Bathroom lighting is usually not natural

Bathroom lighting design needs to complement the style of the bathrooms and be flexible enough to change from bright and invigorating in the morning to a softer, more subdued ambience for evening baths.

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In the past, bathrooms were designed as purely functional rooms, but in contemporary homes they have taken on a new role as a sanctuary of relaxation.

Bathroom Lighting location is crucial partly because of the potential safety hazards, but also because many surface finishes are very reflective. Crisp, low-voltage halogen bathroom lighting reflects particularly well off these surfaces, and its success has given rise to a range of new bathroom lighting techniques. Instead of a regular grid of downlights in the bathrooms ceiling, you could consider locating the lights directly over your basin and bath; when they are filled, a wonderful pattern of rippling water will be reflected across the ceiling. If you do not want downlights directly overhead and the bath is against a wall, you could position a series of small low-voltage downlights in the bathrooms ceiling, approximately 100mm (4in) from the wall. This will create a beautiful scalloped pattern, suggesting water streaming down the tiles, and is also a good way of lighting a shower unit.

Bathroom lighting underneath the bath, can make it appear almost to float. A soft ropelight, concealed beneath the bath surround will give a continuous soft, even glow and could almost be used as a nightlight because of its low brightness. Alternatively, a small spotlight could be recessed around the base of the bath to skim out across the bathrooms floor in strong shafts of light. This is a dramatic effect, which can look magnificent. To successfully achieve this lighting effect, it is essential that you use a fully sealed low-voltage baffled light of no more than 12w 12v; any higher and the heat of the fitting could scald your feet.

If your basin is made of glass, recessing an uplight below it creates a stunning effect, making the bathrooms basin appear to be lit internally. This will need to be balanced by a downlight or your face will appear rather ghostly. The uplight should be fully sealed and the beam of the lamp wide enough to ensure maximum coverage of the glass bowl itself.

If you control each bathroom lighting area separately it will be more adaptable to your changing needs in bathrooms. Dimming your lights will make it work at all times of the day from the 'full on' effect in the morning to the soft, subdued effect in the evening, which you may wish to combine with candles. The position of dimmer switches depends on the local regulations of the country and should be checked before wiring. In the UK, switches must be placed outside your bathrooms unless you choose to have a pull-cord. The main problem with pull-cords is that they cannot be dimmed and, if you have more than one switchline for your different techniques, you will need two or three pull-cords, which is both impractical and unattractive. Before planning any work it is best to consult a professional electrician regarding safety regulations.

Bathroom lighting Regulations (IP rating = ingress protection rating)

zones

All bathroom lighting installations must comply to guidelines which are based on a zonal concept similar to that used for installation around swimming pools.

Each zone rating (IP) is determined by the degree of risk of electric shock.

Zone 0
This is the area inside the bath or shower basin and is rated at IPx7.

Zone 1
Refers to the area above the bath or shower up to a height of 2.25 metres and carries a minimumrating of IPx4.

Zone 2
Covers an area 0.6 metres wide immediately next to, and all around zone 1, plus the area over 2.5 metres high directly over the bath or shower. Wash basins should also be treated as zone 2. The minimum rating her is IPx4.
Where water jets are likely to be used for cleaining purposes in zones 1 and 2, the rating is a minimum IPx5.

Zone 3
Has no special requirements, unless water jets are likely to be used for cleaning purposes.
Equipment installed outside zones 0,1,2 and 3 must be suitable for the conditions most likely to prevail at that particular point.

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