Bathroom Lighting Conundrum! Help, please!

8 years ago

last modified: 8 years ago

Hi there, we are remodeling our bathroom upstairs with slanted attic ceiling. See the picture attached. I want to make sure the lighting is awesome. Here are the questions:

1. We have our 60" vanity against the short wall, only 6 feet high. On each side of the vanity will be 5 inches. We have a mirror that came with the vanity we will be using, also 60". It's not a huge bathroom, so keeping the full size mirror is preferable, rather than moving to a two-mirror set up. That being said, I want sconces on each side of the mirror, but that would put them 5 feet apart, and not at the suggested 36-40". How can I be sure I have enough vanity lighting so I don't have shadows or lack of light? We don't have space above the mirror due to the 6" ceiling height, so I am assuming recessed is the only option? Is that weird on a slanted ceiling of the lower height as you can see in the pic attached? Any other options? Thoughts on wattage?

2. We are putting in a 2x2 skylight to also bring in more natural light. We live in the the Pacific Northwest, so this is super important! The window has a big Japanese Maple outside of it, so we don't get enough with the window alone. Originally I thought to put the skylight above the vanity, but that may create problems with having enough light since the sconces will be so far apart. So, my thought is to do it above the toilet. Agree/disagree? I also thought at one point to do it above the shower but then we would want to buy an opening/closing type to avoid condensation that close to the shower, which is way more expensive, and this dang remodel is already more than I wanted to spend. Isn't that always the case? :)

3. Currently we have a stupid fan/light combo that is super old above the toilet, and I think it may make the most sense to put this fixture above our new shower (5 feet x 4 feet). Any suggestions on great fixtures or if this is a smart idea? Should it be an all-in-one? Multiple fixture and keep the light above the shower and then move the fan elsewhere?

Any other thoughts or suggestions for consideration are welcomed!!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (3)

User
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
I can't answer Q2 and 3 but your contractor probably can. I'm not sure you need a light over the shower if you have adequate vanity lighting and a skylight, unless you shower at night. What about a Solatube instead of a skylight? Are they okay for inside a shower? Panasonic is the preferred fan from what I've read on the forum.

On to Q1! I think you could add a third sconce in the middle of the mirror. I'm not sure a glass company would want to cut the hole in your mirror, but they may be willing to risk it if they break it, you buy the replacement from them. I think bath bar lights work best in narrow spaces. Some are 4" wide.
techmom1
8 years ago
Another option for lighting would be track lighting on the ceiling above the vanity - they make very trendy track lighting now - and from the box stores they can be reasonably priced. I was thinking the skylight might be better placed over the shower, especially since you already have a window across from the toilet. And finally, if your light/fan combo is older and noisy, it might be worth purchasing a new quiet one, and place it over the toilet area. It's nice to have a light in the toilet area (for those who read there,) and that's really where you need the fan, as well as to clear up the fog (to use the vanity after your shower.) Assuming you'll have a large glass door & panel for the shower, between the vanity lighting and overhead light (from the fan/light) there should be enough light to shower, even if it's dark outside. Good luck!
Related Discussions
Small bathroom mirror/light help please
Q
Comments (18)
What about this light fixture? https://www.1800lighting.com/hinkley-lighting-fritz-24-inch-3-light-bath-vanity-light-CP75020.html https://www.1800lighting.com/hinkley-lighting-fritz-14-inch-2-light-bath-vanity-light-CP75001.html https://www.lightingnewyork.com/product/hinkley-lighting-clancy-bathroom-lights-5442bn-cl.html?utm_source=Criteo&utm_medium=Remarket&utm_campaign=Hinkley%20Lighting&utm_content=Wall%20Lights%20%3E%20Bathroom%20Vanity%20Lights&utm_term=5442BN%2DCL&vip=TEUW4WDC Hayneedle has a very similar mirror for around $24 less. https://www.hayneedle.com/product/aspirehomeaccentsmorseindustrialmetalwallmirror205wx33hin.cfm
...See More
Bathroom Remodel Conundrum
Q
Comments (8)
You should renovate in exactly the way that you want. Trying to guess what a mythical buyer might prefer in ten years is a crap shoot especially when you are attempting to determine which of two not truly desirable outcomes is better. Many people do NOT want a master bath to be shared with guests or even with other people living in the household. That is why people have powder rooms - so that casual visitors aren't in the most private spaces. Many adults don't take baths so having a tub in a master isn't particularly wanted. Preferred is a nice walk in shower. How large is the stall shower in the master bath - in generally the en suite masters from that era have fairly small showers so enlarging the shower and making it as luxurious as possible would be my choice if I were looking for a new home. I recently remodeled and removed tub shower combo in my master and installed a great shower. As others have posted, many people don't care about two sinks. I personally think they are not sometimes the best use of space as I will see two basins crammed into a relatively small counter and so there is actually less functional space. Less counter space and also less storage space. Most grooming doesn't need to take place over a sink so - again - my personal choice would be more counter space and one sink. In my recent remodel, I went from two sinks to one sink so I could have a really nice vanity area - and my counter was relatively long compared to some where there is barely space between the two sinks. So do exactly what works for your needs because you are the one who is living there for a decade.
...See More
Please help me to find pendent light for the bathroom!!
Q
Comments (5)
Pendant lights have a tough time meeting building codes in bathrooms. First, they must be damp rated. Second, they are prohibited for much of the bath area entirely. Can you explain the location better?
...See More
Please help with bathroom lighting
Q
Comments (22)
@Lyn Nielson@wdccruise@Patricia Colwell@Kim H@Jennifer Hogan@artemis78 hi here's the drawing of the new bathroom. artemis78 asked me what my neighbors have. Well, the orignal bathroom is only 5'x7' and the vanity is about 30" wide so most people have a sconce over the medicine cabinet/mirror which provides ample lighting. In the drawing, where the toilet is was actually a closet outside of the original bathroom. Today I just realized there's an existing flush mounted light right outside of the original bathroom (see the blue circled red dot). So this ceiling light will be inside of the new, enlarged bathroom. However, it'll be way off the center. Again, the situation is: the ceiling is concrete so it's impossible to install any new lighting fixture in the ceiling without lowering it. Also I try to save money so prefer not to lower the ceiling. If I install this way-off-the-center ceiling light in the new bathroom, would it look wierd or crazy? Thanks!
...See More
LE
8 years ago
We have a skylight on the ceiling behind us as we face the vanity, so during the day the light bounces off the mirror onto your face and provides a realistic view (for better or worse). Not sure if that would work with your roof configuration, though. I think I'd rather have it over the shower than the toilet, however. It also makes the shower space seem larger, since it bumps up.

I do think 5 feet could be too much separation for the sconces. The track light solution might be your best bet if you want to keep things simple. We had the sconces put through our mirror, but I don't know if you are open to that idea. I don't really know how much it cost since it was part of a whole house.

Bathroom Lighting Conundrum! Help, please!

Comments (3)

User

techmom1

Related Discussions

LE

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US