Lighting at the bathroom mirror

A mirror lit from above gives shadows under your eyes, nose and chin. Exactly where you want to see what you are doing. The solution is known to every hairdresser and make-up artist: light from the side.

Why light from the side works better

Two wall lights to the left and right of the mirror light your face evenly and flatly. No shadow under the eyebrows, no dark chin.

Is there already a lamp above the mirror? Supplement it with light from the side rather than replacing it. Together they work better than either on its own.

At what height

About at eye level, so around 160 to 170 centimetres from the floor. If the mirror is higher or lower, use the centre of the mirror as a guide.

Place the lamps about 35 to 40 centimetres apart on either side for an ordinary mirror, wider for a broad one.

How much light and which colour

Allow 300 to 400 lumens at the mirror. Colour temperature 3000 kelvin: cooler than the living room, but not so cool that your skin looks grey. Above 4000 kelvin you start to look like you are in a hospital.

Pay attention to colour rendering too: choose 90 or higher, otherwise your make-up indoors will not match outdoors.

Safety: the IP rating

Close to a washbasin or shower there are requirements for how splash-proof a fitting is. Which rating is needed where, you can read in what IP rating does a bathroom lamp need.

And the rest of the bathroom

Besides the mirror you want general light of 200 to 300 lumens per square metre. A dimmable ceiling light is pleasant here: full in the morning, and not at all when you are in the bath in the evening.

See our lighting for the bathroom.

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