Whether you’re building your home from the ground up or are renovating and updating your current home, you may not immediately think of bathroom lighting as being a priority. Depending on the size of the bathroom, there may not even be very many options. What people don’t always realize though, is that there are a few types of lighting for bathrooms. Recessed lighting is one of the most practical and sleek ways to illuminate your bathroom. We’re here to provide you with some inspiration to bring your recessed lighting ideas to life.
Recessed lighting is typically defined as a lighting fixture installed directly into the ceiling. They are available in different sizes and shapes, and are an extremely easy and streamlined way to leave a room well-lit.
As with any major home design decision, there are advantages and disadvantages. Recessed lighting is said to increase the value of a home, and is extremely practical. It eliminates the bulky look of lamps and wall fixtures, freeing up wall and floor space. This style of lighting is also so simple and practically hidden, that you don’t need to worry about it going out of style.
The negatives of installing recessed lighting are few and far between. The main downside of recessed lighting is that due to its nature, the light points straight down from the ceiling. Depending on the size of the room, it may require installing a large number of them to get adequate lighting. This issue, however, rarely arises when it comes to bathrooms.
Now, on to the good stuff! Here are 11 different examples to inspire you when it comes to brightening up your bathroom.
1. Bright White Lights With Bright White Tiles
These shiny, bright white ceramic tiles beautifully reflect the bright white high-hats in this bathroom. It instantly gives the bathroom a larger appearance by placing the lighting around the perimeter of the bathroom. This is the perfect example of how to illuminate your bathroom and utilize the space to its maximum potential.
2. Mixing Modern And Traditional Elements
This bathroom features various types of modern marble tiles, along with wood paneling on the ceiling. The clash of patterns makes for a surprisingly chic bathroom in which they are all tied together by simplistic lighting. Keeping the patterns consistent throughout ties in different elements of the bathroom.
3. Blue And White Lights
This bathroom space has a lot going on, offering some small white recessed lights on one part of the ceiling, while showcasing blue lighting over the tub and vanity area. You’ll also notice that the lighting fixtures are both round and rectangle, which can be unique and potentially appealing to the eye of those looking to try something nontraditional.
4. Warm And Cozy
The warm tones of the paint in this bathroom paired with the beautiful artwork on the walls instantly give it a cozy and homey feeling. The recessed lighting doesn’t take away from the beauty of the art. Having a separate set of lights over the vanity also offers an opportunity to make the space appear larger than it is by focusing on one specific area at a time.
5. Setting Focal Points
This image is a perfect example of using recessed lighting to set a focal point in your bathroom. Utilizing a space in the wall for built-in shelves, illuminating the individual shelves can beautifully showcase the area without it becoming overwhelming. Bathrooms are typically on the smaller side to begin with. Set back shelves with lighting overhead or backlighting are a great addition to brighten a bathroom up without taking up too much space.
Achieve this look with this shelving and light set from Amazon.
6. Illuminated Shelving
This showcases another beautiful way to show off your shelves. While this bathroom features recessed lighting in the ceiling along with sconces on the mirrors, it also perfectly displays the set-back shelving with a single warm overhead light. Regardless of what you’re displaying on your built-in shelves, a small bulb above it is the perfect finishing touch.
7. Follow The Flow
This bathroom is a perfect example of literally going with the flow. The lights are placed along the unusual curve of the multi-tiered ceiling to best brighten the small space up. The overwhelming amount of color is the star of this bathroom, and a bulky light fixture would make the small space appear cluttered.
8. Open And Airy
This sleek minimalist approach to both lighting and decorating give this bathroom a lengthy and seemingly never-ending appearance. The floorboards accentuate the length of the room and having two rows of can lights in the same direction as the floor reinforce that. Also helping with this impression are the placement of the vanity and the bathtub. Due to the large window and natural lighting of this room, there isn’t an excessive amount of lighting required. It instantly helps to brighten up the space.
9. Lit Up With Luxury
This marble bathroom oozes luxury and is fit for a queen. Placing overhead lights in the corners and over the shower stall not only provide subtle yet adequate lighting, but are also small enough to not take anything away from the beauty of the setup. You can see that the owner opted for a warm, soft white bulb instead of a bright, cool white, which adds to the ambiance.
10. Pairing Patterns And Playing Off Their Colors
Here we have an example of pairing different patterns together, and utilizing the lighting fixtures to play off those colors. Because the colors in this bathroom are different shades of gray, the metal housing of the recessed lighting actually plays into the color scheme quite well and ties it all together. The walls and floor tiles—although all different patterns—are all brought together with pops of white throughout, and the coordinating metal housing of the lighting on the ceiling.
11. Accentuate The Brightness Of White
Rarely will it ever be suggested to install fluorescent lighting in a bathroom, unless in a commercial setting. However, the brightness of these LED bulbs in this adorable bathroom bring out its brightness, making the accents of wood and black really stand out. Of course, if the brightness of LED is more than you prefer, most lighting kits are available in various degrees of brightness.
Check out this 12-pack of recessed lighting bulbs on Amazon.
In Closing
We hope that you have been inspired by our favorite selections showcasing the different ways you can install and utilize recessed lighting for your bathroom. The possibilities are endless with overhead illumination, and though it can be quite an undertaking, it is certainly a space-saver and aesthetically pleasing once it is installed. Although recessed lighting can be used in practically any room in a home, it is especially useful and practical in a smaller space like a bathroom.