1. In the Best Light

This spacious bathroom is endowed with a host of creature comforts. But it doesn't take a ballroom-size space to create a sense of contentment.

We've defined ten ways to enhance the looks, performance, and sensory delights of a bath. Why wait to create your own dream?

 

Color, light, and neutral tones set
the mood in this bathroom.

Banish the shadows. The appearance, performance, and safety of your bathroom will improve dramatically if it's illuminated properly. In this bath, you can see how good lighting adds sparkle to fixtures, fittings, and surfacing materials. In any bath, it helps you distinguish the merry-berry lipstick from the ravishing-red, and makes you less likely to cut yourself shaving or take a misstep and fall.

Medium-to-large bathrooms need a generous number of general-illumination fixtures, such as recessed downlights, for overall lighting.

Small baths, toilet compartments, and closets may need only one ceiling fixture with a 60- to 75-watt incandescent light or a 30- to 40-watt fluorescent tube. If you love mood lighting, put your incandescent lights on a dimmer.

When lighting a grooming center, it's best to plan light from above and both sides. Install a fixture that casts light just over the front edge of the sink. This will bounce light off the countertop and up onto your face. In addition, install fixtures on both sides of the mirror. Theatrical lighting strips that frame a mirror work wonderfully.

For safety's sake, be sure to use enclosed vaporproof fixtures in shower enclosures and enclosed tub areas.

Tips to Maximize Light in a Bath