Bathroom vanity lights are a crucial part of any well-lit bathroom and offer effective and appealing task lighting. These fixtures are available in a variety of styles and shapes that complement the look of your bathroom. This makes them both stylish and functional elements, much like modern wall hooks.

Vanity wall lighting in particular deserves special attention, whether you’re using it to shave, apply makeup, or style your hair. Read on to find out more about these fixtures, as well as how to choose the ideal one for your home!

What are the Different Shapes of Vanity Light Fixtures?

You can really exercise your creative talents and select a fixture that closely matches your bathroom’s décor thanks to the variety of designs that are available. The following are some of the most common shapes available today:

• Bar: If you want to add a simple contemporary look to your bathroom, opt for a bar vanity wall light. These fixtures have a long shade enclosure in a rectangular shape that contains one or several lights. Some designs have a dimming feature that lets you alter the room’s ambiance;
  
• Cage: These fixtures create an open, spacious feel and efficiently illuminate your bathroom space. Most of them come without a diffuser for a more industrial, rough-hewn feel;
  
• Globe: These contemporary fixtures are ideal for achieving a streamlined, uncluttered, yet slightly eccentric appearance. They provide chic sophistication to your vanity area with clear or frosted spherical shades;
  
• Tube: This vanity wall light type resembles bar fixtures, but it’s more rounded and looks more futuristic in comparison. For subdued interiors, the long tube design keeps things clean and uncomplicated.
  
• Shade: Most fixtures have shades covering the bulbs. Although shaded fixtures come in a variety of styles and colours, make sure to choose ones with glass or metal shades because fabric shades are typically inadequate for moist environments, such as a bathroom (unless they have safety ratings for bathroom usage).

If you like the way fabric-shaded lamps look, be sure to pick one that is made for wet environments, or think about putting it in your powder room where the materials won’t be harmed by airborne moisture from showers and tubs.

Selecting Light Bulbs

After you find the ideal vanity wall lighting, it’s time to look for light bulbs. If you apply makeup every morning, you’ll need powerful bulbs that will help you get ready quickly and efficiently. Some fixtures already have integrated LEDs that are powerful and practical.

There are a few things to consider when selecting the appropriate bulbs for your bathroom space. You should first double-check the technical specifications of your fixture and make sure that the bulbs you choose have will fit the lamp sockets and correspond to the fixture’s suggested wattage.

From there, you can focus on your preferred aesthetic. For example, if your fixture has exposed bulbs or glass shades, you can spice up the appearance with ornamental bulb types.

How High Should I Place My Vanity Light Fixtures?

If you position your vanity wall light properly, you’ll achieve optimal illumination for your bathroom tasks. If possible, install your fixtures around 2 metres from the floor if you’re placing them above the mirror. For those attached to the sides of the mirror, leave at least 1.5 metres between them and the floor, and around 70 cm between the fixtures themselves.

If your mirror is too wide, or there’s an architectural element nearby like a window or luxurious tiling, consider using an alternative lighting strategy. One example is installing both a vanity fixture and sconces above the mirror. Another alternative is to attach fixtures directly to the mirror itself.

If neither of these options works for you, your bathroom might benefit the most from a set of hanging pendants. You should hang these fixtures following the same measurements I mentioned earlier. And don’t forget to double-check if they’re water-resistant!

When it comes to pendants, they’re especially good for kids’ bathrooms, as you can change their height to accommodate their needs as they grow without completely redesigning the bathroom. If you have small kids, hang the bathroom pendants slightly lower and adjust them later to maintain the optimal placement as your children grow.

What’s the Best Lighting Fixture for Doing Makeup?

There are a few unique factors to consider while designing the ideal vanity for doing makeup:

• Fixtures with strong LED lighting offer the ideal illumination for makeup enthusiasts. They make sure your face is lighted evenly and there are no harsh shadows beneath your eyes, cheeks, or chin. Unwanted shadows usually make it challenging to blend your makeup well;
  
• Place separate vanity wall lights on either side of your mirror since overhead or above-mirror illumination can occasionally cast shadows that make it harder to apply makeup;
  
• Natural light is ideal for cosmetics so, when planning your vanity remodelling, make use of windows or skylights! If your architecture or the size of your space doesn’t allow you to take advantage of these elements, the next best thing is to choose LED fixtures without any tint;
  
• To achieve true colours, use LED fixtures or bulbs that provide bright white light with a high CRI (between 90 and 100). I advise you to use bulbs in the 2700K to 3000K “soft white” range when doing makeup.
  

Make sure that you properly position your vanity lights to evenly illuminate your face and remove any shadows that can affect your makeup application!