How to Choose the Right Paint and Lighting for your Bathroom

Waking up to the same boring bathroom every morning can put a damper on your whole day. The wrong lighting can make you look as if you didn’t get enough sleep, and the wrong paint color on the walls, paired with the wrong lighting, can really wreak havoc on your self-esteem. Don’t be a victim of poor lighting or drab wall color anymore. A few tips can improve the look of your powder room, make your bathroom vanity shine, as well as the reflection you see in its mirror.

Lighting choices

• Vanity lights provide the most light, and make mornings more delightful. It can also compliment your bathroom vanity and make it the center of attention. With a full glow on your face, you can see any makeup or shaving mistakes you make. Be sure to use lightbulbs with a combined 150 watts or more, for maximum glow.
• Mount sconces or pendant lights on either side of the mirror to cast even light on your face. Down lighting is preferred to upward-facing lights, which really only bathe the ceiling in light.
• Ceiling-mounted or recessed lights are not the best choice for a bathroom, since it most likely won’t reflect enough light in front of the mirror. Additionally, recessed lights can cast shadows where you don’t want to see them.
• Chandeliers are a recent trend in bathroom lighting. They can add class and style to your décor, but if used alone, a chandelier is not the best light source. However, if a chandelier is hung as a decorative element in addition to other lighting sources, it can add a layer of desirable light.

Wall color

• Plain white walls may seem boring, but they are a great choice for a small bathroom. Not only that, but white walls provide a blank canvas for amping up your décor. If it’s just not exciting enough for you, but you still want to keep a neutral bathroom color, opt for whites with tints of pink or yellow.
• Although an all-pink bathroom is really not the best choice, a pale pink with a hint of yellow is flattering to the complexion, and minimizes the appearance of wrinkles. If you just can’t bring yourself to do all-pink, consider painting an accent wall – say, behind the mirror and bathroom lighting – to make it easier on the eyes.
• Aqua mixes blue and green and evokes a feeling like you’re in the sea – or at the spa. A supremely calming color, aqua walls in a bathroom can make a relaxing bath feel like a dip in a tropical ocean. A pale shade of aqua will make the room look bigger, and aqua with gold tones will warm it up. Paint trim in a creamy off-white to make the blue-green shade pop.
• Darker colors, like browns, tans and grays may seem like dismal choices, but they can work really well in a bathroom. If paired with the right shade of white as a trim color, a lighter shade of brown or gray can make the room feel larger.
• For the most part, avoid all shades of green or yellow, as they have a tendency to make your skin look pale and sickly. It’s also a good idea to avoid red shades in the bathroom, since the bathroom is a place to relax. Red colors have a tendency to agitate people, and will do nothing to improve the look of your complexion. It should go without saying that black is not even an option.

Nobody wants to look bad, and if you have the right colors on the walls and the right bathroom lighting, you can be sure to always look your best. If you’re not sure about a color, take several samples home and put them against the wall once your new bathroom lighting is installed.

Contact Luxury Living Direct for more information on bathroom decor and more at 1-800-574-3022.