Choosing lighting for the bathroom - which is better
Lighting the room with which we start our day should please us from the first second. The bathroom is the citadel of our beauty. Bathroom light should not be annoying. The perfect combination would be a warm, flooding white light with a spotlighting of morning toilet items in a bluish hue. Moisture-proof unique light sources will not only please you with their characteristics, but also contribute to the creation of modern design. We'll tell you about this and much more below.
Lighting must be safe
The bathroom is different from others due to the high humidity that steam leaves behind. Lighting in the bathroom should be done with special care. You can use any fixtures, but most importantly - moisture-proof, having protection class IP44 or higher, which are not afraid even of direct drops of water.
Wiring should be placed inside the walls in a plastic jacket (corrugated), and junction boxes should be sealed hermetically. All wire joints should be soldered and reliably insulated, this approach maximizes safety from short circuits.
Tip: If you don't know how to solder twists, you can use a waterproof coupler to connect the wires.
Separate the lighting into zones
It should be noted that lighting should be divided into zones. The basic lighting can be made with fluorescent or LED lamps, it is desirable not to use very bright devices. Divide the room with contrasting light - this will add uniqueness and have a positive effect on perception.
Lighting in the shower is best done with low-voltage light sources, LED lights will work great. Lighting in the area of the sink and the mirror - with spotlights or wall sconces. With this positioning you achieve optimal and comfortable lighting.
Number of fixtures and their location
Number of elements and lighting fixtures in the bathroom depends on the size of the room and interior design. For example, for a small room, it is enough to install one suspended ceiling and a couple of wall lights near the mirror.
Larger rooms do not allow you to emphasize the ceiling fixtures. With suspended ceilings and a voltage regulator with spotlights, you can achieve a great intimate atmosphere for taking a bath in the evening.
The spot lights are placed in the ratio one unit per square meter square meter area of the room. LED strip will help to give a concise outline of your furniture and emphasize the uniqueness of the stretch ceiling.
Lighting fixtures create atmosphere, so experiment and add as many light sources as possible. The main thing is to observe the correct connection and the requirements for moisture protection.
We recommend that you take a look.
Selecting light sources
Electronics have a protection class. Light fixtures are no exception. For the bathroom, the recommended protection rating is IP44 or higher. Before you buy, take a look at the table, it will help you understand what kind of lighting equipment you will be dealing with.
| Degree of protection IP | Liquid | IP_0 | IP 1 | IP_2 | IP_3 | IP_4 | IP_5 | 1Р_6 | 1Р_7 | 1Р_8 |
| Objects and dust | no protection | Protection from drops falling vertically | Protection from drops falling down at an angle of up to 15° | Protection from drops falling down at an angle of up to 60° | Protection from drops falling from all sides | Protection against drops falling from all sides | Protection against heavy water spray from all sides | short-term submersion protection up to a depth of 1 m | protected for immersion and short periods, depth max. 1 m | |
| IP0_ | no protection | IP00 | ||||||||
| IP1_ | Protection against particles over 50 mm | IP10 | IP 11 | IP 12 | ||||||
| IP2_ | Protection from particles over 12,5 mm | IP 20 | IP 21 | IP 22 | IP 23 | |||||
| IPZ_ | Protection from particles over 2.5 mm | IP 30 | IP 31 | IP 32 | IP 33 | IP 34 | ||||
| IP4_ | Protection from particles larger than 1 mm | IP 40 | IP 41 | IP 42 | IP 43 | IP 44 | ||||
| IP5_ | protection against coarse dust | IP 50 | IP 54 | IP 55 | ||||||
| IP6_ | complete protection against dust | IP 60 | IP 65 | IP66 | IP 67 | IP 68 |
Moisture protection is usually provided by a special design of the light housing. It includes gaskets that ensure hermetic sealing of housing parts to each other. This design does not require disassembly of lamps when cleaning the room.
When using LED strip make sure the degree of protection, it should be the maximum. As a rule, LED strip is often mounted due to its sticky base. It is recommended to use a higher protection class. In this case, IP68 is fine.
Variety of waterproof luminaires
All lights differ in design and type of installation. Let's look at the main options for lighting in the bathroom - this will help you to navigate when planning the interior of the bathroom. Types of fixtures:
- Spot Lighting fixtures - there are both recessed and surface-mounted. Place of installation suspended plastic and stretch ceilings. Wall-mounted spotlights are installed on the walls, unlike their predecessors, they have a housing. It is important to pay attention that it was waterproof.
![Which bathroom light is best for you?]()
Spotlights come in different designs. - Ceiling - come in different designs (chandeliers, discs, boxes), but the essence of them is suspended or overhead mounting to the ceiling. Also have a protection class.
- Wall - analogous to wall-mounted spotlights, except that the light source is fluorescent or LED lamps. The light is diffused.
![Bathroom sconces must be resistant to splashing water.]()
In the bathroom, sconces should be resistant to splashing water. - Floor - are used to illuminate the floor, have protection not only against moisture, but also against impact.
- Track - are popular today. The design is based on a pole on which there are two or more lamps. The shades of such lamps are movable. Often installed near mirrors.
![Track lights]()
Track lights allow you to direct the flow of light in the desired location with a slight movement of the hand. Lamps and spotlights are used as light sources. Mounted on a movable bracket. - Decorative lighting - these are devices of low power, as well as LED strip. Applied according to your taste and create a warm shade of light.
Optimal lighting for the bathroom
Optimal would be lighting that creates a comfortable environment for procedures. In this case, it is up to you to decide how to arrange the room better, and we will give some useful tips on the location of lights in the bathroom.
Create concealed lighting of furniture and cabinetsIt will give your furniture an unusual effect of floating, highlighting its contours and flooding the room with a pleasant radiation. Such lighting is great not only for furniture, but also for the ceiling.
An original solution would be floor lighting. There are several ways to do this:
- Install it in the baseboard.
- Install spot overhead light fixtures.
The method of installation choose for yourself, you should imagine what effect you want to get from the lighting. LED strip will do the job evenly.
Use spotlights to illuminate individual elements. Connect all light fixtures to separate switches. For example, in the evening, you can create a relaxing atmosphere by lighting up the bathroom with spotlights and the floor LED skirting board. Such solutions will create a distinct effect of twilight and spot lighting.
Do not focus on the ceiling lighting, it is recommended to install as many different light sources. To highlight the ceiling, use LED strips, the light from them will give additional lighting to the room.
Useful tips
Use as many light sources as possible. For example, if the switches are at the back of the room, you can use the floor lighting skirting boards with a motion sensor, it will light your way to the switches of the rest of the light.
Mirrors illuminate the contour, this way you will add volume to the room. A light near the mirror for your procedures should be taken from the track fixtures, thanks to them you can direct the light to the right place, they are well suited if all your family is not of the same height.
Video lesson: What is the best ceiling to do in the bathroom.
For lighting safety, securely insulate all wiring locations and use fixtures with the appropriate moisture protection class. Make the connection places of wires waterproof coupling, it will ensure a reliable contact.
