Bathroom Mirrors
A mirror can come in many different shapes and sizes and the most suitable for your bathroom will depend on its shape and size too. If you’re lucky enough to have the wall space, a large hung mirror will make a huge difference to the room. You may also prefer a mirrored cabinet to provide essential storage space as well. It is important, however, to remember that a cabinet won’t sit flush to a wall, so the placement of the cabinet must be considered before you make a purchase. The most popular choice, we find, are the slimline mirrors. These have the ability to look sleek and stylish whilst taking up very minimal space on the wall.
Function
You may not think of a mirror as the height of technology, but they have come a long way in the last few years! Rather than opting for a standard mirror, there are a number of useful functions that can enable you to make the most of your bathroom experience in the most convenient ways possible...
Lighting
Many mirrors now come with built-in lighting, including battery or mains powered. These can be as simple as a backlit mirror or as modern as an LED colour changing mirror. It’s important to consider the power source before buying an LED mirror, as there are pros and cons to each.
Demisters
One inconvenience in the bathroom is that once you have left the shower or bath, you will find that your mirror has completely steamed up and you are unable to see your reflection through it. Which is why many mirrors now have a demister pad, which is activated by a small switch and will safely heat up to clear your mirror in seconds.
Magnification
Magnifying mirrors are great for applying make-up, brushing your teeth, shaving and any other grooming tasks that require absolute precision. Freestanding vanity mirrors usually have a standard side and a magnifying side, but more and more full-size mirrors are devoting a small area to magnification.
Shaving Points
Always a useful bathroom addition but often only found in hotels, many mains powered mirrors now have one or two built-in shaver sockets, allowing you to charge your electric shaver or electric toothbrush whilst keeping them next to your mirror.
Bluetooth Audio
Listen to your own music in the bathroom with the help of a Bluetooth audio mirror or cabinet. This innovative technology allows you to wirelessly connect your devices safely and securely to your bathroom mirror, allowing you to thoroughly enjoy your bathroom experience.
Infrared Sensors
Rather than having to dry your hands and then switch on the lights on your mirror, or have to touch the buttons on the mirror constantly, you can now simply wave your hand along the motion sensor and the lights will turn on and off, effortlessly.
Practicalities
Moving on from the features, one of the most important aspects of a mirror is the size of it, so you should make sure you know exactly how much wall space you have for your mirror and factor in things such as doors, windows and any required storage space that's needed. It’s also worth noting that mains powered LED Mirrors aren’t suitable to be placed in certain areas of a bathroom, as they can only withstand a certain level of water, so be sure to read any instructions that and extra information you may need to be aware of when browsing for mirrors.
Make sure you're familiar with the wall that the mirror will be hung on, a heavy mirror will be unsafe on a weak or unsupported wall, or you may even find that it simply won’t go up. Similarly, it’s really important to make sure the mirror is fitted properly, not only does a broken mirror bring seven years of bad luck, but it’s also very dangerous. After purchasing a mirror for your bathroom, we would recommend hiring a professional electrician or fitter to install the mirror for you, this way you can be sure that the mirror will be hung and connected up safely and properly.
Bathroom Lighting
You may consider bathroom lighting to be as simple as picking an attractive, cost-effective fitting and installing it in the middle of the ceiling, but delve a little deeper and you will find that this multi-functional, multi-dimensional space often creates endless variations of effects and has a big impact on the overall appearance of the room.
As well as considering the appearance of the fitting itself, you must also decide if your bathroom is in need of one main fitting or multiple fittings to highlight different parts of the room. Once you have this, you then decide if the room is best suited for cool white lighting or warm white lighting. You may feel pressured and confused as to what you do now, but we’re here to walk you through bathroom lighting and how to make the most of the space in your bathroom.
The main purpose of the space
You need to take plenty of time to consider how you want this space to look and feel when in use. Is this a family bathroom that gets used frequently? Does it need to be child-friendly? Or is it going to be a relaxing place for one to unwind? The purpose of the room heavily influences the type of lighting you will need.
Warm white lighting will allow you to create an atmospheric space through soft, calm lighting. Cool white lighting will allow you to highlight the key features of the room and provide you with brilliant task lighting.
Types of bathroom lighting
Recessed downlights are built into the ceiling and lie flush against the surface. They are modern, sleek, and can easily blend into any style of bathroom. To add a unique, personalised touch to them, you could always install them into nooks, recesses or alcoves in the bathroom. These are a great choice for a smaller bathroom or ensuite as they don't take up much room but can really illuminate the space efficiently. Our brand new Fire-rated Bathroom Downlights are perfect for new build houses, they look fantastic and they offer extra peace of mind for family homes.
Spotlights feature a single light fitting that can offer not only one, but multiple light outputs at the same time. These are commonly found in family bathrooms as well as kitchens too, as they provide an excellent source of task lighting whilst adding an attractive feature to the room itself. This Ares 3-way spotlight will allow you to highlight the key features of your bathroom, whilst keeping in tone with your theme. With a single fitting, spotlights can easily be changed and adjusted to suit your own bathroom or ensuite.
Bathroom ceiling lights are usually flush or semi-flush, adding character and depth to the room as well as efficient bathroom lighting. With these types of lights, you will usually only need to purchase one fitting as they can illuminate the whole room perfectly, but if your bathroom is larger, two ceiling light fitting will complement each other beautifully.
Using pendant lighting can add personality to your space. Featuring dimmable GU10 bulbs, our Kara Black Bathroom Pendant Lights in matt black are ideal for industrial, modern spaces.
We believe the bathroom is a place you should be truly proud of, which is why we are pleased to introduce you to our range of bathroom lighting, along with our illuminated mirrors and LED cabinets. Enhance your bathroom and see yourself in a better light, and at a competitive price with Pebble Grey.
