Planning new lighting for your bathroom remodel, and want to avoid making costly mistakes? 

Staying at hotels and Airbnbs can be a great way to figure out just what you *do* (and more importantly, do *NOT*) want when it comes to planning your bathroom lighting!

When my hubby and I stayed in this cozy Airbnb in Paris, we discovered a great example of what *not* to do with your bathroom lighting!

– What should you think about when planning your bathroom lighting? –

Overall, there are three main things to think about when it comes to planning bathroom lighting – the color of the light, the quantity of the light, and the direction of the light.

In this Airbnb, the color of light was fine and the quantity was okay (ideally you’ll have the equivalent of two old school ‘100-watt’ bulbs, or 3200 lumens), but the direction of light was…. Terrible!

Check out my poor hubby showing the deep shadows cast by the overhead lights while he tries to shave:

How’s my hubby supposed to see to shave?! (Makes me wonder how the tenant, a very nice French bachelor, shaves – but it’s amazing what we can accommodate!)

Not only was the single recessed light pointing straight down on top of our heads, but during the day the bright light from the window directly behind us accentuated the shadows, making it impossible to see our faces adequately.

Since we were staying there for two weeks I felt certain I could set up a better place for applying make up, even if my hubby was stuck taking his life in his hand with every shave (okay, I’m being dramatic, but you get the point lol).

I tried the dresser – there was a nice big mirror over it – but being an old European building there were no outlets to plug in a lamp, not to mention there were no extra lamps in the unit, and all the light came in from the side window. Same shadow problem, this time from the side instead of overhead:

Then I found that – at least during the day – the mirrored armoire next to the bed did a great job of reflecting the natural light from the window onto my face, aided by the nightstand lamp. Good enough!

– recap: 3 things to think about when planning bathroom lighting –

The takeaway? If you’re fortunate enough to get to plan your own bathroom lighting, make sure that:

1. The light comes from *in front* of your face as much as possible! The best set up is to have a light source on either side of your face, about even with your eyes and nose.
2. You have at least 3200 lumens of light shining onto your face (the equivalent of an old school ‘100-watt’ bulb on either side)
3. The light is as close to daylight-colored as possible, or slightly yellow to mimic the kind of light you’ll see elsewhere in your home, in restaurants, etc. If you spend a lot of time under fluorescent lights in an office, then you might consider a bluer light, but honestly – no one looks “good” under fluorescent lights, so don’t worry about it too much. Better to have your makeup look right when you finally leave the office for lunch!

– A great way to figure out what *you* want for your bathroom –

If you get a chance, take a few weekend trips to a few hotels, spend a few days attending open houses, or just make sure to visit your friend’s bathrooms with an eye on the lighting when you go to their homes, and look at how the lighting arrangements change how well you see your face. That’s the best way to find out what *you* might like the best!

Hope this helps as you plan out your own bathroom lighting! If you have questions specific to *your* project remember that the Seriously Happy Homes design team is here to help! If you’re within 9 miles of Green Lake in Seattle, we can consult with you during a Quick Action Session in your home to make sure your ideas are going to work great, or you can hire us to create an A-Z design plan though The Works (limited to 6-12 clients each year). No matter what, whether you work with us, one of our wonderful colleagues, or DIY it, we hope your home makes *you* seriously happy!