Modern Bathroom Design, Clever Lighting Design

Read article : Modern Bathroom Design, Clever Lighting Design

Effective bathroom lighting ideas, modern bathroom design

Lighting design for modern bathroom space is a excellent tool for creating comfortable, safe, spacious and stylish interior. Not all bathroom light fixtures are equally great for high humidity levels or temperature changes. Choosing right lighting fixtures and their arrangement helps make your bathroom design effective, practical and attractive.

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Bathroom light fixtures are designed for specific zones. Safety is one of the most important modern bathroom design principles. Drops of water should not reach hot bathroom light fixtures, and you or your kids should not be able to touch hot lamps accidentally. LED and low wattage modern bathroom lighting design is a safe, eco friendly and stylish choice. (Modern bathroom, top 10 trends for 2011)

It is great if your bathroom interior has a large window. You can add modern bathroom light fixtures to illuminate specific zones, like a shower area and a bathroom mirror, with lights and save on general lighting. If your bathroom does not have a window, then you need to create effective general lighting design.

Also general bathroom lighting design makes a room with a small window more spacious, safer and more attractive. (Tiny bathroom, 7 tips for remodeling)

General bathroom lighting design

1. Usually three or more built into the ceiling bathroom light fixtures and two mirror lamps create effective and comfortable lighting design. (Modern bathroom lighting fixtures, fixed on the wall near a bathtub, above a bathtub or in a shower should be specifically designed for these areas with high humidity.)

2. There are two modern bathroom lighting design ideas that are practical and stylish. First, – arranging bathroom lighting fixtures on the ceiling at the same distance from each. Second, –  placing bathroom light fixtures on the walls near the ceiling.

3. Small bathrooms can be visually increased in size with smart wall lighting design. (Small bathroom remodeling and staging ideas) Well lit walls create  the wall-wash light effect, which can be general or decorative to bring out texture on a wall, highlight a wall decoration or a wallpaper pattern. Attractive wall-wash lighting design increases the ceiling height and makes small bathrooms look more spacious.

4. Bathroom lighting fixtures with dimmers are great for changing the intensity and creating soft,  relaxing and quiet atmosphere. (Peaceful turquoise colors for bathroom design)

5. Rotating and sliding bathroom lighting fixtures help create a quick change in interior design without any additional decorating, a different mood or a new decorative accent. They are great for experimenting with fresh bathroom lighting design ideas.

6. Traditional bulbs make bathroom design feel softer and warmer. Halogen bulbs create bright white light that can be used for modern bathroom design with dark wood or black decor items and warm colors.

Local bathroom lighting design

1. You can design few zones: around sinks, shower, bathtub, toilet, storage area. (Modern bathroom design, walk-in showers and glass screens)

2. Two bathroom mirrors lights create modern and comfortable lighting that is not blinding.  It does not produce dark shadows on your face, does not distort mirror images and colors.

3. Bathroom light fixtures should not be reflected in the mirror.

4. Arranging bathroom lighting fixtures above the mirror, – vertical lighting design, – is not the best. Downward light emphasizes wrinkles.

5. Fixing bathroom lighting fixtures too low creates shadows on your face.

6. Bathroom mirrors lights should be neutral. Fluorescent bulbs distort colors.

7. Built-in the floor lighting fixtures allow to create unique and relaxing environment.

8. You can place bathroom lighting fixtures around a window or diagonally on a wall. Unusual lanterns and ethnic style bathroom lighting design ideas look modern, impressive and personal. (Moroccan style accessories)

9. Functional bathroom lighting ideas, like lights in drawers and cabinets, add more comfort to your design.

10. Built-in lights in wall niches, above or around shelves are bathroom lighting ideas that are functional and stylish.

Contemporary bathroom lighting fixtures offer various attractive ways to decorate your bathroom interior with impressive, practical and attractive lighting design. Select the best option for your home and add more comfort to your bathroom with smart and pleasant lighting design.

Modern bathroom design:
Bathroom decorating with beautiful bathtub
Eco wall tile designs for modern life and style
Modern bathroom design

  by Ena Russ   
  last updated: 13.01.2012

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How to Remodel Your Bathroom for Now and the Future

Read article : How to Remodel Your Bathroom for Now and the Future

July 1, 2015

Credit: Courtesy of Moen

You’re planning a bathroom remodel. Exciting! It’s time to talk about flooring and finishes, light fixtures and storage space. Oh, yeah, and walkers, slips and broken hips! Wait. What?!

We know, we know, that’s not you. It may never be you. But the truth is: Thinking about some of the challenges of aging as you remodel will actually make your house more accessible to everyone in your life, whether it’s your adult daughter trying to take a shower while her baby is conked out in the stroller, a toddling grandchild who won’t sit still in the tub, a spouse recovering from knee surgery or an elderly parent with failing vision.

Planning ahead and anticipating the changing needs of your family will prevent your bathroom from looking institutional down the road.

— Amy Levner, AARP

“Most of us find it difficult to plan ahead,” says gerontologist Jodi Olshevski, executive director for the Hartford Center for Mature Market Excellence. “And some of us have a certain aversion to growing older.”

MoreModifying a Home for Everyone’s Comfort

But planning ahead and anticipating the changing needs of your family is the key to preventing your bathroom from looking institutional down the road, says Amy Levner, manager of Housing and Livable Communities for AARP. “Universal design done well is invisible, and it looks a lot better than a quick fix,”  she adds.(To see what Levner’s talking about, check out the video at aarp.org/homefit.)

If, for example, you or a family member suddenly suffers an injury or illness, Levner says, you can’t instantly install a sleek grab bar that doubles as a towel rack. Or a backlit faucet. Or fold-down teak seats in the shower. Instead, you’ll be forced to make accommodations of the nursing-home-chic variety. Often in white or beige plastic. Not pretty.

On the other hand, if you approach your remodel thoughtfully using the principles of universal design now, you’ll have all the accommodations you or a loved one might need one day already in place — in a style that suits your taste. In the meantime, activities like shaving in the shower and bathing a baby will be easier.

More4 Tips to Help You Age In Place

“There’s really no downside,” Olshevski says. You just need to think a little differently as you turn your bathroom into the universally accessible oasis of your dreams.

What to Think About

Flooring. Look for flooring that is slip-resistant, even-surfaced, low-glare, durable and easy to maintain. “The bathroom is a really dangerous room because it’s slippery when wet,” Levner says, “but you can select tiles that are naturally slip-proof.”

Hallways and doorways.To accommodate walkers, strollers or a wheelchair, widen hallways and doorways to at least 32 inches — 36 inches is ideal, says Olshevski. And eliminate thresholds, which are an unnecessary obstacle.

Doorknobs. Replace knobs with levered handles, which are easier for both little hands and arthritic ones to manipulate.

Lighting. Most people don’t think much about lighting in the bathroom, Olshevski says, but good lighting is crucial not only for good design but also for preventing slips and scalds. In addition to letting in as much natural light as possible, she suggests multiple sources of lighting and points out the importance of lighting over the bathtub and shower. Of course, don’t forget a nightlight for those midnight bathroom trips.

Light switches. Install backlit rocker switches instead of standard switches. They are easier to find in the dark, and you can flip them with your elbow or shoulder if your hands are full.

Faucets.Choose single-lever faucets — or touchless sensor faucets — which are easier to manipulate and provide better water-temperature control.

Toilet.Comfort-height toilets are 17 to 19 inches high compared to the standard 14 to 16 inches. You’ll just need to provide a stepping stool for little ones.

Vanity and medicine cabinet.Not only are pedestal sinks in fashion, they are more accessible to those with wheelchairs and walkers than enclosed vanities, Olshevski says, because they provide clearance under the sink. And a well-lit medicine cabinet makes reading prescription bottles and finding toiletries easier.

Shower and tub.“We would suggest a walk-in shower with a hand-held shower hose,” Olshevski says. “They are designed so the water doesn’t get on the floor, and you can install a seat, which is very practical if you’re shaving.” Walk-in bathtubs, which are accessible through a door and have built-in seating, are another option.

Grab bars.Perhaps the most important feature for an accessible, safe bathroom is a grab bar. When you’re remodeling, be sure to have the walls reinforced so you can install a grab bar in the tub or shower whenever you’re ready without having to rip up the walls again, Levner says. But really there’s no need to delay, since so many grab bars double as stylish towel racks.

The Fun Part: Shopping Around

Once you’ve decided to embrace universal design in the bathroom, the next step is finding products that match your style. Architects, contractors and designers familiar with universal design can lead you to products that are right for you.

Most architects are up to speed on universal design, Levner says. Locating designers and contractors might take a little sleuthing. She recommends looking for certified Aging in Place contractors and contacting your local chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) for designer recommendations.

Half the fun is doing research on your own. And maybe creating a Pinterest board of your favorite things.

Melinda Avila-Torio, a designer with THW, an architecture firm that specializes in building senior living facilities, recommends checking out the following for inspiration:

“We know from research that most people want to stay in their home as they age,” Olshevski says. Universal design makes that possible. And if you do the remodel right, your guests won’t want to leave either.

By Heidi Raschke

Heidi Raschke is a longtime journalist and editor who previously was the Executive Editor of Mpls-St. Paul Magazine and Living and Learning Editor at Next Avenue. Currently, she runs her own content strategy and development consultancy.@heidiraschke

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