The correct lighting device in the bathroom: options and methods, design techniques

Proper lighting in the bathroom

The ability to create comfort for yourself and your family in any room of your own home does not come immediately. And how could it be otherwise, after all, literally only twenty years ago, various devices and devices began to become more or less accessible that made our life easier. But now at our service are many new products that allow you to make an apartment or a house luxurious and comfortable. And repair for us becomes not just giving the housing freshness, no, most often we try to completely update it using various design techniques. For example, lighting in the bathroom – you know that a bath can be made simply fabulous using various fixtures and lamps?

Content

• To be or not to be new lighting?
• The embodiment of design ideas
• How to make lighting in the bathroom

To be or not to be new lighting?

Here you must decide for yourself. Given that most bathrooms are designed without natural light, you can make at least a good artificial one. But if you are satisfied with one light bulb above the door, in which you have to wash, and shave, and perform other procedures, then you do not need to change anything. However, many are already well aware that it is much more pleasant to do any business (including hygiene, including) in a more comfortable environment..

Remember what exactly you do in the bathroom:

• wash
• take a shower (it doesn’t matter in the morning or evening)
• bathing a baby – with a mountain of foam and a flotilla of toys
• shaving (moreover, both men and women are only different areas)
• take a relaxing bath with foam, salt, flower petals and other pleasant additions
• wash (or in a washing machine, or you need to stretch or wash that small or urgent)
• anoint yourself with various creams
• just wash your hands
• maybe even apply makeup or look after your nails (purely for women)
• but you never know what else, if the bathroom is comfortable, then you can find many things that are most convenient to do in this room

And now the question arises – is the lighting in the bathroom suitable for all these important and necessary things? Indeed, for each of them, the light should be suitable – bright or muffled, directed or diffused, and even illuminate exactly the area of ​​the room where you are currently located.

The embodiment of design ideas

The decision was made – we will change the lighting, especially since we are doing repairs. But before you begin to work, you should carefully consider which fixtures and where we want to place in the updated bathroom. Interior designers offer many options, you just figure out what options will be to your liking and will suit your bathroom. It is clear that the lighting in a small bathroom will differ significantly from the spacious illumination. However, any bathroom can be made beautiful and comfortable. And if you think through the interior of this intimate corner on your own, make sure that individual elements, including lamps, harmoniously fit into the big picture.

Since the lighting should be not only decorative, but also functional, it is worth splitting the bath into several zones for which different lighting is needed. There are four main zones, and these include:

• the bath itself (shower, jacuzzi or simple shower tray), where you carry out water procedures
• washbasin with mirror
• furniture (cabinets, bedside tables, shelves and others)
• household appliances, for example, a washing machine and dryer

Of course, the division into all of the above zones is not suitable for every bathroom. It is unlikely that in a small Khrushchev’s version you can cram a washing machine with a dryer, and even lockers with bedside tables. However, if the place allows, then all this is really more convenient to place it here..

We begin to paint each zone in more detail. So bath, she’s a font. Look at the lighting in the bathroom: photos of the bath lighting options.

As you can see from the photo, there are a couple of possibilities to make a light accent on the bathroom itself. This is most often a dim light around the perimeter of the bathtub and a bright ceiling (or wall) lamp above it. For a relaxing warming up session in aromatic water, the first option is best – a dimmed light that allows you to dive to the full depth of your pleasant sensations.

As a backlight, you can use both halogen lamps, planted at a short distance from each other, and LEDs (LED strip). For a more luxurious and original design, play with the color scheme of the backlight, for example, make multi-colored lenses (lamp shades). Those who are allowed finances and too lazy to mess around with a separate backlight installation are invited to purchase a bathtub with already built-in light sources. A little expensive, of course, but what can’t you do to maintain the status of a wealthy person with good taste?.

With more pragmatic actions (bathing children, washing, treating nails, washing and the like), brighter lighting is more suitable, allowing you to clearly see the object. And you can choose such lamps yourself to your taste – from chandeliers to sconces. Try to make them change direction, then one lamp will cope with the lighting of several zones.

Another area that is present in any bathroom, despite its dimensions, is the mirror above the sink. By the way, this zone is considered the main working one. And again, we introduce the lighting in the bathroom – a photo of various design and mirror lighting.

What is the main thing when lighting a mirror zone? There are only three points – the lamps next to the mirror are selected in such a way that

• the face was lit evenly, without shadow transitions
• the light did not blind the eyes and was not reflected in the mirror, creating glare
• light in the color scheme was closest to natural

According to recognized designers, a mirror with built-in illumination is best suited to these conditions (well, masters like expensive and luxurious things). But in any case, the backlight should match its purpose, be it fluorescent lights, a frame with halogen bulbs or a sconce with a matte lampshade.

We pass to furniture. No matter how small the bathroom, several shelves, hangers under towels, or even a bedside table under the sink, are still present. But is it worth it to do separate lighting for furniture, you decide. Although small LEDs will not only illuminate shelves, doors, drawers or hooks, they will also help create an original lighting that creates a fabulous, romantic or fantastic atmosphere. The photos show a couple of interesting ideas about this..

The situation is almost the same with household appliances – a small lamp above the washing machine will allow you to follow the washing steps without using the main lighting.

How to make lighting in the bathroom

The next step after determining what we want will be the implementation of plans into reality. And how to do it right, with all safety standards, everyone needs to know. Indeed, without this knowledge it is quite difficult even to simply purchase the necessary materials.

Since the bathroom is a room with high humidity, the lighting must be mounted in such a way as to prevent the ingress of steam, splashes or water flow into electrical contacts or heated glass. We do not want to arrange a short circuit or an explosion of a bulb? Moreover, in some situations, we can not get rid of cuts from the lamp glass, but also get a pretty such electric shock.

For the most specific rules for the location of electrical equipment in the bathroom, we turn to our foreign colleagues-electricians. So, the entire bathroom can be divided into 4 zones according to the degree of security:

• zero – the zone where the collision occurs with the largest amount of water – in the bathroom or shower tray itself
• the first – it is possible for water to flow – over the bathtub to the height of the shower attachment, in standards it is a height of 2 meters 25 centimeters
• the second – a zone where water splashes are possible – surrounds the first zone, on the sides by 60 centimeters and up to the ceiling (by standards – up to 3 meters)
• the third – the safest zone without direct water ingress – surrounds the second as far as the walls and ceiling allow (standards say that this zone covers a space with a radius of 2 meters 40 centimeters), apparently, in the Khrushchev bathrooms the third zone is simply absent as a fact

Well, the separation is simple and straightforward – the closer to the bathroom, the more water-proof our electrical appliances should be. But about the labeling of the so-called wiring products is worth telling in more detail. The protection of the instrument housing is marked with the letters IP, the degree of protection is indicated by the numbers from 00 (no protection) to 68 (maximum protection). Moreover, the first digit (from 0 to 6) indicates protection against solid particles and dust, and the second (again from 0 to 8 already) gives the concept of protection against moisture.

And now we can precisely indicate what markings should be on the fixtures (or other electrical appliances) in each of the bathroom safety zones.

• Zero zone – degree of protection not lower than IPx7, voltage not more than 12 V (we install the transformer outside this zone)
• The first zone – degree of protection not lower than IPx5
• The second zone – degree of protection not lower than IPx4 (here you can already install sockets)
• The third zone – degree of protection at least IPx1, that is, almost any electrical appliance

Well, lighting the bathrooms in the safe hands of the owner with the necessary knowledge. Little things remained – to do it all in practice. And here recommendations are not needed, you can bring the wiring to the right places, connect the lamps, screw in (or install) the lamps yourself. In extreme cases, you can always consult with a familiar electrician whom you trust. Have a good repair!