Different Types of Bathroom Lighting

For the time we spend in the bathroom, you could be forgiven for thinking that the lighting in that little girls (or boys) room isn’t too important, but hold that thought! Clever lighting can give any bathroom, wet room or shower cubicle the illumination it deserves.

If you think about it, you might be surprised just how much time you spend in the bathroom over the course of a week. Obviously, there will be the main ‘number 1’ and ‘number 2’ reasons, but the bathroom can be so much more than a place to unload. Whether you’re showering, bathing, putting on make-up, brushing your teeth or just having a little ‘me time’ on the throne, the bathroom can fulfil a number of uses.

Bathroom lighting needs to be two things to work well. It needs to be both practical (obviously), but also relaxing for those times you want to unwind. Both of those considerations will create two very different atmospheres, but are equally important.

Our bathroom lighting comes in a variety of styles, but you need to consider the location of the lights before you buy them. Because water is more of an issue in a bathroom, you need to be aware of the IP (Ingress Protection) ratings of bathroom fittings. Finding the right fitting is a balance between one that gives off the right light for good visibility, but also ensuring you all remain safe.

When it comes to lighting, the bathroom is split into zones. Zone 0 covers the area inside the bath or shower itself. Lighting here must be low voltage (to a maximum of 12v) and needs to be rated IP67.

Zone 1 is any area above the bath or shower, to a height of 2.25m from the floor.  Most lights for this space will be correctly rated anyway, but they need to be a minimum of IP45, but more generally will be IP65 for safety.

Zone 2 is any area that stretches 60cm outside the perimeter of the bath and to a height of 2.25m from the floor.  Lighting here needs to adhere to at least IP44. It’s also worth thinking about the space around the wash basin too. Any other area of the bathroom, where water ingress is less likely, we’d recommend an IP rating of 20+, but there are no special requirements.

There is a common misconception that bathroom lighting is limited in style or design, but you only have to look at our range to see that simply isn’t true. Whether you want to go for recessed lighting to illuminate your shower or bath (or both) then the range from Forum, Astro Lighting and Endon add a sense of simple elegance to any bathroom.

One aspect to bathroom lighting that is often unique to that room is the ability to build the lighting into furniture, more specifically, bathroom mirror lighting. No bathroom is complete without a mirror or two, so being able to add lighting to one gives you more space, but also allows you to play with lighting. In fact, we have a mirror light from Endon that includes a motion sensor and built-in shaver socket. It’s everything you need in one stunning piece of design.

Lighting a bathroom is just as important as any other room in your home. It might take a little more thought, but with some carefully selected pieces, you can illuminate the smallest room in the house, but still give it the biggest impact.