Lighting is more important in rooms like the bathroom and kitchen because of the practical nature of each room. For instance, the bathroom is the principal room for grooming, be it applying makeup, shaving, dealing with scratches and cuts or generally examining the body. However the bathroom also has to be a retreat to some extent, where you can shut the door on the outside world and have a bit of down time. You want to have a relaxing bath and maybe read a book or meditate on the day just gone. In this case you need lighting that is not too harsh and can be seen as soothing light. Modern bathroom lighting is a balance between these two approaches. In fact the styles of lighting are defined by their applications. There is task lighting, ambient and accent lighting. This article will explain what these terms mean and how they are used in the bathroom.
Task Lighting
Task lighting used to be about a florescent tube above the vanity mirror. This was harsh but effective in showing up the area of your face that you missed when shaving. Modern bathroom lighting has come a long way from there. Task lighting focuses on the vanity area or mirror, the bath and shower areas and even the toilet area.
In terms of the vanity area, having a light above the mirror and face will cause shadows under the eyes, nose and chin. This makes it hard to apply makeup or get that close shave because these parts of the face may be obscured. It is much better to have even lighting so adding vertical lighting on the vanity mirror or cabinet will help to an even lighting. Even better is adding a light source under the mirror.
Shower areas are normally compact and enclosed so good lighting is necessary to ensure that you can see what you are doing. This is from a safety point of view as a wet surface can cause you to slip. It is also helpful to be able to see what you are washing and even read labels on things like shampoo bottles. You may also shave in the shower so you have to be able to see what you are doing. Popular lighting for this is a recessed down lighter. This can be one light or a number of smaller lights. The light should be recessed so that it doesn't get in the way and helps to protect it from water and dampness.
Ambient Lighting
Ambient lighting is the background lighting. This is needed to fill the entire room with light so that you can move around in the room, clean it, see into storage areas and things like that. The most common form of ambient lighting is the ceiling based lighting. This has come on from the single bulb light in the center of the ceiling. Popular alternatives are the series of small down lighters that can act as ambient lighting and even task lighting, as in the shower. In terms of bathroom design, ambient lighting can also be natural sunlight that comes through a window or skylight. It is important if you are redesigning the bathroom or making a new bathroom that you take account of the where the natural light comes from so that you can place the windows in the correct position.
Accent Lighting
Accent lighting is more for creating a theme. It is used to highlight features of the room that you feel sum up it's character or style. So if you have ornaments, statues or architectural features that are original you can train a light onto it. Thus you could turn the ambient lighting off and switch the accented lighting on to create a more relaxing atmosphere. Accent lighting is useful when it has a dimmer control. The dimmer can dial the light up or down depending on your mood.
Getting the balance right between the three forms of lighting is a personal choice based on how you view your bathroom. Is it merely a place where you prepare for the day ahead, a place that you use to wind down after a hard day at work, or both.
If you want to breathe new life into your home or are simply looking for a bit of inspiration then visit http://www.finehomeideas.com. The site gives tips and advice for home renovation and interior design, including choosing bathroom furniture and rustic stone flooring for your home. Adrian Whittle gives ideas on how to make your home special.
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