Three Tips for Functional Bathroom Lighting

Set the tone with proper bulb temperature, color and placement

Whether getting dressed, shaving, applying makeup or styling your hair, there are a variety of important tasks that take place in the bathroom mirror. Therefore, the quality of light in the bathroom is more important than ever. There are a few key aspects to your light bulbs you want to consider when choosing bathroom lighting:

1. Temperature - Use bulbs between 2700 - 3000 Kelvin color temperature for an appealing, warm tone.

2. CRI - This stands for color rendering index. To see the subtle colors of skin, makeup, hair and clothing, a CRI of 90-100 is best.

3. Placement - Even the best bulbs can be rendered ineffective if your light fixtures are poorly placed. Avoid unsightly shadows and glare by lighting mirrors on each side.

Today, all bulb packaging contains a label to help you determin the Kelvin and CRI. However, if you are confused about which bulbs to buy or how best to light your bathroom, a trained lighting professional is your best resource. Find your nearest ALA-member showroom here.

Photo by Kichler Lighting