Bathroom Lighting Q&A

Good Lighting for Bathroom Vanities

Q: I'm fed up with all the shadows in my bathroom, particularly around the vanity area. Do you have any tips for providing better light for shaving or applying makeup?

A: Don't rely solely on overhead lights in the bathroom vanity area. Rather, use a combination of recessed lighting over the sink and sconces on both sides of the mirror. The sidelights will eliminate shadows from the recessed fixtures above.

In a large bathroom with double sinks and mirrors, you may want to install three wall sconces—one on either side of the vanity area and one between the two mirrors. Incandescent light bulbs provide warmer light than harsh fluorescents. However, some color-corrected fluorescents can closely imitate the warmth of incandescents.