When we think of dynamic lighting, bathroom lights are usually not at the top of the list. The showstoppers are often gorgeous chandeliers in a vaulted living room or beautiful pendants over an island. Bathroom fixtures are often overlooked or viewed as simply a utilitarian part of your home. You can pick something unique, fun, and still completely functional for your space. Changing your bathroom lighting can update the room space when you don’t have the budget to do a whole renovation. I’ve had many projects that involve only changing lights, upgrading the sink faucets, and painting the vanity in order to create a big change.
Be bold and mix metal finishes on light fixtures or add color, texture, or a shapely glass shade to infuse the room with design.
Typically bathrooms have either a vanity bar above or sconces on either side of the mirror.
Depending on the space, desired amount of light and options for wiring, either is a great choice. Pay attention to how much light output you want in your bathroom. If it’s a large master bathroom that also has recessed cans, you may still need 2 or 3 bulbs at your vanity. If it’s a powder bathroom where no one will be applying makeup or needing a lot of light, small scale sconces with low wattage will suffice.
Vanity bars are often an ideal option in a bathroom. Whether it’s 2 lights or 4, vanity bars are functional, provide a lot of light, and are aesthetically pleasing. Take a look at a few below for inspiration that goes beyond the typical builder grade vanity bars often selected.
Sconces are a beautiful choice for a bathroom and provide an opportunity to exercise your creative license. More decorative options can even be found at retailers such as Anthropologie where the use of color and texture makes a big impact.
I suggest putting them on a dimmer to add ambient lighting at night time. Sconces can also be used in tandem with recessed lighting especially in a large master bathroom where you need a fair amount of light.
See below for a few sconces that run the gamut from classic to a wow factor.
If you have the option to change wiring in a bathroom from wall mount fixtures, pendants on either side of a mirror can be a great addition to a bathroom. Lighting is always a great opportunity to add something unique to your bathroom and elevate the design so don't hesitate to select something unexpected!
