Bathroom lighting: 23 inventive ideas from the best interior designers
“Lighting is a powerful and underestimated tool,” says Sally Storey, the creative director of John Cullen, “Partly, because it’s hard to grasp – you need to experience it to get its true effect.” When it comes to bathroom lighting, everyone has had their own encounters – both good and bad – with it: harsh overheads have been known to cause the sudden appearance of witchy undertones, and those who have ever tried to apply make-up in a too-dim bathroom know the unblended consequences. Conversely, warm or soft bathroom lighting (especially from wall lights) gives a great general glow – and, in effect, a confidence boost.
“For me, bad lighting – and avoiding it – is something I feel strongly about,” says designer Lonika Chande. And we agree: there are plenty of approaches to lighting your bathroom well, whether you consider the room a spa-like oasis or a shared family zone. We've rounded up our favourite design ideas from the House & Garden archive, as well as tips from designers and lighting experts, to help you get your bathroom glowing.
Before you do anything, know your IP rating
Before you decide on your bathroom's lighting scheme, consider where you're putting each light, be it a pendant, sconce or overhead, as you'll need a certain IP rating ("Ingress Protection") which depends on the light's location in relation to the room's waterworks. A light's IP rating relates to how waterproof a light is and what voltage it has. Lights that go inside a bath or shower, for example, need an IP rating of ip67, meaning they are immersion proof and they have a max voltage of 12v. IP44 is another standard in bathroom lights, and means they are splashproof and therefore safe within a certain distance of a sink, bath or shower. If the light is going nowhere near any water - for example a pendant light - then no requirement is needed. You can find out more via The Lighting Superstore.
Decide on your bathroom's atmosphere, then layer lighting accordingly
Not all bathrooms are made equal. A shared bathroom in a family home or one-bedroom flat, for example, might require a brighter lighting scheme to appeal en masse, whereas an en-suite bathroom used for quiet, solo relaxation could do well with softer lighting. Sally recommends approaching your bathroom's lighting in layers of light, noting that “it is by balancing these and changing their intensity that we get the atmosphere within a room.” Make room for overhead lights and wall lights that can be switched on separately, and consider using wall sconces for candles, and even portable, rechargeable table lamps for beside the bath. Designer Lonika Chande favours “lanterns for drama” and adds that “pendants can help to ground tricky open spaces”
Refract and multiply the light with mirrors
Should you be planning the lighting scheme for a small or windowless bathroom, mirrors are excellent tools in helping you to amplify the amount of light in the room. Zoë Zimmer added large mirrors to a windowless bathroom in her London flat, for example, and designer Maria Speake of Retrouvius suggests using mirrored panels in your bathroom, which “can help bounce light around in a room - particularly useful if you have a windowless loo.”
Find balance in your lighting scheme
There is a spectrum to what makes for ‘good lighting’ in any given room. Overhead lighting, for example, is an excellent option that brightens the entire space, whereas wall sconces or ambient hanging lights can give a concentrated glow to the room. However, go too far with the former, and your bathroom lighting can be too harsh or clinical; as for low-level lighting, “get it wrong and it's a mood killer,” says Lonika.
The solution to finding balance in your bathroom's lighting scheme? Dimmable lights. “They create atmosphere in the bathroom,” says designer Sarah Stewart-Smith, “and they make your face look fab.” Whilst dimmable lights can be an expensive investment, Sarah confirms that they are worth it: “[Dimmable bathroom lighting is] stunning and creates light that washes down the walls, making us look good when wearing no kit”, she says.
Consider patina when choosing bathroom lighting
“Everything is so new in bathrooms that a bit of patina is important,” says the design duo behind interiors firm Maddux Creative, “Adding a chandelier for example is a safe place to do it as that won't be within the zoning issues for bathroom electricals, or of course you can always IP rate the electrical bit to make it safe if you do hit a zone. Just add something old in with all the new and it'll make a big difference.”
Christopher Horwood1/20In the bathroom of a Wiltshire house decorated by Robert Kime (and recently refreshed by his studio), ‘William White’ wall lights from Robert Kime and a painted mirror from Spinka & Co add to the elegant feel of this new scheme, with a freestanding bath from BC Designs and a large marble-lined shower.
Astrid Templier2/20In this Herne Hill house by Pandora Taylor, a modern country house feel prevails. In the bathroom, she has used an antique chest for a vanity, with a generous mirror above and traditional wall lights around the mirror – the ‘Seaton Storm’ lights from Vaughan.
Christopher Horwood3/20Making room for candlelight in a bathroom is a must, and we love the idea of incorporating a mirrored wall sconce to bounce the light around. Such pieces can also add a touch of antique patina to a modern bathroom, as in this Provençal house designed by John Tanner.
Mark Fox4/20Hanging lights around a vanity can make for an interesting alternative to wall lights. In Rixo co-founder Orlagh McCloskey's house, she has used vintage glass pendants which add plenty of decorative flair.
Paul Massey5/20Trees on Kit Kemp’s ‘Mythical Land’ wallpaper for Andrew Martin flank the window in a bathroom in this east London terrace, with a blind in James Hare’s ‘Orissa Silk’ in sunflower. A ‘Lederam Manta’ light from Catellani & Smith hangs above a Moroccan rug and makes quite a statement, and the clam shell and marble torso add decorative detail to the bespoke iroko bath surround.
Milo Brown6/20Brass wall lights from Mullan Lighting will create a soft glow in the bathroom of this colourful Stoke Newington house designed by Lonika Chande. The lights are practical enough to use in a bathroom, but decorative enough to help the room feel warm and homely.
Alexander James7/20Following the client's brief for something ‘really quite graphic and black and white' in a Notting Hill pied-à-terre, Studio Peake created this thoroughly modern bathroom. Designed to contrast the ‘country’ bathrooms in the client's house, the stone is from Stone Age, the Basin Taps are from Porter Bathrooms and the wall lights are from Waterworks.
Mark Anthony Fox8/20The sleek bathroom in this modern Cornish house features two black pendant lights which flank a bespoke circular, brass-backed mirror. The lights' colour anchor the room and give the space's scheme perspective.
Mark Fox9/20The main bathroom in Katie Glaister's London house is an inviting space which puts a modern twist on traditional bathroom design. The wall lights are from Waterworks and are shiny accents perfectly suited to the mirror fom Retrouvius as well as the room's other fixtures.
Joachim Wichmann10/20The black and white bathroom tiles in a bathroom in Pernille Lind's house in London are from Bert and May, and the taps and shower fittings are from Lefroy Brooks. The opaque ceiling light – a classic, elegant lighting choice – is from Trainspotters.
Mark Anthony Fox11/20The bathroom in artist Haidee Becker's house and studio, is lined with art, as well as plants. Haidee has hung a simple paper lantern to soften the room's overhead lighting; the hanging paper mobile created by Haidee's daughter, Rachel, is an excellent artistic accent. The two bubble-like sconces that flank the mirror add a small, concentrated accent useful for when the soft lighting from the overhead lantern is not enough.
Photos: Owen Gale, Styling: Rachel Moreve12/20The en-suite bathroom in a west London terrace features one single, bubble-like pendant light, which adds its own soft decorative value and sets an elegant tone.
Chris Horwood13/20Wall panelling with mirrors and mounted wall lights along with the use of marble add glamour in the bathroom of this Mayfair apartment, which is in keeping with its chic location.
Taran Wilkhu14/20It took just three months for photographer and artist Zoë Zimmer to make her mark on her London flat, guided by her love of classic 20th-century design and atmospheric lighting. Zoë's use of large mirrors refracts light throughout the room and gives the illusion of a larger space, and the two large white sconces create a vanity effect.
Paul Massey15/20Finding a compromise between the minimalist tastes of its owner and her love of tactile fabrics and pattern, Rita Konig has subtly enhanced the airy interiors of a Manhattan house. In the bathroom, Rita has hung a chandelier pendant over the panelled bathtub, which adds a touch of country glamour to the space and, when switched on, a concentrated pool of light for the bather.
Magnus Mårding16/20A floating marble sink makes a striking feature in the guest bathroom in Marie Louise Sjogren's apartment, while the mirror refracts the limited light that reaches the room. The fixtures are by Waterworks and the vintage wall sconce is by Josef Frank.
Owen Gale17/20Georgina Cave of Cave Interiors chose these reclaimed patterned tiles to cover the floor and back wall of the bathroom in her London house. The lighting in the shower is strategic, playing well off of the lighter colours in the tiles and drawing more light into the space.
Michael Sinclair18/20This jewel box loo under the stairs was created by Maria Speake of Retrouvius using a quartet of greens. An enamelled wash basin, vitralite float glass and spangly 1930's wallpaper are all salvaged, with flooring in thick glazed tiles. As for the lighing, Maria opted to backlight a vintage Italian mirror, which brings the space to life.
Urban Electric19/20The owners of this North Carolina cottage own Urban Electric, a lighting company with a range of covetable designs. In their bathroom, the pharmacy style wall lights are a collaboration between Workstead and Urban Electric. 'I love how modern those feel next to the old medicine cabinet and mirror we found,' says Kate, the interior designer. This room represents the house really nicely - the lights are modern and clean so nothing feels too 'granny house' and nothing feels too modern or like you can’t sit on it. That is the essence of the house.’
Lucas Allen20/20In the designer Hugh Leslie's London flat, Artemide 'Dioscuri' lights float on the surface of the mirror like bubbles in a bath. The motif is echoed in the handles of the teal cabinets, which were designed by Hugh for the space.
