How to Choose the Best Bathroom Lighting

There’s never been a better time to install great lighting in your bathroom. No, this isn’t a Home Depot commercial, it’s a strong suggestion. There are many Americans who have been saving their bathroom remodeling jobs for a rainy day project to be completed before they sell their homes. However, with the economy the way it is right now, you might be one of those opting to stay in your current house just a little longer. So you might as well make your house your own home with a tailored style, and one of the best places to start is your bathroom.

Bathrooms can be fun to remodel, or they can be a lot of work. Oftentimes do-it-yourself types install a new Jacuzzi or a spiffy new countertop and paint the whole room over in a revamped pastel before ever giving a thought to new lighting. That’s because choosing new bathroom lighting to complete the look sometimes takes the most amount of effort. Here’s some of the most modern options for that new bathroom lighting you’ve been looking for to wrap up your bathroom remodel project and bring a fresh new light into your bathroom.

If the bathroom you’re remodeling is your main one, and not just a powder room, you might want to consider two different sets of lighting. For the first set which will go above the mirror or vanity, choose fixtures with a bright light to make hair styling, shaving, and makeup application easier to complete. For a lodge style bathroom, opt for an above-mirror mounted light fixture with three-four small lights. Lodge styles include stressed iron finishes accented with leaves, acorns, pinecones, and moose antlers. For a more contemporary look, opt for vertical wall sconces on each side of the mirror in a satin nickel or polished nickel finish.

For the second lighting set, you can choose from a ceiling mounted sconce or flush mounts. These come in a variety of finishes and will look best when coordinated with the vanity lights. If you’d like two sets of lighting for your bathroom, keep coordination issues in mind when making the final choice.

Another issue that might concern you is the type of lamp finish on the fixtures. Bathrooms tend to fog up more heavily than any other portion of the house, especially when one forgets to use the fan when taking a boiling hot shower. Lamp finishes that hold up well to moisture and don’t streak easily are your best bet. Such finishes include opaque glass, opal glass, alabaster shades, and frosted glass lamps. Though they are a little harder to dust with a wet cloth, these show far less grime than regular glass lamps and are pretty much streak-free.

Finally, you might want to invest in a small night light to plug into a bathroom outlet. These can be save energy for nighttime bathroom trips and tend to prevent bathroom accidents, especially when small children live in the house. If the bathroom is located in a hallway, this also doubles as great hall night light as well.

View the following examples for bathroom lighting inspiration. Each of these are a great pick for lodge-style or modern contemporary bathroom lighting and will hold up well for your needs.

http://www.lightinguniverse.com/products/view.aspx?sku=405993

http://www.spacify.com/modern_contemporary_ventana_wall_sconce-431-11-Nov.10107.html

http://www.spacify.com/modern_contemporary_aleta_bath_light-547-11-ill.ELF1I+~MBZ.html

http://www.lampsusa.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=32963

Have fun with your bathroom project!