Fixtures & Faucets
Lighting up your Bathroom
By: Kelly Goldthorpe
For women, the type of lighting in your bathroom can have a huge effect on your appearance. Remember when you would tell ghost stories and hold a flashlight up to your face, creating a scary shadow? Well done incorrectly, bathroom lighting can produce a similar effect. It is important to create a balance of light within your bathroom, which will help not only with the style and look of the room, but also with the functionality of it.
Bar Lights:
Bar lights are the most common form of bathroom lighting. These consist of a set of lights usually positioned above the sink. Although it may be a singular, long light, bar lights can also have four or five bulbs within them. 60 watt bulbs are good for this style of lighting, producing a bright glow. However, if this is your only form of lighting fixtures within your bathroom it will create significant shadows. When applying makeup this can be a problem. You will want to even out the light by using other forms of accent lighting.
Scone Lights:
These are also popular choices for bathrooms. Scone lights are essentially wall lamps – single bulbs with a shade attached that are affixed to the wall. These are best positioned at eye level and should be about 40 watts.
Globe Lights:
Think about all those movie star dressing rooms you see on television with mirrors outlined by big, round lights. Globe lighting is basically a bulb encased by a fishbowl style cover. These diffuse the light produced, which creates an even glow. This light is great for getting ready in the morning because of the light.
Recessed Lights:
Because bathrooms experience a lot of water and water vapor, hanging lights are often dangerous and can be subject to rust and corrosion. Recessed lighting provides a great alternative for lighting up the ceiling without the other hassles. Although difficult to install, they’re well worth it because they light up the entire room and do not accumulate dust. These also work great in the shower because the can be waterproofed as well with the proper material.
Skylights:
Natural light adds appeal to any room. With a bathroom it can be difficult to achieve this because of privacy concerns and the variety of locations that bathrooms are in within the house. Skylights allow in that sunlight yet still maintain a high level of privacy.
When designing the lighting scheme for your bathroom make the lights independent of each other, that way you can control which ones are on at any given time. When getting ready you will want to use different levels of lighting. When preparing for daytime activities use bright lights. For evening outings use softer lighting.
Keep your bathroom bright and uplifting. Have a well lit bathroom will boost your confidence and perk you up in the morning!
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Types and Uses for Bathroom Shower Curtains
By: Kelly Goldthorpe
Bathroom shower curtains may seem pretty straightforward. However there are different types of curtains available for you to use with bathroom decorating along with other ways to use them. Don’t be limited by your preconceived notions about how bathroom curtains work!
First are the different types of curtains. You’re probably used to at least one of these, either polyester or vinyl shower curtains. They are slick and the water just slides right off. These are pretty much used in all showers because of their waterproof nature. The other option for shower curtains is fabric. Although you can find fabric shower curtains that have been waterproofed, those typically are still subject to mildew. Regardless of which material you go with, there is a huge market for shower curtains with an enormous variety in colors, designs, and styles. You can quickly update your bathroom décor simply by switching out your shower curtain. In many households families combine the two shower curtain options, with an inside vinyl or polyester curtain liner and a fabric curtain on the outside. This gives you that elegant appearance while preserving the curtain.
To really enhance the look of your shower stall purchase shower curtain hooks. You can likely find these in matching styles or colors. For a kids bathroom a rubber ducky shower curtain with rubber ducky hooks really ties the theme together. These tiny details will actually stand out as part of your bathroom decorating.
Don’t feel limited by the term shower curtain. Despite the name, there are a wide variety of uses that go beyond the bathroom. Vinyl shower curtains are ideal for outdoor use because of their water resistant nature. Consider using them to cover the grill or patio furniture. You can also use them as liners for plants or water fixtures. Fabric curtains have an even wider variety of uses. Recycle your fabric shower curtain for anything from window curtains, sewing material, picnic tablecloths, or crafting.
Once you get the primary use out of your shower curtain don’t be afraid to let it live a second live. Your bathroom shower will appreciate a change of appearance and you’ll enjoy the extra functionality from a single purchase.
