How To Choose Bathroom Light Fixtures That Look Vintage

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Lighting is always an important element in the bathroom, where needs vary from simple task lighting to soft lighting. Many newer homes focus on basics, using builder grade over-the-mirror bar lights, ceiling fixtures, or recessed canisters that may do a great job of lighting the room, but often lack any real design flair. Swapping those out is especially important if you are intent on following any of the stylish vintage bathroom decor trends. By focusing on characteristics in line with a particular era of interest and considering classic materials and silhouettes for lighting, you can easily create a vintage vibe in your bathroom simply by how you choose to light it.

While you can always thrift vintage wall sconces and other fixtures, there are many new lighting options from retailers that look like they were plucked from eras past. Lighting is one of the easiest elements to change up a room dramatically without a huge amount of time and effort. While installing new wired fixtures requires a small knowledge of your home's electric grid and some minor rewiring, it usually only takes anywhere from a few minutes to an hour to make a big change. If you rent or are unable to install a wired fixture, there are also many renter-friendly and non-grid ways to take advantage of retro bathroom trends that can create just as much style and charm, like battery-operated LED sconces and hanging pendant lights on a chain that plug into regular outlets.

Certain finishes scream vintage style, including materials like antiqued brass and burnished silver, while others, like stainless steel and nickel, are often used for more contemporary looks. Some styles, like a rich matte black, glossy enamel, and brushed brass, can easily fit into multiple design trends, both old and new, depending on how you use them. Classic vintage materials shine by creating a perfect base for elements like stained glass, fluted glass, crystals, floral fixtures, classic globes, and Edison bulbs, all of which hearken back to older popular styles of lighting.

If you don't have a particular decade in mind, harnessing these materials well can still give your bathroom lighting a vintage look. Some fixtures are less specific and more eclectic in style but have the same vintage feel. In addition, certain silhouettes, like globes, floral lights, and sculptural glass cylinders are always classic, no matter the design period. The fluted clear glass globe of this Yosoan Indoor Wall Sconce, for example, could easily mesh with a number of different eras.

One of the easiest ways to choose lighting in a vintage style bathroom is to evoke a certain era, whether it's the beautiful geometric lines of Art Deco, the sleekness of mid-century modern fixtures, or the flourish of Victorian or Gilded Age design. Many new lights available from Amazon evoke specific design periods, like this YESIDS Vintage Milk Glass Bathroom Vanity Light that boasts Art Nouveau curves or this fun DJAMEL Modern Flower Wall Sconce that has a charming vintage cottage feel associated with the 1960s.

For a sleeker mid-century modern vibe, try adding traditional simple globe lights over your mirror, like Design Store Bathroom Vanity Light Fixtures. Or, for overhead lighting, opt for the chic WOKNOS Mid-Century Modern Gold Semi Flush Mount Ceiling Light. Evoke the mid century atomic age with this Neechicx Store Starburst Gold Wall Sconce. For much earlier eras, look for fixtures with the ornateness and glamour of Victorian or Gilded Age style, like these H XD GLOBAL Crystal & Gold Base Shell Wall Sconces or the intricate Aeyee Crystal Floral Sconces. For a rental friendly approach, try these beautiful EIDEARAY Vintage Battery Operated Wall Sconces.