Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Powder Room : Lighting

Along with a toilet, and a sink with faucet, another important piece, and what we'll see next is lighting. I have some very definite ideas about lighting in a bathroom. First, Sconces:

Photography Credit: Susan Gilmore

Designer Credit: Tommy Smythe


Photography Credit: Andrew McKinney 

Designer Credit: Ginger Barber Found: Cote de Texas

Found: DecorPad

Found: Architectural Digest Home of  Ed Filipowski & Mark Lee

Designer Credit: Sarah Richardson

My biggest pet peeve in a bathroom is over the mirror lighting. Not only is it incredibly ugly - I mean, I've never seen a good looking option for over mirror lighting; but it's harsh lighting that makes everyone (and I mean everyone) look less than their best. Sure, I don't put make up on in the mirror - but I like to look my absolute best when I look in it! Sconces are so much better. Not only are there thousands of choices when it comes to good looking sconces to fit your aesthete, but the light you get is so much more flattering. Because sconces are typically hung at face level - there aren't any shadows casting down or up on your face, and instead give you an overall warm glow. An Artie's ABSOLUTE must in any bathroom! Especially powder rooms.

Next, overhead lighting. Most powder rooms are incredibly small spaces with low ceilings and not a lot of room for a hanging light. So, let's take a look at flush and semi-flush mounts. (By all means, if you have the space and the headroom, I'd go with hanging! Remember - the space will define the light.)



All lights available at Shades of Light.
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4 comments:

  1. KarenaApril 17, 2012 at 9:05 AM

    Artie I adore the sconces in the third photo, gorgeous!! I do have an overhead light (vintage) like the first you pictured, the only thing about this particular style (and I love the design) is it is very difficult to keep clean!

    xoxo
    Karena
    Art by Karena

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  2. JillApril 17, 2012 at 9:39 AM

    I agree with you about sconces. I did a powder room in a show house and the room had been wired for a light above the mirror (yuck). I found a great mirror that had sconces mounted on its frame and we were able to split the pre-wired box to operate the sconces instead. It was the show piece of the powder room.

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  3. SqueakApril 17, 2012 at 12:16 PM

    I don't know why builders insist on using a big slab of mirror and ugly over the mirror lighting. They both must be cheap. As soon as I can afford to remodel my bathrooms, the mirror and lighting are the first things to go.

    If I could have my dream bathroom, it would have a chandelier in it. Yum!

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  4. VictoriaApril 17, 2012 at 7:12 PM

    These powder rooms are fabulous, Artie. I especially love the Ginger Barber one. I agree with you about over-the-mirror lights. I don't know why anyone would want them. They don't look good and the lighting is so unflattering. I also love a chandelier in a bathroom and have vintage ones in mine. It is the jewelry in the room that makes a powder room so special. Now I have to pin all of these images.
    Best...Victoria

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