How to light a bathroom properly?
Natural light remains the ideal lighting for the bathroom. Nevertheless, day or night, you spend time in this room. Moreover, not all bathrooms can benefit from an opening onto natural light. In this sense, the installation of one or more artificial light sources becomes indispensable.
Lighting this room requires compliance with certain basic rules. You also need to know how to choose the right type of luminaire for this room. A few essential tips and tricks will optimize the practicality and design of this room.
So, how do you light a bathroom properly? These are the answers you'll need to ensure impeccable lighting in this room.
Bathroom lighting: the basics
The choice of bathroom lighting is not just a matter of taste. You need to take into account other parameters such as the functional aspect of the fixture and the comfort it brings to the room. Here are some basic rules you need to adhere to in order to properly light a bathroom.
Install several light sources
In the same way as the bedroom and the living room, the bathroom requires several light points. Reason why you must submit to the golden rule on interior lighting, which consists of installing different light sources in the room. In fact, in addition to the main lighting, the latter must have functional lighting to optimize its practicality. And with the right mood lighting, you can add a touch of originality and personalization.
General or main lighting
General lighting is that which illuminates the whole bathroom and lights up every nook and cranny without insisting on any particular area. In this sense, the light should cover the entire room while avoiding glare to the eyes.
The choice of lamp wattage is therefore essential so that it can cover as much space as possible without creating shadowy areas. As for its placement, it must allow the bathroom to benefit from soft, diffused lighting.
In principle, ceiling fixtures such as pendants, chandeliers and ceiling lights are preferred to provide general lighting for the bathroom. Placed directly in the center of the ceiling, they can take a variety of forms. Flat models are the most recommended, as they are very discreet and take up very little space. They are ideal for small bathrooms.
Good to know: you can opt for suspension Hang which are available in several colors. Modular, these models come with a long cable. This allows you to adjust the height of the luminaire to suit your needs and create the style that matches your interior design.
Depending on the features and style of your bathroom, you can take other models such as recessed spotlights, adjustable spotlights or even stand-mounted floor lamps. In fact, these models provide a designer touch to your interior decoration while performing their general lighting function.
Functional lighting
In the bathroom, functional lighting is mainly used to illuminate the mirror. This area requires clean, neutral and, above all, glare-free light. In fact, the mirror area is particularly strategic. Good lighting remains essential for applying make-up, shaving or grooming.
During the day and at night, the lighting in the mirror area must give you good visibility.
Good to know: ideally, avoid installing halogen lamps around or above the mirror, as they diffuse yellow light. In fact, warm colors don't offer good visibility to the mirror area, which can greatly interfere with make-up. However, the LED bulbs like some of the models offered by Hoopzï are ideal for illuminating mirrors. They diffuse bright lights, but don't dazzle.
Good to know: to light the mirror area, theluminous intensity of the bulb must be greater than 500 Lux. Ideally, the lighting should diffuse light with a brightness close to natural lighting.
Ambient or decorative lighting
Customizing your bathroom decor with designer lighting fixtures is entirely possible. You can focus on mood lighting to sublimate your bathroom and create the atmosphere of your choice. It's optional, but it adds an extra touch of decoration to the room, not to mention a feeling of well-being. In this context, it complements functional lighting and serves as accent lighting.
The bathroom is the ideal place to relax and unwind after a long day's work, especially if it has a bathtub. For this reason, the choice of mood lighting in this room is crucial.
So, rely on the design of the fixture and the color of the light to relax the atmosphere and achieve a relaxing mood. You can install Bala cords or Hang pendants along the wall or above the bathtub to act as mood lighting. To bring a Zen spirit to a spacious bathroom, hang an LED sky from the ceiling, attach a colored strip light to a section of the wall, and so on. Fluorescent or LED light strips installed in the background of the bathroom make the atmosphere in this room as soft as it is relaxing.
Choosing the right light color
Ideally, the bathroom should have a neutral white light source. This color provides a luminosity close to daylight. It effectively diffuses light with cool, white tones guaranteeing good visibility inside the room. With such brightness, you can shave or apply make-up comfortably while avoiding shadowy areas and contrasts.
In this sense, you need to invest in bulbs with an excellent CRI (Color Rendering Index), i.e. over 90.
Good to know: an opening to natural light is a real asset for the bathroom. Don't hesitate to optimize it to bring maximum natural light inside.
When it comes to mood lighting, you have carte blanche when it comes to light color. Depending on the mood you want to set in your bathroom, you can opt for warm white, blue, red... You can even opt for multicolored light to create a pep's mood and bring a dynamic atmosphere into this room.
Focus on good lighting for the mirror area
Lighting the mirror area requires a few requirements. These requirements deserve no neglect at the risk of compromising your beauty routine or shaving session.
In this context, settling for a light source above the mirror proves to be a big mistake, especially if you have a spacious bathroom. It creates shadowy corners and compromises your overall vision.
The direction of the light must unquestionably come from the front. If it comes from above, it risks creating very pronounced shadow areas.
Good to know: you can opt for a mirror haloed in light, which provides a triple advantage. Firstly, it's highly designer and offers a touch of originality to the bathroom. Secondly, it illuminates a large part of the room. And finally, the light it diffuses perfectly performs the function of functional lighting, effectively illuminating the beauty space without the need to install an additional light source.
Good to know: think again, mood lighting cannot act as lighting for the mirror area.
Take into account electrical standards and safety regulations
Even if water and electricity don't mix well, these two elements must cohabit in the bathroom. In this case, caution is called for to ensure the safety of the home and the protection of its occupants. Here are the main rules you need to comply with.
The NF C 15-100 standard and the protection index
In France, low-voltage electrical installations are governed by the NF C 15-100 standard. The latter establishes rules to ensure the proper cohabitation of water and electricity installations. They are designed to be practical, efficient and safe.
According to these rules, the bathroom is divided into several safety zones expressed in volume. As for the protection index, it defines the level of tightness of the electrical equipment. A device with a high index benefits from optimum protection.
Volume 0: this corresponds to the part in the immediate vicinity of water. It thus covers the area occupied by the shower and bathtub. The underside of the shower tray is also included.
Ideally, no electrical appliances should be installed here as this area is particularly exposed to water. However, volume 0 can accommodate Class III lighting with a protection rating greater than IPX7 and a voltage less than or equal to 12V. But to optimize the safety of the room, installing the transformer outside the volume remains essential.
Good to know: IPX7 equipment is protected against temporary immersion.
Volume 1: this zone covers the edges of volume 0. It authorizes very low voltage (12 V) equipment and class III lighting with an IPX4 protection rating. However, to limit the risk of accidents, the transformer should be placed in volume 3.
Good to know: IPX4 protects devices against splashing and splashing water.
Volume 2: this zone is within a 60 cm radius of volume 1. Among other things, it authorizes:
- Class II or very low-voltage lighting and switches,
- Class II storage and instantaneous water heaters,
- Shaving sockets between 20 and 50 Va.
- Equipment with a protection index greater than or equal to IPX4.
Volume 3 or off-volume : this zone covers the rest of the bathroom, away from water points. This part allows all types of electrical appliances and equipment, namely tumble dryers, switches, sockets...
You also need to know the different classes of electrical appliance.
- Class I: electrical equipment features functional insulation. As they present risks of direct contact, they are protected via an earth connection.
- Class II: electrical equipment has double insulation without earthing.
- Class III: electrical equipment operates at extra-low safety voltage and without earthing.
The location of electrical outlets
The placement of electrical outlets must take two parameters into account: the practicality of the equipment and personal safety.
Thus, electrical outlets must be high enough to avoid the risk of electrocution. Ideally, they should be located in the non-volume area (volume 3). Ideally, a floor height of 1 meter is required to avoid contact with water in the event of flooding or water damage.
What light fixture should you choose to illuminate your bathroom?
Discover our bathroom fixtures and accessories
Between the practicality of ceiling lights, the originality of wall sconces and the luminous ambience provided by spotlights, choosing light fittings becomes a difficult task. Here are a few practical tips to help you choose the ideal fixture to light your bathroom.
Wall sconces
In the bathroom, wall sconces effectively perform the role of accent lighting. They complement the main lighting for:
- Light the mirror area (ideally the color temperature should be between 3,500 and 4,500 Kelvins);
- Create a subdued ambience;
- Illuminate shadowy areas;
This type of luminaire has a bracket fixed to the wall. In most cases, it is fitted with a shade generating a caulked effect that is particularly conducive to a zen, soft and relaxed atmosphere. Made of metal, fabric or glass, the lampshade lends a more or less personalized design to the luminaire.
Luminaire suspensions
Light pendants happen to be an excellent choice for:
- Lighting the bathroom interior,
- Illuminate a particular area,
- Customize the ambience in the bathroom.
However, you must respect certain rules such as that the choice of fixture must take into account the style and size of the room. So, for a modest-sized bathroom, fixtures such as Hang pendant lights or Bala cords are recommended. These models come with designer electric cables allowing you to personalize your interior decoration.
As stylish as they are functional, pendant lights must bend to the constraints of the bathroom, which is a humid room.
Les lampadaires
Need some original decoration? Break the codes by installing a lamp post in your bathroom. As it requires a special location, this type of fixture is mainly suited to spacious bathrooms.
In this context, floor lamps are recommended to provide ambient lighting in the room. What's more, you're spoilt for choice, whether in terms of material, shape or light color.
Standing lamps
Certainly, table lamps add an extra decorative touch to the bathroom. However, it must be recognized that this fixture is not suitable for all types of lighting.
In fact, the role of table lamps is limited to accent lighting in the bathroom. Its physical characteristics do not allow it to cover the entire bathroom. With this in mind, you can install wall sconces on either side of the mirror area. Good lighting and decorative effect guaranteed!
Spotlights
The main advantage of spotlights lies in the fact that they can be adapted to any bathroom, whether narrow or spacious. You can install them above the shower, at ceiling level, on a section of wall, on tall furniture...
Important note: if you decide to install spotlights above the shower, you must strictly comply with the relevant safety standards to avoid the risk of electrocution.
Bathroom ceiling lights
Very discreet, ceiling lights are space-saving because they are fixed directly to the ceiling. They can provide the main lighting in the bathroom and are recommended for rooms with low ceilings.
Class I lighting, this type of luminaire must be installed out of volume.
Note: the case of a windowless bathroom
The case of a windowless bathroom deserves special attention. Here are a few tips to help you optimize lighting in this room.
Demultiply light points
Artificial lighting is crucial in a windowless bathroom. Diffused light emanating from several sources remains essential. The choice of luminaire is not limited as long as you respect the basic principles of bathroom lighting.
Install a large ceiling light complemented by several accent lights. You can place Hang pendants or Bala cords along the wall on either side of the room to provide beautiful ambient lighting. Failing a large ceiling light, you can opt for recessed ceiling spotlights and add a good light source to illuminate the mirror.
Play with mirrors, decoration and color
It's a fact: mirrors are a way of optimizing spaces by visually enlarging the room. What's more, they reflect and diffuse light throughout the bathroom, allowing you to brighten it up even more.
As mirrors are highly decorative, don't deprive yourself of them! Play with shapes and styles to bring a touch of originality to your interior.
The choice of color is also crucial for windowless bathrooms. Favor light colors, especially bright white which is very luminous, to paint the wall. Afterwards, you can bring a little color into the room by investing in colorful furniture, but always in a light tone.
L'Équipe Hoopzi
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