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How Lighting Fixtures Enhance the Finishes in the Bathroom
While there are plenty of articles focusing on which types of bathroom faucet finishes work best with various decorating styles, the interaction between lighting and finishes is less commonly explored. A bathroom needs more than just mood and task lighting to look its best. Considering how the lighting installed plays off the various faucet and fixture finishes will result in a much more attractive and cohesive bathroom design.
Soft Lighting for Reflective Finishes
Polished chrome and other highly reflective surfaces can quickly become blinding if they’re brightly lit with direct spotlighting. Try to keep lighting soft and indirect around areas with highly reflective finishes. This can be a little tricky for homeowners trying to add spotlighting to the sink areas for an easier daily routine. Consider uplighting or reflected bright light to ensure the reflective fixtures don’t become spotlights of their own.
Brighter Lighting for Matte Looks
When using matte finish faucets and fixtures in the bathroom instead, pump up the light levels to compensate since they won’t reflect so much light. Without adequate lighting focused on them, darker matte finishes like black and oil-rubbed bronze can end up with their best details hidden. It’s up to each homeowner to decide if they want to light darker finishes directly to highlight their natural variations or if indirect lighting is preferable due to other parts of the décor.
Matching or Different Finishes?
Don’t forget the finishes on the light fixtures themselves. For most bathroom styles, it’s best to match these finishes to the faucets and other fixtures in the room. Some designs may call for a different contrasting finish to draw the eye upward or to delineate the different layers of the room. Avoid mixing drastically different finishes on light fixtures and faucets unless they’re in different parts of the room.
Proper lighting will bring the beauty out of any finish. Shop the selection of new bathroom faucets at Kingston in every finish to find just the right one.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does lighting affect the appearance of bathroom faucet finishes?
Lighting plays a major role in how bathroom faucet finishes look in your space. Reflective finishes like polished chrome can appear much brighter under direct lighting, while matte finishes such as black or oil-rubbed bronze may require stronger light to highlight their details. Choosing the right lighting helps create a balanced and cohesive bathroom design.
Should bathroom lighting fixtures match the finish of the faucet?
In most bathroom styles, matching the finish of your lighting fixtures to your faucet and hardware creates a clean and coordinated look. However, some designs may use contrasting finishes to add visual interest or define different layers in the room. The key is avoiding overly drastic combinations unless fixtures are placed in separate areas.
