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Bathroom Ceiling Lights

Bathroom ceiling lights are a critical part of your layered bathroom lighting scheme. With a well-placed bathroom ceiling lamp, you can create a beautiful bathroom worthy of a resort.

Ultra Beam Lighting offers a variety of bathroom lights for the ceiling, giving you plenty of options for enhancing your home bathroom’s appearance and ambiance.

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Why Ceiling Lights Are Important in a Bathroom

LED bathroom ceiling lights play an important role in your bathroom lighting design. They lay the foundation for the rest of the illumination to supplement, making up what is called the ambient layer of light.

Ambient light is the key source of illumination in a space and provides the main glow. They offer uniform lighting coverage, lighting the entire space from above. Other lights, like vanity lights or shower lights, serve to supplement that main layer.

Different Types of Ceiling Lights You Can Use

The best ceiling light for your particular bathroom will come down to the existing decor and the sort of lighting you need in the space. There are a number of different bathroom downlights to choose from depending on your needs.

Recessed Downlights

Recessed downlights, sometimes called bathroom in-ceiling lights, are great for minimalist or modern bathrooms with low ceilings. They get installed into the ceiling and sit flush with the line of it, decluttering the space and giving it a sleeker look.

Flush Mount Lights

Bathrooms with a standard ceiling height and are small to medium sized work well with flush mount lights. Bathroom flush ceiling lights sit directly against the ceiling and are therefore space saving and simple to install.

Semi-Flush Mount

Bathrooms that have a little more overhead room to work with may like having semi-flush lights. They sit just below the ceiling, unlike recessed or flushed lights in bathroom ceiling areas. This ensures they are still out of the way but not built into the ceiling itself. It brings dimension and aesthetic appeal to the space without overwhelming it.

Pendant Lights

Pendant lighting is great for bigger bathrooms that have high ceilings. You will often see modern bathroom ceiling lights with clusters of pendants or a chandelier for spice. They are suspended from the ceiling by a chain and are oftentimes adjustable.

Advice on Using Ceiling Lights in Different Styles of Bathroom

Ceiling lights do not only serve the purpose of lighting the space. They can also dress it up and add to its aesthetic appeal. Bathroom ceiling spotlights and other such ceiling lights can be a key design element in your space, and therefore their appearance should be taken into account when choosing which lights to install.

Minimalist and Modern Bathrooms

For a low-key look in contemporary bathrooms, consider recessed lighting. These keep a cleaner, less-cluttered look in your low-profile space. Consider having neutral finishes as well, such as brushed aluminum, matte white or black bathroom ceiling lights.

Natural and Rustic Bathrooms

For bathrooms that align with nature, choose materials that are natural. Rattan pendant shades, wood accent lighting, bamboo elements and warm-toned flush mounts are ideal here. Layer your ceiling lights with earthy wall sconces to bring the look from ceiling to floor.

Classic and Traditional Bathrooms

In traditionally styled bathrooms, semi-flush mounts that have ornate details are key. Think crystal chandeliers and pendants in a vintage style with brass, polished chrome or antique bronze finishes.

Urban Industrial Bathrooms

These trendy bathrooms are all about matte finishes and exposed bulbs. Go for wrought iron fixtures or pendants in bold, geometric shapes with raw finishes. This will create a bathroom with an urban feel that will be stylish for years to come.

Do Bathroom Ceiling Lights Need to Be IP Rated?

Bathrooms are one of the rooms in a house that has exposure to moisture, meaning that they have special requirements. Bathrooms do need IP rated lights in order to ensure they are not damaged by the moisture and humidity.

Bathroom IP ratings are a requirement that is outlined in the 18th Edition Wiring Regulations (BS 7671) in the UK’s electrical safety standards. So, not only is it better for the life of your lights, it is required by the code.

IP ratings, or Ingress Protection ratings, indicate how well a light stands up against solids and moisture entering it. The first digit of an IP rating references protection against solids, while the second digit indicates its resistance to moisture damage.

In the bathrooms, you will need higher IP ratings. Shower ceiling light fixtures that are close to the water will need waterproof lighting at IP65 or above. Near the sink area, you can get away with IP44 rated lighting. It is generally recommended that you stick with a minimum of IP44 no matter what, just to be safe.

What Ceiling Lights Can You Use in a Shower Area?

One of the main layers of light in a bathroom is the task layer. Task lights help you better see to perform certain activities, and in the case of the bathroom, that tends to be grooming.

Having a shower spotlight gives you focused illumination around the shower so you can more easily see while bathing. It is one of the areas most exposed to water, and therefore needs the right IP rating.

As mentioned, it is recommended that you are using IP65 lights or above. If you are using the light inside the bath or shower tray itself, you must have IP67 ratings. Fixtures directly above the shower, such as ceiling bathroom spotlights, will need a minimum of IP65.

As long as the IP requirements are met, you can use a variety of waterproof bathroom ceiling lights, including:

  • recessed LED downlights
  • flush mount lights
  • semi-flush lights
  • spotlights

Accent lighting is the third layer of lighting in the bathroom. It is responsible for highlighting certain elements in the bathroom and drawing attention to them. Accent lighting can also serve as mood lighting if done well.

One of the most common types of mood lighting in a bathroom are bathroom spotlights. Ceiling fixtures with lower lumen counts that can ideally be turned in certain directions provide opportunities for atmospheric lighting and customization of said lighting.

Whatever bathroom ceiling light fixtures you choose, it’s recommended that you have warm colour temperatures if you are looking to create an atmospheric mood. Having bulbs with low lumen counts is ideal; lower light levels tend to project a more relaxing mood. You can choose LEDs with dimmer capabilities to allow you to dim and brighten the lights according to your preference.

Use the accent light to highlight certain areas of the bathroom and generate decorative, soft indirect lighting to create the mood. Install accent lighting near bath zones, into ceiling coves and recesses, or around the vanity area for the best effect.

Installing bathroom ceiling fixtures can be a bit of a process, especially due to the unique requirements the wet room has. It is recommended that you hire a qualified electrician to handle the lighting installation for you. A professional will be familiar with not just the safety measures to take, but the lighting codes as well, to ensure you are in compliance.

That said, if you are confident in installing your own bathroom lights, the installation process is generally as follows:

  1. Turn the power off. Before beginning the installation work, switch off the power source. Use a volt tester to be totally sure that no electricity is flowing through before continuing.
  1. Observe the type of ceiling you have. Be sure that the ceiling is able to support the kind of light you want to install; for example, there must be some hollow space in it to install recessed lighting.
  1. Wire the fixtures. Using a junction box to keep the wiring enclosed, match the live (brown), neutral (blue), and earth (green and yellow) wires where they go. Use some electrical tape and wire connectors to ensure a secure connection.
  1. Attach the fixture. Secure the lighting plate to the ceiling and connect it.
  1. Test the setup. Turn the power back on and switch on the light. If you notice any loose connections or flickering, take care of it right away.

The size of the bathroom you have will influence the lights that you choose. Spacious bathrooms with high, soaring ceilings will have different needs from smaller bathrooms with low ceilings.

Small Bathrooms

Small bathrooms with a low sitting ceiling should have low profile fixtures, like recessed or flush mount, to save as much space as possible. You can use lighter color finishes that reflect light to give the illusion of a larger space as well.

Medium Sized Bathrooms

For average bathrooms, semi-flush mounted lights and recessed spotlights are good. Layer them with task and accent lights and install dimmable bulbs so you can change the atmosphere in the bathroom easily. Avoid shadows through careful positioning over important areas, like showers and vanities.

Larger Bathrooms

Bigger bathrooms with soaring ceilings give you more room to work with–literally. Tall ceilings can accommodate larger fixtures, such as hanging pendant lights, that would only get in the way in smaller bathrooms. Take advantage of all of that vertical space with pendant lights and chandeliers. Avoid lights that are too small, so they don’t get swallowed up in all of that space.

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