Lighting for Bathrooms and Vanities
by Eric Strandberg LC
Lighting Specialist, Lighting Design Lab

Vanity or mirror lighting is a subject that people are highly critical of because it effects their own appearance. Designers in the hospitality industry have (or should have) known this for years. If the customer looks good, they have a more pleasant experience and will want to come back. Mirror lighting needs to be bright but not glaring, accurate yet flattering, and for public/commercial spaces low maintenance and low power. There are three considerations for mirror lighting; fixture placement, lamp (or bulb) type, and fixture style.

Placement. The best mirror lighting surrounds the face with light. This provides light from all sides that minimizes shadows under the chin, eyes, cheeks, and forehead. This does not mean that you have to use 'Hollywood' style lights (those strips that use the round light bulbs). A wall sconce on either side of the mirror can work nicely. Normally you want the center of the fixture at about 66" above the finished floor and at least 30" apart (these specs will vary according to the particulars of the room and fixture). If the room has a whole wall mirror you can mount the fixtures right on the mirror. Mounting the fixtures on the mirror requires extra planning and coordination with the electrical contractor and the glass supplier. Also be aware that some types of fixtures will look better on a mirror than other types (because of the reflections). Avoid using ceiling mounted fixtures as the sole source unless the room is very small with light colored walls. Large bathrooms often need additional lighting besides the mirror lighting. Definitely don't rely on recessed cans for mirror lighting, the shadows can be horrendous! If a recessed type must be used, consider constructing a luminous soffit with two 4' fluorescent tubes. The most common placement for mirror lighting is on the wall above the mirror. Though this is not ideal it avoids most conflicts with mirror size, medicine cabinet doors, and room dimensions. However the fixture needs to be long enough to light the sides of the face.

Lamp type. Color qualities, light distribution, and maintenance costs are all heavily dependent on the type of lamp the fixture uses. It is very important to first choose the lamp you want to use and then find a fixture that will hold it properly. With fluorescent lamps you have choices when it comes to the color properties of the lamp. The two main color properties the specifier should know about are color temperature and color rendering.

Color rendering (expressed as CRI) is another key color quality. CRI is a scale from 0 to 100, the higher the CRI the better. Incandescent and Daylight are considered to be100 Old style fluorescent; "cool white" and "warm white" are 62 and 52 respectively The newer fluorescent tubes (T-8) and compact fluorescents are about 80*.

Light distribution is another key element in effective mirror lighting. Even, shadowless light is easiest on the eyes, and fluorescent sources (particularly the large T-8 tubes) are well suited to this task. Spotlights, clear bulbs or small halogens require lots of shielding or diffusion from the fixture for glare control. This will tend to reduce the light level necessitating the use of higher wattages.

Fixture Style. When selecting a fixture style choose one that has a translucent lens. If the lens is clear the fixture may be glaring. If it is opaque (metal, ceramic, etc.) it will not pass enough light directly to your face. Be sure that the lens will not change the color of the light (some glass is rather green). Check that the fixture meets your maintenance requirements for relamping, cleaning, and spare parts. Most 'vanity' fixtures are linear and many of them can be mounted horizontally above, or vertically on the sides, of the mirror. If you choose to use wall sconces in small rooms select ones that are narrow as these will fit best.

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