A Beautiful Alternative For Lighting In The Bathroom

Bathroom designed by Carla Aston / Photo by Tori Aston

I do a lot of bathroom design. And if there's one thing I’m totally tired of, it’s...

The bath bar light.

I’ve mentioned this before; and I know that sometimes there’s just no way to get around using them. But I prefer to get a little more creative and atypical.

I love using sconces. However...

Sometimes there’s just no room in the width of the space; and it's soooooo hard to find good sconces with adequate wattage. So many that you see in bathrooms — those featured in beautiful glossy magazines — are, in fact, 40 watts, which is ridiculously low for putting on make-up or shaving. I have so often wondered why that is the case. (I know what I’ll design someday for a product line when I’m discovered for all my knowledge, experience, and expertise...but I’m not holding my breath.)

Until then, I just struggle to find the perfect lighting for these small spaces: something that is beautiful, stylized, slim, and bright.

One option I've started using is a pendant. It’s kind of nice to not have to worry about the positioning of the sconce on the wall. It’s quite different and can be used to visually add height to a room.

I used one here in a powder room:

Powder bath designed by Carla Aston, photo by Tori Aston - Click HERE to see more from this dramatic remodel

Pairing the pendant with a tall mirror heightened the space; and its reflection in the mirror automatically doubles the light in the room.

I used pendants in this master bath to add height, as well as to make a bolder statement with the lighting. Smaller, more insignificant sconces would have been busier and wouldn’t have made for such a dynamic, contemporary visual appeal.

Contemporary master bath designed by Carla Aston, photo by Tori Aston - Click HERE to see more images of this beautiful space

I always say that the architecture of the room will tell you what to do with space.

Enhance its attributes and work with its bones and you can't go wrong. Using pendants in these situations does just that. They brought attention to the height in each space, added drama, and more light was reflected in the mirror.

BTW: If you're looking for some hints on upcoming trends in bathroom design, I think these I posted last year are still going strong. I wouldn't change a single thing about what I shared then.

BTW x2: Stay tuned for my upcoming coverage of KBIS2016 in Vegas (the National Kitchen and Bath Industry Show). I'll be attending with BlogTourModenus later in January. I'm looking forward to sharing all the latest products and innovations in kitchen and bath design, just like I did last year!