Bathroom lighting in general is not usually on anyone’s priority list. It often gets overlooked or it’s given little important when, in fact, it has a very big impact on the room’s overall décor and ambiance. The vanity in particularly is illuminated in all sorts of wrong ways. Bathroom vanity lights need to be selected carefully and placed strategically and the following tips can show you how to do this.

Accent lighting needs to be subtle.

Accent lighting is called like that for a reason. It needs to be subtle and has to be positioned correctly in order for you to make the most of it. For example, in the case of the vanity, you can light up the space underneath if it’s wall-mounted or raised off the floor.

Eliminate the unflattering shadows.

You know those ugly shadows you get under your chin, cheeks and eyes when you look in the bathroom mirror? They’re not at all flattering and they appear because you’ve chosen to illuminate your bathroom vanity the wrong way.

The lighting fixtures should always be mounted on either side of the vanity or on the mirror surface and never above the mirror.

Light up the area evenly.

When placing sconces or pendant lights on either side of the vanity mirror for example, make sure they’re evenly spaced so they don’t cast unwanted shadows. This is something to take into consideration even when employing more unusual methods, such as framing the mirror with LED strips.

Choose the right bulbs.

Decide on the look you’re trying to create before choosing the bulbs for your vanity light fixtures. Halogen bulbs are often appreciated for their crisp white light that renders skin tones most accurately and the smaller, compact varieties give a glamorous sparkling effect.

This is symmetry at its best. The vanity features two mirrors, each with their own LED light fixture. Even though they are placed above the mirror, the fact that there are two windows framing the cabinet means the lighting is even, at least during the day.

The Trinity lighted mirrors offers evenly balanced lighting is a subtle and artistic way while also offering the simple look that modern and contemporary bathrooms crave.{found on designbylisa}.

Hanging a pendant light in the corners of your bathroom to light up your vanity will work in your favor, projecting beautiful shadows on the adjacent walls but not on your face when looking in the mirror.{found on dspacestudio}.

Attach sconces to the bathroom mirror if there’s no space on the wall. You’ll also get to add depth to the room and create optical illusions.

Get a pair of industrial-style sconces for the bathroom vanity if you’re not trying to achieve a particularly artistic décor. Their simple and straight-forward look is suitable for the room.{found on adlsf}.

Sconces and pendant lights aren’t your only options. You can also light up the ceiling. These sparkling little lights look glamorous and stylish and they’re just what a minimalist bathroom needs.{found on residentialattitudes}.

Light up your bathroom mirror from behind if you prefer a soft, warm glow. This would serve as ambient lighting and will also help define the mood in the room.

I’m not sure if this method means breaking the rules and not sticking with the right way to do things. Even though the light comes from above, it does cover the whole length of the mirror and that’s a pretty even look.{found on 186group}.

Two adjacent mirrors can shade three sconces. They can be evenly distributed around the mirrors so it would be a balanced and symmetrical look.{found on cassiadesign}.

Edison bulbs.

Here’s how you can make your own vanity light fixture, if you’re a fan of DIY projects. It’s pretty simple actually. Find a chrome vanity light kind of like this one and, if you want, repaint it to give it this chic antique look. Then go get a pack of Edison bulbs. They’re a big pricey but they’ll look good in this context. Then hang your light fixture. Here it’s shown above the mirror but you can just as well make two and place them vertically.{found on boxycolonial}.

Mason Jar Vanity Lighting.

And here’s how you can make your own mason jar vanity light. You’ll need two mason jars, bronze spray paint, spray primer and, of course, the light fixture. Apply a coat of primer and then two coats of paint. Using the flange from the fixture, trace a circle on the center of the lid. Nail holes close together around the circle, pop out the portion at the center and assemble the fixture. Do the same thing for the second jar.{found on blesserhouse}.