Our Founder and Chief Designer Harriet Daniels on her top five tips for designing bathroom lighting:

1 Layer decorative lighting over your architectural / task lighting.

Decorative lighting is there to provide visual interest, and also a sense of atmosphere and depth to a space.  It’s not going to provide perfect light for, say, doing your make-up or shaving– task lighting will meet that need.

2 Always install with a dimmer.

So that you can enjoy a relaxing bath with soft lighting!

3 Know your bathroom zones.

You may not need specialist bathroom (IP-rated) lighting for certain areas of your bathroom.  For example, either side of a vanity is often an area where any lighting can be used.  This will widen the selection you can choose from.

4 Pick something with diffuse light.

Bare bulbs and glare are not fun first thing in the morning, they can create a jarring and almost clinical feel.  Make sure that the lighting you select has a shade that is made of a material that will diffuse the light.

5 Make sure the lighting you select is made from non-ferrous materials

If you select something that is made out of brass or stainless steel you will enjoy longevity in a damp environment.  Avoid lights which are marketed as “brass” but which are in fact mild steel with a brass-coloured coating – these may rust over time.  If you want to check, bring a magnet with you when sourcing – the magnet will be attracted to mild steel but not to stainless or brass!