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.
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.
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.
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 Brass in every finish to find just the right one.
