Maximize Natural Light in Your Bathroom With These Tricks

Layout is everything in creating a well-designed space, and the bathroom is no exception.  This includes considering the workflow of the room, placement of furniture like vanity cabinets and storage, and much more.  Another important part of creating a perfectly appointed bathroom is making sure you have ample lighting from multiple sources.  While a combination of lighting is best, it also helps to include natural light in your bathroom remodel wherever possible. 

Natural light offers a free source of light (saving you money on electricity bills), that also supplements your lighting design and serves as a natural mood booster.  If you have a window in your bathroom, particularly one with an attractive view, it makes sense to maximize the effect of natural light on your space. 

Here are 5 ways to do this:

1.  Let the light shine.  Do not block natural light with furniture, such as vanity or linen cabinets.   Where ever possible, position furniture away from a window that offers a valuable light source, or perhaps position extra storage cabinets so they fit neatly underneath a window. 

2.  Position is everything.  You may even want to consider the placement of a vanity or make up table so that you can use natural light (when it is available) when getting ready.  Another option is to position the tub near a window like this design below left, which allows you to soak in the tub while soaking up sunshine or enjoying a beautiful view.  You can also build your shower enclosure around or near a window like the bathroom design in Dearborn, MI below right.  If privacy is a concern, add a sheer curtain or blind that still allows most of the sunshine through, or consider a half window blind that covers the lower half of the window.

3.  See through to the other side.  Make your shower all glass like the examples below, or perhaps include a fully open shower.  This lets light flow through and not be blocked by a dark shower enclosure.  These shower styles are on trend, and offer a sleeker appearance that is easier to keep clean (and clean means more light gets through too!).  Include glass in other areas like glass storage shelves or glass front cabinets to open up the room to light even more.

4.  Reflect the light.  Add mirrors to reflect light throughout the room, which makes the available light work double time and the room appear larger.  Mirrors are an important part of any bathroom design as they are an essential part of getting ready, such as for shaving and applying makeup.  Another way to accomplish this is by sticking to light, shiny finishes on bathroom hardware, such as polished chrome.

5.  Brighten with color choice.  Color schemes, along with textures and patterns, are a key part of defining the style of a room.  If you are trying to create a bright space and maximize the effect of natural light, select a light, bright color scheme.  Light colors for paint, tile, and cabinet finish allow natural light to bounce around the room and reflect off every surface.

Here’s a bonus tip – keep windows clutter free and clean!  I know it may seem like an obvious one but it is worth mentioning as clear and clean windows make a stark difference to the amount of natural light in a room.  Do you want to maximize the benefit of a window in your next bathroom renovation?  Contact us today to find out how to best incorporate natural light into your lighting scheme, or visit our gallery for more bathroom ideas.