Bathroom lighting and electrical zones

Resist the temptation to “just put spotlights everywhere”! Instead, consider the different types of lighting you'll need in your bathroom layout first and go from there:

• 'Task' lighting - a light either side of a mirror in a bathroom works best to eliminate shadows
• Ceiling lights such as spotlights provide bright lighting, and their discrete design doesn’t draw attention
• Ambient lighting for night times or early mornings mean that you avoid the shock of bright lighting in your bathroom when you really don’t want to wake up yet
• Accent lighting for any details in the room you might want to highlight - a shower niche or picture on a wall
• Lighting a shower - carefully consider lighting if you have a separate shower cubicle or wet room
• Natural lighting - how can you make the most of the natural light in your bathroom, or is there a way to borrow light from the hallway outside, especially if there is no window?

Choosing lighting fixtures

To help you plan your bathroom remodel or renovation, it is useful to understand the regulations before you buy any light fittings, the ratings needed and the zones they can safely go in.

Bathroom light switch regulations for the UK in a nutshell? A wall switch inside the bathroom must be outside Zones 0, 1 and 2 and rated at least IPX4, which is why most UK bathrooms use a pull cord inside or a standard switch outside. If you're wondering “should the bathroom light switch be inside or outside?” this is why you want to have the switch outside the bathroom.

What information is crucial to understand from electrical item labels? IP ratings

Only use electrical items in your bathroom remodel if they possess an IP rating. IP, which stands for Ingress Protection, is always followed by two numbers. The first number indicates the level of protection against solid particles, while the second number indicates the degree of protection against moisture. Higher numerical values signify better protection.

The IET (The Institution of Engineering and Technology) define three bathroom electrical zones that help us understand where electrical items can be installed: