Whether your bathroom is completely enclosed or you’re just working with the little amount of light filtering through that tiny window, most HDB owners face the daily struggle of having to brighten up their bathroom. Many HDB owners turn to using recessed lights (also known as can lights), we think you can do better than that! But it’s the bathroom for goodness sake! Why do we need to care so much for attractive ways? WRONG. We spend more time in the bathroom than we think. Starting from morning wash ups, self-grooming, stopping for a number 2, all the way to the end-of-the-day shower, the bathroom is where we are most vulnerable. Wouldn’t you want to feel at peace during such a private moment? From light fixtures to decor tips, here’s a list of ways to zest up your dim bathroom.
ONE :: Hanging Lights
Coming in at number one is the hanging light fixture. Many homeowners are wary of using hanging lights especially since HDB bathrooms tend to have a low ceiling… if this is a concern for you then you haven’t checked out our article on lighting and low ceiling. How can you not?! Keep with the crowd, son. Hanging lights do not always have to be the main character in a room, it works just as well as a supporting actor. You can opt for hanging it close to the wall on either side of your potty or your vanity!
Matchy matchy! Check out our line of Edison Bulbs to recreate the ambiance in the leftmost toilet or grab the EMBLA Contemporary Glass Jar Hanging Lamp for the toilet in the middle!
These lighting tips ain’t reserved for those living in HDBs though! If you’re blessed with a bathtub, installing a hanging light above will fill the void and inject character into your bathroom. Plus, isn’t it simply dreamy to have the soft light bouncing off your skin as you recline in your tub with a glass of aged wine in one hand? We kid! People don’t actually do that… right? If you have a bathroom with a high ceiling, why aren’t you using hanging lights? Hanging lights will lower the light source helping you better illuminate your private space.
If you’re totally digging the hanging lamps in the right picture, you have to check this out.
Another reason why many homeowners are reluctant to include hanging lights in their bathroom design is because they are normally very pricey and thus, doesn’t seem worth it. Here’s the good news: Screed offers a variety of trendy hanging lights at a very shock-inducing price. Don’t worry: it’s a good kind of shock. Check us out here!
TWO :: Wall Lights
How low can you go? If it is impossible to add hanging lights, then let’s join the wall lights party. Oh yeah! You know what else is low? The number of HDB bathrooms with walls lights! You can always look at wall lights as a replacement for windows. Wall lights are also great for creating balance and symmetry in your space while significantly brightening up your bathroom. They are great space-savers and do not obstruct activity.
THREE :: Cove Lights
This is a common fixture for bathrooms. They are normally installed behind the mirrors to give a glowing effect. These cove lights work well in brightening up a space discreetly while provide a soothing and relaxing ambiance. The soft glow from the cove lights accompanied by the light shadows also gives a more natural lighting to the bathroom. Apart from adding them to them to the sink area, cove lighting can also be installed in the ceiling or along shelves and ledges.
If fixing cove lighting is going beyond your budget, you can simply go for the bare fluorescent lights to get a similar effect. You can do this by lining them along the corners and edges in the bathroom.
FOUR :: Cool Light
It is not just the type of light fixtures that determines the brightness of your bathroom! The type of light bulb matters a great deal too. The difference is not just the atmosphere they give the room but the brightness as well. For those gunning for a romantic and spa-like ambiance in the bathroom, warm lighting is the way to go. On the other hand, cool lighting gives the bathroom a sterile characteristic and are the choice of lighting for those who self-groom in the bathroom. Now, we wouldn’t want to be mistaking your nude lipstick for a fuchsia one. What a crime!
There are several reasons for choosing one or the other but if you’re asking which one is brighter, it’d be the cool light. The difference in brightness is more stark given that we’re working with an enclosed bathroom.
FIVE :: Glass and Sheer Materials
Enough about lights and light fixtures! We’re moving on to the other elements that can help determine the brightness of your bathroom. When planning to brighten up your bathroom, your main objective is to make sure the light rays are able to spread across a wide area. This is hard to achieved if there are things obstructing the light path. Therefore, try keeping to transparent or sheer furnishing to allow light to travel a longer distance. Instead of settling for an opaque sliding door, go for a glass or frosted glass. Or you can look into installing sheer shower curtains to your shower stall.
SIX :: Mirrors
This is the go-to solution for people looking to brightening up their space. If you haven’ t checked out our article on brightening up your space, head on over to read the amazing tips after reading this article. The reflective quality of mirrors helps disperse more light around the bathroom. They are also great for enlarging seemingly small areas.
For vanity reasons, if there’s only one area you can focus your lighting on, it has to be the mirror. As mentioned before, it is where we do our brows, draw our eyeliner (oh the pain!) and shave! It is so important that we do all those right because precision is so key to be on point. We’re not recommending you coat your entire bathroom with mirrors! Now, that’s freaky. Work on lighting up your mirrors and there are so many ways you can do it! The common way around this is to have a light fixture on either side of the mirror. That is definitely a possibility for designers, but if you’re into something a little different, try these ideas that we absolutely love.
SEVEN :: Colour Palette
White surfaces reflect light and black surfaces absorb light. Enough said.
Pick a lighter colour palette for a brighter bathroom. Stick with white for the best results but if you’d die without some colour, go with gentle and soft tones like pastels. You can added bolder colours into your bathroom by incorporating brightly coloured ornaments in your design. Items such as towels, soap dispensers and the toilet seating are candidates for loud colours.
However, if plain, pale walls do not satisfy you, you can work around this by adding minimalist patterns and designs to your walls. This will definitely spice things up and break the monotony of solid colours. You can be hands-on by DIYing you own polka dot wall or try out a chevron print with the help of masking tape. If you’re lazy, you can get wall decals and if you have a slightly larger budget, you can go for a tiled wall.
EIGHT :: Candles
If you’re a fan of romantic comedies and chick flicks, you would have seen the classic, broody bathroom scene where the main character relaxes in a tub filled with rose petals, a book in one hand and a glass of champagne in the other. Surrounding the character is the glow from multiple strategically and meticulously positioned candles. If it’s bright enough for them to be reading, why not? Candles do well in bathrooms using warm light as they emit rays from a similar light wave. They do not show much under cool light, thus having minimal effect on the general brightness. Candles come in handy for areas light fixtures aren’t able to reach. Also (don’t quote us on this), don’t you think the bathroom is the safest place to light a candle? In the event of a fire, the closest water source is totally within reach.
We hope that with these steps you wouldn’t have to shower in the dark anymore! The bathroom is such an important and personal space that everyone of us should take time to design and enjoy. Are there any other interior design bathroom tips you’re looking for? Drop us a comment down below for us to know what you want! Share this article on FaceBook (don’t forget to ‘like‘ us too!) so you wouldn’t need to use the bathroom in the dark the next time you visit your friend’s place!
