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Lighting Bathrooms Design Dilemma

Is ONE sconce ok?

last year

Wondering if anyone happens to have a picture of a bathroom with one sconce beside the vanity instead of two? I know sconces are typically paired, but I don’t really want two here in my daughters’ bathroom. In my opinion, a sconce with a shade serves more as a lamp for ambiance and low light, than lighting for makeup, etc., which is exactly what I want this sconce for. It’s not for lighting at all. I will have adjustable, recessed lights in the ceiling, as well as another ceiling mounted light fixture. I’ve attached pictures of my design ideas. One would be the view standing in front of the vanity, and the other picture is the view from inside their room. Any thoughts or opinions about this would be greatly appreciated.

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Comment (1)

ptreckel
last year
I believe you have asked this before. In my experience, overhead lighting is the WORST for makeup application, etc. It is a DOWN light that casts shadows on the face. Sconces, placed at an appropriate level, provide light from the side, across the face, at the level required for makeup application, etc. Sconces need not have shades. They can be bare bulbs, if that is desired. In all of my bathroom remodels, I have installed sconces WITH shades, as they soften the glare of bulbs, casting the light where it is needed. I strongly suggest two sconces. If the set up, above, is your bathroom, one on each side wall would be appropriate. If you had one sink in the middle of the vanity, you would probably have sconces on either side.
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brutuses, my door is where your picture is taken from - the vanity is on the right side of the far wall, and the toilet is on the left side. The mirror above the vanity was pieced together from 2 (3?) pieces of furniture that we salvaged post-Katrina, and does not allow room for a wall sconce. We could put in our two sconces like your outside 2, or we could center them in the flanking walls. DH set the boxes a couple of hours ago, centered in the flanking walls. But because they are not flanking the vanity, 66" looked too low, especially with the 10' ceiling. I think DH set them at 72". Not ideal, but I think we can live with it. I might go back and see how they look if we placed them like yours - now's the time to change them. This site is a blessing and a curse - this is something I have never noticed before, but now that I know how and more importantly, why they should be at 66", I am going to fret over it until the decision is made!
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Having everything lined up against the wall is not a good look. Can you put the other furniture somewhere else or do away with it altogether? As mentioned, that huge array of photographs is not a good look. Large canvas, or one large and smaller ones on each side, for the wall, and stacks of books on top of the cabinets, with one or two well-chosen more vertical accents will complete the looks. I would not do shelves or even think of putting all those family photos anywhere.
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