Using Downlights In Your Bathroom

Redecorating the bathroom can be quite different to the rest of the rooms in your house, and therefore takes some extra thought, for obvious reasons. One of the main differences is the lighting that you use.

In most areas of the home, perhaps with exception to the kitchen, having soft, warm and inviting light is the most popular method of illuminating a room. This doesn’t work so well in the bathroom, where the light needs to be clear and bright. This is for two reasons. Firstly, the light means that things can be seen in more detail, which is clearly important when looking in the mirror. Secondly, a bright and clean light helps to show the cleanliness of the room.

Downlights are generally well suited to bathrooms for several reasons. As they are often recessed into the wall, the switch is easily placed outside the room for safety reasons, and this also makes them easy to clean and well out of the way of water; something obviously important in a bathroom. Because they are usually small, downlights can be put in many different places, and you can decide exactly where the light shines. This is particularly useful for the bathroom mirror. Many people will place several downlights directly above the mirror for best effect; similar to a vanity desk. Most downlights are fitted with LEDs, and they are useful in that they come in a wide variety of tones. While bright white lights are indeed good, make sure that you choose one that accurately shows skin tones; some of the more yellowy lights are not complementary.

The nature of downlights means that their beam is relatively concentrated. For this reason, it is often essential to use several of them, which can pose problems. Fitting downlights is not as simple as traditional lamps, so it’s important to have them installed by a qualified electrician, especially as you’re working in an environment where water is present. You’re also potentially left with holes in the ceiling that need to be filled if you choose to redecorate. For these reasons, you should always consider whether downlights are the best option. You also need to be aware that if they aren’t spaces correctly, you can be left with uneven light.