Shadow Considerations When Remodeling A Bathroom

Nothing adds to the ambience of a freshly remodeled bathroom like warm bright light. As such, make certain that you avoid the snare of shadow!

Recessed lighting is currently a very popular lighting trend. Often times contractors will push for these attractive recessed fixtures both to save space and look modern. However, poorly placed recessed lighting can lead to poor bathroom mirror visibility. Think of the scary story-teller around the campfire with the flashlight tucked under their chin. Now think of this in reverse, with the light source being directly overhead. Facial features darkened, you have become a victim of bad bathroom recessed lighting!

This is not to say that all recessed lighting in a bathroom is bad. But, when selecting vanity/countertop lighting, please stick with another lighting source to combat the effect of reverse-campfire effect. Try out a soft focus light fixture instead. In an ideal setting, the fixture(s) should be affixed to the wall a little above the level of your eyes whilst pointing towards your face. If this is not always possible, a diffused fixture over the mirror will help offset the campfire effect caused by other additional recessed lighting in the bathroom.

If you cannot adhere to the preceding guidelines then perhaps even consider not using recessed bathroom lighting at all. Perhaps instead opt for a ceiling-mount or cove fixture. This is not as ideal as face-aimed vanity lighting but it still better than a singular recessed source by leaps and bounds.

In the event your heart is truly set on recessed lighting and nothing can convince you otherwise, consider placing the recessed fixtures close to your sink or countertop vanity mirror. Maybe even using a dimmer switch to adjust the lighting to avoid the effect depending on the time of day.