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You’ve decided to update your bathroom vanity illuminance lighting so where do you start? Do you go with something traditional or contemporary? What about colors and finishes? How do you choose a lighting fixture that will best complement your bathroom decor while still meeting all functional needs?
Choosing the right vanity lights can be overwhelming when there are so many options available today, but we’re here to help! We created this guide on how to choose a bath room vanity light for any budget and style preference. With our expert advice, it’s easy to find just what you need at an affordable price point.
Table of Contents
Vanity lights are bathroom lighting fixtures designed to be mounted above the vanity sink usually over or either side of a mirror. The light they create should be specifically for a person at the sink area, particularly for lighting the face looking into the mirror and should not be expected to light up the entire room on their own, although often they can and will.
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| Fritz Bathroom Wall Sconce |
| Classic industrial style bathroom wall light in brushed nickel, chrome and heritage brass finishes, by Hinkley. |
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POPULAR CHOICE |
You need the best bathroom lights to create a collection of fixtures that all work together to play their own role in building up layers of light to suit each of the various times that a bathroom is used. From a bright room for everyday use to lower level illumination for getting ready for bed and the long lazy bathtime!
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| Budget Industrial Style Bath Light |
| Budget conscious clear glass double bath sconce for over the top of mirrors in a farmhouse / industrial style. |
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The first thing you need to do when choosing the best vanity light for your bathroom is decide where you want to position the light:
Usually a linear light, long enough to stretch across at least half of the mirror width to create an overhead uniform light. Light from mostly above the head should try to be balanced with other lighting coming from the sides too if possible, maybe reflected light from ceiling lights off walls or the shower etc. This will help minimise the dark patches of shadowing seen under the nose and eyes.
The height of the light is important as if the mirror is large and the mounting height has to be way up the wall, the light will potentially be too high to effectively light your face.
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| Covet Wall Light Alabaster & Bronze |
| Perfect diffused light for mirrors through alabaster stone with bronze finish by Kelly Wearstler. |
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This is the best method of vanity lighting as it pushes the light outwards from the mirror. This creates a more even illumination of light compared to an overhead fixture which casts shadows and dark patches on your face as you look into it. The location should ideally not be more than arm length away from the centre of where you are seated or standing and the light source close to eye height for the average standing person which is 65″ or 1.65m from the finished floor level.
LED strip can be mounted around the perimeter of a surface mount mirror if the design allows, creating a halo of light around the edges that gently lights up the vanity area and bounces light from the white sink back up onto the face. This can be better than over-the-top lighting but not quite as good as a pair of wall lights.
Illuminated bathroom mirrors contain the light sources and direct the light through the glass onto the face
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| Ellis 36 Bath |
| Diffused light spreads across the bathroom as it spills from three sides making for excellent light distribution. The Ellis is available in three contemporary finishes and can be mounted vertically or horizontally for added design versatility. |
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Vanity lights come in a variety of sizes and lamp arrays to meet your needs.
The size of vanity light you need should be considered in relation to the size of mirror they will be mounted near and whether located above or at the sides.
For spaces where mirrors are narrower then it should be as wide as the mirror itself and mounted above, while two or more lamps per fixture may be needed for wider mirrors and larger vanities as the lighting needs to evenly spread.
When wall mounted either side of a mirror you have more liberty to choose any size but if a long linear fixture it should be at least half the length of the mirror itself.
The size of a vanity light when mounted either side of a mirror on a wall, should always be slightly oversized so it looks purposeful and makes a statement in the room. A proportionally smaller fixture compared to the size of the mirror will look lost on the wall and within the room.
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| Tris 3 Light Bath |
| LED vanity fixture by Sean Lavin. Integrated LED light guide technology appears as frosted glass when off then illuminates across its surface when turned on. Spanning 25" in length and offered in three elegant finishes. |
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When mounted above a mirror the size of light fixture should be at least three quarters the width and for long mirrors that may mean mounting two side by side.
If your choice of product sends light downwards into the sink more than into the room, then make sure there is a fixture over each sink so the light can bounce back up onto your face.
Let’s take a look at some of the most popular shapes and styles and how each one will light up the face.
Long linear shaped lighting is popular in bathrooms as it creates an even uniform illumination ideal for mirrors. Whether a bar or tube shaped diffuser, each long rectangular shade will either house multiple lamps or a LED source. Bar lights are great for adding sleek, classic vibes to your bathroom space.
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| Artemis Chrome Linear Bath |
| Linear bath sconce perfect for vanity mirror lighting, creating a flattering illumination bright enough for close up facial work as well as a great light for the whole bathroom. |
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Globe lights use frosted or clear glass shades as the primary aesthetic, lending itself to a modern classic style depending on the design and finish of the arms. Frosted glass creates the best type of diffused light for vanities as the light created is softer and more flattering on the face.
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| Budget Brushed Nickel 3 Globe |
| Budget conscious frosted glass 3 globe mirror light for a pleasant type of diffused illumination across the bathroom and your face. |
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Fabric shaded vanity lighting is also one of the best types of light to create around a mirror as the light is diffused and less prone to creating harsh shadowing on the face and within the bathroom.
However, any fabric shade needs to be treated appropriately to impede the growth of mould within such a potentially humid environment. Forms of plastic white shades can look great and are water resistant.
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| George Kovacs Saber Glass |
| Frosted glass chrome wall light with 2 bulbs to mount either horizontally or vertically. |
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Vanity lighting’s primarily function as bathroom mirror lighting is to fulfil both task lighting to see the face well and accent lighting to create mood at more relaxed times of the day.
Whether positioned above or at the side of the mirror, a good set of vanity fixtures should be able to light your face when you use the bathroom vanity mirror. When considering which fixture is right for you, keep in mind that the longer linear fixtures work best with a rectangular-shaped mirrors and not so well with round or square mirrors.
Task lighting through clear shades and clear glass bulbs will be a harsher light and create more glare than frosted glass.
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| Linger Wall Bath Light |
| The Linger Wall Sconce by Sean Lavin for Tech Lighting provides up and down light with two LED lights shaped by a glass and acrylic cylinders. Available in Nightshade Black, Polished Nickel and Natural Brass that will slowly patina for a timeless look. |
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The task light onto a face should be as high a color rendering as possible for the best representation of true colors which is essential for applying make up. The color temperature should be a warm white 3000K, the ideal color of white light to be flattering but not as warm as you would have in your living room.
The light should be strong enough to illuminate your face and provide the best possible visibility for applying make up, shaving or tweezing eyebrows without glare from another source of light, such as a window. This can also help you see any skin imperfections that need attention before going out in public!
The vanity light should be bright enough to be roughly equal to the brightness of a window but not be too bright as this will reduce the amount of ambient lighting available to negate shadowing. Too much light from a single direction will cause shadows on facial features and provide a harsher appearance than desired, so the best lighting for applying make up is always from more than one direction and source of light.
This is the type of light you usually prefer for more relaxed times of the day, where the whole bathroom could depend on your choice of wall light for a moodier low level light. This is another reason why your choice should not be too bright.
If you have built up layers of light within the bathroom to create a bright environment when all on, just the vanity lighting around a mirror at night before bedtime will be low enough an output to help you slip into a deep sleep once your teeth are brushed, rather than be re-invigorated with too bright a light for such a late hour!
For more control you could even dim them.
Any light fixture near sources of water require extra protection against the ingress of moisture and liquids. Lighting designed for bathrooms will usually have that covered and labelled ETL or UL wet rated or in the EU IP44 or even IP65 rated. Be sure to check with your installer what you will need according to your location and where in the room you are choosing to install them.
Light fixtures that are linear and long, suit dedicated internally mounted LED sources of light as they create shadow free light and importantly do not emit a lot of heat. Be careful to check if they are dimmable if you are choosing to do so as many are not. This type of light is at the higher end price wise, but you can still choose LED as your source of light with other options.
When choosing a bulb for your light fixture, you should first make sure the technical requirements match what you need. Which socket or lamp holder do they use is the first question to answer. Then, keep in mind your desired aesthetic since it may come down to a choice between exposed bulbs for clear shades or they will be hidden.
Most fixtures require your choice of bulb or lamp which will most of the time be LED regardless of whether you want a more decorative choice of one that’s functional.
Hidden Bulbs: If hidden within a frosted globe or diffuser, then you want a choice that is bright as it needs to account for some losses of light within the product as the light escapes out through the glass. Try to not go over approx 800 lumens for each lamp if you want a brighter choice. The best successful general choice is approx 400 lumens per bulb as the light is gentler and more flattering.
Decorative Bulbs: If the lamp is seen and a part of the style and design, then your selection needs to look good and perform well. Do not be tempted to buy filament LED lamps that may look good but will normally be a very warm white that just will be too amber for a vanity area. When seen directly you must keep the output to no more than approx 400 lumens otherwise they will create too much glare.
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| Cabaret Style Mirror Light |
| 36" long chrome 6 bulb mirror light that can be mounted on all sides of a mirror for the perfect illumination of your face for make up and styling. |
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BEST MAKE UP LIGHT |
So we have seen that you must follow these guidelines for the optimum lighting set up for applying make up:
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