How to Brighten your Bathroom?

The bathroom is probably the least thought of space in a home, yet we must pass through it every day.

These rooms are often used as utility spaces that we use to spruce ourselves up in. Therefore, few people think of enhancing their bathroom spaces.

That’s why most of the time, we renovate or improve the decor in other parts of the home, such as the living room and forget the bathroom area.

That’s quite interesting, considering that bathroom renovations are a great way to increase the value of a house.

Experts say you can recoup as much as 60 percent of the money you use to renovate a bathroom when selling your home.  And that makes it a worthy home improvement project.

A sure way to enhance your bathroom space is by maximizing light. Dank bathrooms are depressing. Nobody wants to spend time in such areas.

You need a bright and airy bathroom that you will enjoy using.  Here are a few tips on how to maximize your bathroom lighting.

 

1. Use natural light

You can use natural light to increase the visual comfort in your bathroom by creating more spaces for light to stream through. A good addition is a skylight.

It can aerate your space and let out any foul or musty odors. They also prevent mold growth in wet areas such as the bathroom by reducing humidity.

While windows can only stream in a small percentage of light due to their structure, skylights stream all the light from outside.

In fact, they can let in three times as much light as vertical windows into a room. That’s a lot of light.

It makes skylights an ideal energy-saving solution. For that reason, most people use them to supplement their electricity use.

If you would like to install one in your bathroom, choose a large one. The larger the skylight, the more light you will get in your room.

You may install a ventilating or fixed skylight. Fixed skylights will only illuminate your space while ventilating ones will aerate it too.

Ventilating skylights work best in a bathroom because you can open and close them as you please. And since bathrooms are wet areas, having a skylight you can vent to release excess moisture is essential.

When picking a skylight for your bathroom, ensure it is made of double-paned tempered glass with UV protection.

Such glazing will let in the most light while protecting you and the interior of the bathroom from sun damage.

 

2. Use vertical windows

Although vertical windows do not let in as much light as installations such as skylights, they are still a room lighting option for bathrooms.

You can use them to maximize the light in your bathroom in several ways.

Start by looking at the material of your window. Is it made of clear glass that will let in the most light? If not, change the glazing and install glass panes that will stream in the maximum amount of light from outside.

You may also increase the size of your bathroom window or add an extra one based on your budget. Both solutions will let in more light into the room.

Think of extra windows as an asset rather than an unnecessary installation. You can use them to improve your bathroom ambiance too.

For example, if your bathroom faces a garden, position your window to frame that view while finding ways to preserve your privacy, such as using light sheers and blinds.

Halfway tinting your window using transparent textured window film or frosted glass is another option.

You may also maximize window lighting by ensuring it is used in the best way possible in the bathroom.

For example, you may locate windows over bathtubs, shower cabinets, and vanity areas to increase your comfort level when in the bathroom.

Don’t forget to clean these windows regularly to maximize the light streaming in through them.

 

3. Illuminate crucial areas

Using the light you get in your bathroom correctly is easier than adding lighting solutions.

Illuminating your bathroom in a way that brings focus to essential areas will keep you from feeling like your bathroom is poorly lit.

Layer your light to ensure every corner of the bathroom is well – illuminated. Start by streaming in natural light through vertical windows and skylights.

Then, install task lights over areas such as bathtubs, make-up vanities, countertop spaces, cabinets, and toilets. You may also install tubular daylights over these spots for this purpose.

Streaming bright light in these areas will not only make it easy for you to move around the bathroom, but it will also prevent accidents such as falls. You will also be able to accomplish tasks such as shaving or applying make-up with ease.

Keep in mind that the color of natural light changes as the day goes by. Therefore, at some point, you have to supplement any natural light in your bathroom with artificial lighting solutions such as LED lights to keep it illuminated.

That is your chance to create ambiance using led lights over your vanity mirror and using lamps in dark corners of the room. You may also install dimmable accent lights to give you flexibility in terms of the kind of light you can have in your bathroom.

Lastly, avoid cluttering your bathroom to give it a light and airy feeling.

 

4. Use mirrors

You can use mirrors to reflect light streaming from a skylight or vertical window into the dark spaces of a bathroom.

The larger the mirror, the more light it will reflect back into the room.

Choose attractive mirrors such as antique or ornate ones to light up your space instead of using regular ones. It’s a great way to improve your bathroom decor.

Avoid thickly framed mirrors and instead, go for those with simple thin metallic or gold frames. Then place them in the right spots.

You may also install frameless mirrors in your bathroom. They blend in easily with light walls creating a feeling of spaciousness.

Locate mirrors anywhere they will reflect light back into the room, such as over cabinet doors, perpendicular to windows,  and behind bathroom doors.

To maximize lighting, you may also let the light bounce off reflective surfaces such as shiny light fixtures and lustrous finishes.

Remember, keeping your mirrors clean is essential because clean mirrors reflect light better.

You can also use them in unique ways to improve your decor while brightening up your space.

For example, why don’t you install a mirror in the exact shape of your vertical window to create a feeling of another window streaming light into your bathroom?

You may also place mirrors of the same size on opposite sides of your bathroom door to balance space and evenly distribute light into the room.

If you are artistic, using mirrors to create a focal point opposite a light source, such as a window, is another interesting way to brighten your bathroom.

 

5. Use colour

The colour of your bathroom walls can make it feel light and spacious or dark and small.

Avoid dark colours in the bathroom because they absorb light instead of reflecting it. Rather paint it in light or pale colours such as whites, creams, pastels, and light blues.

If you want to make the room feel light, airy, and warm, colors with a sunny hue such as yellow will warm it up while lightening the space.

Use bright colours on countertops too. A white granite countertop is better than a dark one at making a room look airy and bright.

You don’t have to stop at the walls; you may also paint your ceiling in a bright colour to shine the light back into a room.

Opt for glossy paint that will reflect light instead of matte finishes that dampen it down. High gloss finishes are the best choice when maximizing a room’s lighting.

Use such reflective paint in light colors on moldings and the skirting board to brighten your bathroom and give it an airier feel.

If your venting skylight has a light shaft, remember to paint its interior a bright color to maximize the light streaming in through it.

 

6. Glass and metal finishes

Glass on its own is a great asset when it comes to brightening up a room. But that is not the only way to use it when creating an illusion of light.

You may choose glass decor items such as furniture, room art, and accessories to brighten up a space too.

Glass chest drawers and cabinets will let any light streaming in from your windows through, making your bathroom feel spacious.

You may also use glass wall art in your bathroom to maximize light. Shiny glass wall art with gold details can bounce light back into a room, making it feel more spacious.

Art made of broken glass pieces will bounce light into different corners of the room, similar to what you experience with a disco ball.

 

7. Floor and tiles

Your floors can brighten a room or make it feel dank and gloomy.

Opt for floor materials with a polished finish that will reflect light from a skylight, vertical window, or artificial light fixtures back into the room.

Glossy bright floors made of ceramic, porcelain, or stone tiles are easy to keep clean, and they give a bathroom a pristine look.

They also repel water making them ideal for floors in wet areas such as shower stalls and bathtub areas.

If safety is a concern, pick textured tiles of bright color as they will also maximize light from your windows and light fixtures. You may also place light-colored bathroom mats on the floor to add more brightness.

The wall tiles and backsplash will also determine how light is distributed in your bathroom. Bright tiles are a better option than dark ones for these areas. White ones work best.

Ensuring the bathroom is of a single color in terms of the tiles used will also make it feel more spacious and airy. Therefore, try to pick a single light-coloured tile for your whole bathroom.

 

Is your bathroom in need of some light?

These are seven ways you can maximize the light in your bathroom.

Start by working on ways to let in natural light, such as installing a skylight and enhancing your window space before you embark on other solutions.

Just a single skylight will illuminate your bathroom tremendously. You can then find a way to bounce the natural light you get into dark spaces of the bathroom to brighten it.

We have given you a few useful tips on how to lighten up dark bathroom spaces. If it gets too difficult, you can always hire a decor expert for advice, but doing it yourself may be more fun. Try it!

 

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