recessed lights in the ceiling, and accent lighting using strips under your floating vanity cabinet. Having these lamps on different switches makes it easy to customise the amount of light in the room according to your needs at the particular point in time.

10. Avoid clear glass shades and exposed bulbs

As you choose fixtures for your vanity lighting, you should stay away from any fixtures featuring glass globes or totally uncovered bulbs as both will generate too much bright glare, which will make you squint whenever you look into the mirror. What you need is fixtures having frosted, opal, or milk glass shades, as such glass types serve as perfect diffusers and will help spread light gently around the area without being too harsh on your eyes.

11. Choose the right IP rating for safety

The bathroom is a humid area; therefore, you should ensure that all electrical devices are safe. You have to make sure that your light fitting is in proximity to the mirror and the sink has the appropriate Ingress Protection. The requirements differ according to the distance of your lighting fitting to the water sources. Basically, the light fitting that is near a washbasin must have an IP rating of at least IP44, meaning that it is splash-proof in all directions.

12. Coordinate your metal finishes

Although this suggestion may be more aesthetically based rather than having to do with the actual quality of light, coordinating the finishes will make a world of difference to the room. With matte black basin taps and shower heads, installing mirror lights with the same matte black finish will give the room an overall coordinated, design-inspired feel. This does not mean that everything has to match perfectly; in fact, mixing metals works well when done on purpose.

To conclude

Improving your bathroom mirror lighting is certainly one of the most satisfying upgrades you can do in your home. Through avoiding harsh lighting from above with downlights, and opting for balanced lighting from the sides, using the appropriate colour temperatures, and proper diffusion from your light shade, you can design an area which is not only highly functional but also absolutely gorgeous. So, spend some time planning out your design, selecting the correct lights for your space, and remember to always consider the safety rating.