BATHROOM LIGHTING 6 hacks that add feel-good vibes to your bathroom
The lighting design in your bathroom should be based on the space you have, so you need to ask yourself the following questions: 1. Do you have a small bathroom with sloping ceilings or plenty of space? 2. Is your bathroom purely functional, or is it an oasis of calm and well-being? Only then can you decide on the lighting choices that best suit your particular needs - regardless of how you see your bathroom. It’s always fun to supplement functional, bright bathroom lighting with calming, decorative lights - because we all need a relaxing escape now and then. And to ensure complete safety, your lights need the appropriate IP protection class for bulbs close to or above your bathtub or shower.
Ceiling lights and recessed spotlights are ideal for general lighting in the bathroom. So, when choosing materials, make sure they’re made to tolerate moisture. As in other areas of the home, modern LED lighting is recommended for the bathroom, making fabric or paper shades a big no-no.
As with all lights in the bathroom, you must choose bulbs with the correct IP protection class. For example, a recessed spotlight directly over the shower falls under a stricter protection range than a ceiling light in the centre of the room.
Getting up in the morning, showering, putting on make-up, or shaving are all part of getting ready for the day. But if you only have ceiling lighting to get ready by, chances are you might not look your best. That’s why LED bathroom mirror lights, whether built into the mirror or in the form of clip-on bulbs, are a must-have.
Small, illuminated handheld, standing or wall mirrors with flexible arms are an additional option for precise beauty regimes, like plucking eyebrows, so that you look nothing less than glorious from the moment you step out of the door.
Lighting next to or in showers and bathtubs are classed as protection area 0. And they must have at least a 7 as the second digit in the IP protection rating to protect against temporary submersion. While bulbs installed directly above the bathtub and shower (in protection area 1) must be at least splash-proof and have at least a 5 as the second digit in the IP protection class.
If your shower has no enclosure, protection area 1 covers up to 120 cm around the showerhead and at least 2.25 metres above it.
Ceiling spotlights are best suited for a bathroom with sloping ceilings. They’re also perfect for installing in suspended ceilings, where all that’s needed is a ceiling connection and a drilled hole into which the spotlight can be pressed.
Narrow mirror lights next to or above the mirror are also space-savers, as are under-cabinet lights. Using lights in this way allows you to create an oasis of calm and well-being without taking up lots of unnecessary space.
Your bathroom is more than just a room for showering and brushing your teeth. With the right choice of lighting, you can create a feel-good mood that makes you want to slip away and pamper yourself with a calming bubble bath.
Warm light colours can create the right mood for all-round well-being, with choices ranging from discreet lighting behind the mirror to LED strips on shelves, drawers and wall lights.
Dimmable bulbs & lights with colour change settings
In the morning, early risers want to start the day quickly and easily. And bright, daylight white lighting often works wonders here. But for sleepy heads, an invigorating shower might be needed to wake them up.
But in the afternoon and evening, when it's time to go home, the bathroom should be a cosy haven. If you have dimmable lights, you can change the light colour from daylight white to cosy warm white to complete the transition to cosiness. And for complete relaxation, there are also lights available which play your favourite music through an in-built loudspeaker - the icing on the cake in terms of ambience.
Frequently asked questions about bathroom lighting
How many lumens or how many spots do I need per square metre in the bathroom?
How many spotlights you need in the bathroom and how bright they need to be depends on the size and nature of the room. In addition to wall and tile colours, shelves, cabinets and the overall colour scheme must be taken into account.
What light colour (Kelvin) is advisable for illuminated bathroom mirrors?
In all honesty, the light colour depends on personal choice and taste. Some people prefer a warm white light colour, while others prefer ‘daylight’ bright or universal white. Some lights, especially in vanity mirrors, have a colour change option, as do some wall mirrors.
There is no right or wrong. It all comes down to the type of light that makes cutting your toenails, plucking your eyebrows or trimming your beard easy peasy.
Can you retrofit a mirror cabinet/bathroom cabinet with lighting?
Absolutely! And the possibilities are endless. Surface-mounted furniture lights are wonderful - and are available for plugging in or screwing on. While LED strips are an atmospheric option - allowing you to cut them to size and stick them on.
When selecting lights for the bathroom, what should be considered in terms of protection class and regulations?
We love to splash around in the bathroom, but that can lead to the whole room becoming damp or even wet. So, for this reason, the bathroom is divided into lighting protection zones. Protection zone 0 is for lights installed directly inside showers and bathtubs, which must be equipped for temporary immersion, i.e. the second digit of the IP protection class, which protects against moisture, must be at least a 7. Protection area 1 is the area on the ceiling above the shower or bathtub. Here the second digit must be at least 5 (protection against jet water). In protection zone 2 - i.e. 60 cm from the shower and bathtub - the same applies to lights as in protection zone 1. Other electrical appliances such as washing machines fall into IP protection class X4. While in protection zone 3 (outside the areas mentioned above), IP protection class X1 is sufficient for bulbs that need protecting from vertically impinging dripping water.
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