When it comes to lighting, the bathroom is one room to pay special attention to. Not only are you choosing lighting for aesthetics but also lighting that may be crucial to your health.
Typically the bathroom is the first room people go to when they arise in the morning. Task lighting for showering, shaving, applying makeup, etc., is vital but natural daylight is important to your mood and setting circadian rhythms important to wake/sleep cycles. Daylight, especially the short wavelength blue range of morning light helps set proper circadian rhythms. Studies have shown that disrupted circadian rhythms contribute to deteriorating health including heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer, obesity and diabetes. Plus, brighter light improves mood. As you choose lighting for your bath, include as much natural light as possible. A transom window, such as Bridgewater offers for master baths and powder rooms (on main floor baths) allows abundant natural light without compromising privacy.
CDC studies report that 80% of falls in the home occur in the bathroom and are not necessarily age related—with nearly a quarter million Americans age 15 or older having injured themselves with bathroom falls in 2008 alone. Having appropriate lighting and lighting appropriate for the time of day is important to reducing opportunities for injury. Since tubs and showers are areas common to falls, natural light via windows or transoms is important.
Night lighting is also a consideration. Since many homeowners love a luxurious spa-like look to their bath, a chandelier does just that—and a dimmer for evening is perfect for relaxation and perhaps that long soak in the tub at the end of the day. Often a bathroom is used in the middle of the night when eyes are adjusted to darkness. For safety, it is critical to have some light but not too much. A dimmer on your chandelier or lighting fixtures is the perfect way to provide a low wattage light source.
Don’t forget ambient lig
hting such as the additional lighting provided by mirrors, etc. Bridgewater now offers mirror mounted lighting fixtures and oversize pivot mirrors that provide not only great visibility and adjustment for tasking but also more light thru reflection thereby reducing energy costs.
Incandescent, LED, recessed cans, chandeliers, ambient lighting, and transoms—much thought has gone into options for lighting the luxury baths of Bridgewater Villa homes—not only for the creation of beautiful spaces but for your health as well. See this beautiful bathroom at Bridgewater’s new display at The Villas at Ohmes Farm in Saint Peters.
