How To Shop For Vanity Lights
Vanities are one of the most important spaces in a home, yet go almost entirely unnoticed. A vanity is where your morning and evening routines take place, where self-care happens, and where your best looks or styles face final approval. Having the right vanity lighting for that space is crucial to safely and accurately perform all your tasks.
The Light Brothers want to help you design the best vanity for your needs. With so many lighting options and designs, it’s hard to narrow them down. Don’t worry, though, we’ve put together this helpful guide to simplify the decision.
So, let’s get started!
Choosing Vanity Lighting
When starting the search for optimal vanity lighting, the first step is deciding whether you’re looking for ambient or task lighting. Ambient lighting faces the light shade up to light up the entire space but creates shadows on everything below. Task lighting does the exact opposite; with shades pointed downwards, task lighting eliminates shadows and is perfect for completing those precise tasks, such as shaving or makeup.
Every fully-functional bathroom should have both ambient and task lighting, but it’s up to you how you choose to design your lighting scheme.
Bathroom Sconces
Designer sconces can be placed on either side of a mirror to create the perfect task lighting in a bathroom. Paired with multi-light vanity lighting above the mirror, you can achieve the ideal ambient-task lighting combination.
Multiple-Light Vanity Lights
Multiple-light vanity lights can have anywhere from two to twelve lights on a fixture. A three-light vanity fixture is the most popular choice and is the best pick for balanced lighting. The number of lights you choose for your vanity light will ultimately depend on the size of your mirror. Depending on how you decide to place the shades, these fixtures can be both ambient or task lighting.
What Room Are You Lighting?
Different rooms require different levels of lighting. Generally, it’s best to stick to a warm white color temperature in living rooms and bedrooms, a bright white color temperature in kitchens and workspaces, and a daylight color temperature in studies and bathrooms.
With any task lighting, brightness matters. You don’t want a single detail to be missed. For vanity lighting, 1600 lumens is the recommended level of brightness, unless the fixture has an integrated LED light source. With the added efficiency, you can achieve the same level of lighting with a lower output (as low as 1200 lumens), so keep that in mind when selecting your fixtures.
Professional vs DIY Vanity Light Installation
Almost every vanity light can be mounted facing up or down. Keep in mind, facing the shade upwards will create ambient light, and facing it downwards creates task lighting. Prior to starting your installation, thoroughly read through each step-by-step direction, safety, warning, and caution information. Remember that working with electrical wiring can be dangerous if you’re inexperienced. If you are ever in doubt, it’s best to turn to a qualified electrician.
Look to The Light Brothers
For over 100 years The Light Brothers have been illuminating the western suburbs of Chicago with our light fixtures, accessories, and more. Now serving a new generation, we continue our tradition of offering great customer service and the right lighting to make a house a home. Check out our site today to explore our extensive selection of lighting solutions!
Related: How To Light A Bathroom