Selecting bathroom lighting can be more challenging than you think — there are so many design options for fixtures and things to consider depending on your unique space. The key to good bathroom lighting is the color temperature of your bulb and the position of your light fixture. Here is the ideal set up:

How to Install Bathroom Lighting

Make sure you install your light fixtures at eye height and about 36” apart. This will light your face really evenly for makeup application. Have you ever noticed that your forehead and eyebrows cast a shadow under your eyes with a light bar that sits above the mirror? Ya. Nobody wants a reminder of too many late nights binging Netflix.

When You Can’t Install at Eye Height

The problem is that sometimes you don’t have the room on either side of the mirror to places sconces, or the cost to change the electrical to lower is prohibitive. In that case, I would always suggest getting a light bar where the bulb sits behind a frosted glass or shade of some kind. That way, the light gets diffused in a way that lights the room really nicely —it glows rather than glares. See a few picks of mine in brass that nicely diffuse light below:

LIGHTING SOURCES

One // Two // Three // Four // Five // Six

Bulbs I Recommend

Next is the bulb: I prefer these bulbs for task-oriented areas like bathrooms and kitchens where you NEED to see what you’re doing. Without getting too sciencey, I think it casts a nice bright light without weird or unflattering undertones that a lot of the new LED bulbs do. These lightbulbs are great for giving off a nice glow of ambient light in bedrooms and living rooms.