Well-planned bath
lighting will illuminate key areas such 
as
bath and vanity and will enhance your bathroom design by creating mood
and focus.
There are many options available for lighting a room, and arranging the lights should be carefully planned in advance. Designers often follow a formula to ensure that sufficient light is supplied in general areas and for tasks.
The goal is to ensure that all the work you've done in selecting surfaces, cabinets and other features isn't lost because of poor lighting. The right light in the right places will be the finishing touch on your new bathroom.
A well-lighted room will contain elements of ambient, task and accent lighting:
- Ambient lighting is general room lighting, typically overhead and arranged to light the room evenly. Ceiling surface-mount fixtures, recessed can lights, and a host of other fixtures serve this purpose. Ambient light may be incandescent or fluorescent. Increasingly, energy codes require fluorescent fixtures for ambient light in bathrooms and baths. Natural window light also contributes during daytime hours.
- Task lighting is usually intense and directed at a specific work area. Care must be taken when placing task lights to ensure that you won't block the light with your body or with cabinetry and other furnishings. Track lighting and well-positioned recessed "cans" are good sources of task light.
- Accent lighting creates focus and is primarily decorative. Unobtrusive track lights, smaller recessed cans with directional trim, tiny halogen lights and other fixtures can be used to highlight textured walls, art and architectural features.
The light source you choose can be just as important as the light fixture itself. Always compare the light output, measured in lumens, not the energy input, which is measured in watts. Three kinds of lamps are most common:
- Incandescent bulbs are the standard in most home fixtures. Though our eyes have grown accustomed to the warm light quality they produce, these lamps are inefficient. About 90% of the energy generated is heat, not light. Though inexpensive, they don't last as long as halogen or fluorescent lamps.
- Halogen lamps produce a bright white light that renders colors most naturally. Halogen lighting is what makes colors look so vibrant at clothing stores. About 20% more efficient than incandescent, these bulbs also last longer, which helps justify the higher price.
- Fluorescent lamps are by far the most efficient, but they suffer from a bad reputation for flickering and unflattering light quality, as well as limited fixture choices. Today's electronic ballasts help minimize the flicker, and a wider range of fixtures accept compact fluorescent capsules. When "warm white" tubes are covered by glass, paper or plastic diffusers, the light quality gets much closer to incandescent. One drawback: You can't dim fluorescent lights without expensive controls.
Lighting controls let you fine-tune the scene, adding as much or as little light as the mood strikes you.
Dimmer switches are low-cost luxuries that also save energy and extend bulb life. By changing the light level, you change the mood and emphasis within the room.
If there are two doors to the bathroom, three-way switches allow you to operate the lighting from either doorway rather than crossing the room in the dark to find the switch.
Electronic controls provide a wide array of home automation. One switch can preset the light level for multiple rooms, and lights can be set to go on and off as you enter and leave.
Lighting fixtures affect the look and feel of the bathroom. They may make a design statement or remain subtle. When you consider the many options, keep in mind that the best lighting plan may contain more than one type of fixture.
Don't be intimidated by making the fixture selection — surface-mounted fixtures are easy to change. If you are too rushed to shop around, or if you need to go low-budget for now, start with something simple and upgrade later.
Recessed can lighting is inexpensive and subtle. Standard models accept either incandescent or halogen spots and floods. To make good use of capsule fluorescents, you'll need cans designed specifically for them, with deeper reflectors and built-in transformers. Insulation contact (IC) fixtures permit you to surround the cans with ceiling insulation.
Fixed downlights are great for task lighting over counters and built-ins. Place them about 2 feet apart for maximum coverage, though the distance depends on the room's ceiling height and the bulb's beam spread. Consult a designer or a good lighting store to be sure. Interchangeable trim kits provide a range of options from a wide flood to a wall-washing baffle.
Adjustable downlights, often called "eyeballs," swivel to highlight selected areas. These leave you more flexibility to adjust the lighting after the room is finished.
Ceiling surface-mount lighting is typically used for ambient room light. There are thousands of styles to choose from. So if you aren't working with a designer or remodeler who can suggest a fixture to complement your room, you may need to spend some time shopping at lighting showrooms. One point to consider when looking is that suspended bowls, which hang only a foot or so below the ceiling, bounce light down off the ceiling more evenly than a ceiling-mounted globe or box.
Be sure to check codes regarding lighting. During a bathroom or bath remodel, you may be required to install fluorescent overhead lighting.
Wall sconces are decorative fixtures available in a huge range of styles and materials. Mounted at or just above eye level, they are perhaps the most visible fixtures. Light may be directed up to rake the walls and spill onto the ceiling, or both down and up. Many decorative sconces have cutouts that spill narrow streams of light. On others, the whole shell is translucent, glowing when lit.
Chandeliers are increasingly popular in larger bathrooms, to be a focal point or to provide mood lighting, such as over a whirlpool bathtub. The chandeliers come in a variety of sizes and shapes and can be controlled with a dimmer switch to change lighting moods.
Track lights provide great flexibility and are ideal for task and accent lighting. After you mount the metal track and lights, you can easily reposition the lights to alter the overall feeling of the room. And you can even change the number and kind of fixtures on the track.