The One Lighting Rule You Should Always Follow For A Bathroom

You can't really talk about interior design without talking about lighting. Not only does lighting affect the overall mood and ambiance of a space, but it can also affect its aesthetic entirely. Your lighting can assist in making a room feel cozy, warm, and inviting — but it can also cause it to feel cold and sterile, which is why it's important to know how to choose the perfect lighting for your space. Lighting is such an understated asset of design, in fact, that the debate of what kind of lighting is superior is left up to the court of public design opinion. But the general consensus is that cool, harsh lighting is typically a design don't in rooms you reserve for relaxation, such as in your bathroom. If you want to make your bathroom cozy and create an overall more pleasant ambiance, you're better off following one easy lighting rule: replacing your overhead lighting with warm tones.

Face it: There aren't many times you would want to use fluorescent lighting in your home, beyond places where enhanced visibility is completely necessary, such as garages, yards, or sheds. These are primarily for safety and security reasons. That's not the vibe suitable for bathrooms, where relaxation and comfort should be conveyed through design — including lighting. Instead, warm lighting might be more appropriate to prompt these feelings.

Although you typically don't talk about what actually goes on in the bathroom, it is still a place you want to put attention and care into when designing. Generally, it's a good idea for your bathroom to be comfortable, inviting, and relaxing — much like the cozy feel of spas and saunas. And one thing you need to create the perfect spa-like bathroom, beyond wallpaper, fixtures, and other design elements, is lighting. That's because your lighting is what sets the actual ambiance of your bathroom (and other rooms, for that matter) – and for plenty of scientific and design reasons. For one, warm light mimics natural evening light, creating a cozy vibe. It can also potentially reduce eye strain and has even been known to reduce stress.

While the type of lighting is important when capturing an inviting vibe for your bathroom, there's more that goes into creating a serene atmosphere. To make your bathroom cozy, you can install new overhead lighting fixtures that create a warm feel, such as switching out your standard flush mount lighting with a charming Build souffle-shaped mount. If you want to make your tired bathroom look more luxe, there's also the pricier Anthropologie elegant iridescent glass flush mount. Or, you may want to incorporate classic sconces to convey an element of relaxation with warm-toned lighting.