• 3 Lighting Fixtures in a Bathroom

    bathroom remodel

    Bathroom renovations refresh your home, and thoughtful lighting enhances them by improving the room’s functionality and everyday usability. When you add well-placed lights, the room becomes brighter, and the layout supports daily routines. Here are three lighting fixture options in a bathroom:

     

    1. Overhead Light Fixtures

     

    Adding light fixtures directly to your bathroom ceiling or upper walls can create a balanced lighting scheme and improve the ambiance. Overhead fixtures provide the primary source of light in a bathroom. A bathroom ceiling light distributes general illumination from the center of the room. You can achieve this with a flush-mount ceiling fixture or a semi-flush mount that drops a few inches from the ceiling. Homeowners might select a chandelier or pendant lights to introduce a unique visual focal point to the ceiling. For broader coverage, a bathroom remodeling contractor can position recessed lighting across the ceiling to increase overall illumination.

     

    Overhead ceiling lights can distribute light across the shower area without creating deep shadows. The lights are typically positioned to increase visibility as you step in and out of the shower on a wet bathroom floor. Ceiling fixtures also direct light onto the area where you shampoo or apply soap. Some bath and shower light fixtures are designed with integrated housings suitable for damp locations. These fixtures come in a variety of designs and finishes. Homeowners select them to coordinate with existing hardware and theme. Additional decorative bathroom lights can be used around tubs or alcoves to refine the overall style of casual or formal bathrooms.

     

    2. Task Lighting Fixtures

     

    Task lighting targets specific areas that benefit from brighter, more focused illumination. An expert in bathroom renovations helps you determine the appropriate placement for these fixtures. Bright wall sconces above or beside sinks increase light on the countertop zone and above the sink. Vertical lighting fixtures around the vanity or near shower stalls direct light toward the face, providing visibility for detailed grooming. These task-oriented fixtures can be wired to independent switches or dimmers so users can adjust the light level based on the time of day or specific needs.

     

    3. Accent Light Fixtures

     

    Accent lighting fixtures are designed to emphasize particular elements of the bathroom. Wall-mounted strips or small spotlights above artwork or decorative installations can draw attention to those pieces. Fixtures placed on each side of unique architectural features, such as niches or textured walls, can highlight their form and produce subtle shadows. Accent lighting should also be integrated into shelving or below floating vanities. This helps to outline shapes and surfaces. For more complex layouts, bathroom remodeling professionals can provide insight into sculptural or specialty fixtures that align with the room’s proportions and materials.

     

    Explore Lighting in Bathroom Renovations

     

    Whether you are initiating a complete bathroom remodel or updating a single feature, planning the lighting layout is key to successful bathroom renovations. Planning helps coordinate ambiance, visibility, and the practical use of newly improved spaces. A consultation with a bathroom builder or designer can provide lighting placement options, fixture specifications, and code-compliant installation plans for your project.

     

    partnered post

  • Choosing the Right Fixtures for Effective Landscape Lighting

    deck and string lighting

    Selecting appropriate lighting fixtures for walkways, patios, and other outdoor areas is key to creating safe, usable spaces. Each fixture type offers specific functions and design options, and proper landscape lighting is required to achieve reliable performance. Here are a few of the primary fixture categories used in outdoor lighting:

    Outdoor Pathway and Deck Lights

    Pathway landscape lighting appears in forms such as tall cones and small globes. Other options include bollards and shade-covered fixtures that direct illumination downward. Along walkways and driveways, lighting helps people navigate uneven areas and avoid stepping on objects. Because pathway lights do not project direct light toward the eyes, glare during nighttime movement is reduced. These fixtures illuminate the ground and nearby stones more than the surrounding features.

    Deck lights illuminate patios, verandas, and other gathering areas by spreading light across commonly used surfaces. They cast illumination across the floor and railings without projecting into open seating areas, creating a clear visual field for outdoor activities. Some deck lights include adjustable output settings, which allow users to regulate brightness when resting or hosting guests.

    Exterior Uplighting and String Lighting

    Exterior uplighting serves both functional and decorative purposes. Such fixtures are suitable for residential and commercial settings where architectural features or selected objects need illumination. Installation professionals position the systems on walls or elevated surfaces to direct light upward or across specific elements. When fixtures are evenly spaced, they create uniform illumination along building facades, garden structures, or outdoor displays.

    String lighting is installed along outdoor features such as wall edges or overhead frameworks, providing continuous illumination along its mounted path. It delivers a soft and consistent light level when used on patios, garden paths, or covered walkways. The bulbs often come in tube or strip forms arranged in a single line, enabling even lighting across the designated area.

    Pool and Water Feature Lighting

    Lighting for pools and water features often uses low-wattage bulbs to safely illuminate these areas without generating excessive heat. In both commercial and residential settings, fixtures are selected and positioned to enhance the visual appeal of fountains, ponds, and swimming pools while verifying user safety. Placement of lighting fixtures should be carefully planned around water elements to highlight their design and movement without causing glare or uneven lighting. For pools and water features in larger commercial spaces, lighting arrangements may vary rather than follow uniform patterns, creating dynamic effects across open water surfaces. In residential settings, lighting systems often include strips along pool edges or floor-level fixtures to outline water boundaries. Bulbs or tubes that blend with surrounding surfaces help maintain a consistent look while providing gentle illumination that enhances the ambiance without overwhelming neighboring areas.

    Implement Landscape Lighting in Your Space

    Effective outdoor lighting requires assessing how each area is used after dark. A lighting specialist can determine optimal fixture placement and recommend appropriate types for various parts of a property. This evaluation helps guide the selection of lighting systems for residential, commercial, or seasonal applications. Start your search for a lighting expert in your area today.

     

    partnered post • image by Midjourney

  • Lighting Options for Your Home

    Note: this is a guest post and consideration was received for its
    publication. Creative commons licensed photograph by Jeremy Levine
    design    .

    When you’re looking to spruce up your home, lighting is one of
    the easiest ways to give the space a new feel while keeping it
    consistent with your current theme or décor. Lighting is a
    relatively easy fix and most of the items can be found online in
    places such as LEDRopelightsandmore
    or in most retail stores, which means you’ll be able to simply
    make use of the new appliances without a lot of work.

    When you’ve decided you’d like to upgrade your
    lighting    , you’ll need to decide what kind of theme you’re
    looking for and what kind of space you’re dealing with so you can
    most effectively use the room you’ve got for the best lighting
    possible.

    Keep in mind that you can really change the ambience of a room
    simply by switching out the colors of the bulbs you’re using or
    adding in splashes of colors through lamps or rope lights. They
    make light bulbs in pretty much every color imaginable ranging
    from soft pinks for a romantic bedroom atmosphere or bright blues
    for something a bit more fun and wild.

    In most cases these bulbs can be used in the lamps and lighting
    houses you’ve already got, which means you won’t need to purchase
    anything else to get the benefits. Even fluorescent black lights
    can be placed in most traditional fluorescent housings, meaning
    you can save money just by buying the black light bulbs.

    Rope lights are a great way add a little bit of ambient lighting
    to a room quite easily. The best part about using rope lights is
    that they’re designed in such a way that they can be easily
    hidden behind furniture or on the corners of a room, keeping them
    out of sight while still emanating quite a bit of light. These
    are probably the easiest lighting pieces to install as oftentimes
    they’ll only need a few tacks or wall hooks to be used
    effectively.


    Chandeliers     are a classic lighting prop and for good reason.
    They add a lot of light to any room and they have such a great
    look to them that they work with pretty much every theme or décor
    you could possibly imagine. They add a ton of class to any space
    and the best part is that because they’re meant to be center
    pieces, the light flows around the housing, meaning you can light
    an entire room with just one furnishing.

    Contrary to popular belief chandeliers are becoming easier and
    easier to install and most of them can be hooked into the
    existing wiring that’s already in the roof.

    Another very easy lighting idea that is simple to implement is
    simply using what you’ve already got and using it creatively. One
    of the best ways to control the lighting in any room is to use
    sheers or lamp coverings as they’ll allow the light to filter
    through the fabric in different consistencies depending on the
    thickness and color of the material. If you add this in with one
    of the aforementioned colored light bulbs you’ll see that your
    entire room will look quite different.

    Lighting is probably the easiest way to upgrade or spruce up any
    room in the house and it’s really quite easy to implement. It
    doesn’t take a lot to change some of the lighting options in your
    room and you’ll see a huge difference that will be sure to keep
    you happy.

  • Tips on How to Light Up Your Living Room

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    From time to time, we allow a company or craftsperson we know and trust to place a sponsored post here at Hewn and Hammered. This particular piece is from Bunning's Warehouse, a dependable supplier of lighting for a wide variety of residential projects.

    Lighting is a very important element when it comes to creating the atmosphere of a room. Here are some tips to assist you light up your living room.

    Planning and preparation is a big ingredient when it comes to a successful project. Some people decorate a room and only late in the piece, do they think of lighting, but if you can have it in the equation at the beginning, it will assist you greatly. Not just in terms of fixtures, but in terms of having an electrician set up the wiring to accommodate your needs.

    Your lighting needs are going to be contingent on how you use the room. This will be determined by things such as the amount of people in your family, their age and the way you entertain. As the living room is a room that requires versatility so too, the lighting in the room will need to be able to fulfill a variety of functions. So bear this in mind.

    As opposed to pendant lighting which a lot of people have traditionally gone for, wall lighting will make the room rich in light. This is great in terms of making the room very friendly and warm as well as creating an atmosphere which is conducive to entertaining.

    If there are things in the room such as a piece of art that you would like to draw attention to, don’t be afraid to highlight it or them with a spot light. Strategically placed spot lights can create a very powerful affect.

    As can lamp shades, which apart from providing light can help contribute to the aesthetic of the room. High quality lamp shades can be very expensive so pick one that is within your budget. The same applies to chandeliers which will add depth to the room. Certain pieces can become the centre piece of the whole room and depending on the atmosphere you want to create, this could be one way to go.

    If there are times when you don’t want all of the light on, you may rely on some smaller more subtle plug-in or task lights. A table lamp work wells for this scenario and be very effective. Something that people fail to remember is to avoid placing a lighting fixture next to a wall. If you don’t, you will find that much of the light will be wasted.

    Feel free to utilize as many different types as you need. Blend task and ambient light as well as lamps to form the combination you are looking for in order to create that right feel for the room.

    Remember that installing a dimmer provides you with instant flexibility and is great if you would like some mood lighting.

    While you may be blending different types of lighting, you need to be sure that the theme you are working on creating is consistent. All of the fixtures need to be in-sync with each other. If you are doing it yourself and without a decorator, make sure you keep this in mind.

    Another great way to add some color to an otherwise bland room – or, alternately, to complement a very colorful theme that you already have – is to use custom-sized perspex sheets from Simply Plastics. Often overlooked, these sturdy and archival plastics – which are really more like glass in that they don't fog, bow or deform over time – can be used as window inserts or in a wide range of other places to add a splash of bright color. They come in a wide range of colors, transparency/opacity levels, and can even be pre-cut to almost any size you can imagine.

    You shouldn’t be afraid to experiment and change things up. Trial-and-error is a sound way to find the successful living room lighting combination you are looking for.

    sposored post • image by acrylic online

  • we’re #1 (for houseporn, at least)

    I noticed today that we were getting an awful lot of visitors who found us from Google searches for "houseporn." 200 today alone! After checking, I found that we were the number 1 result for this rather odd search term. Not that I’m complaining.

    So, to accomodate all of you, some very G-rated houseporn (my favorite kind):

    Houseporn

    This was created with BigHugeLabs’ neat Mosaic Maker. Too bad it doesn’t generate a clickable html/javascript mosaic!

    The photographers are as follows. Click on each link to see the original photo:

    1. Heintz Art Metal Collection, 2. details, 3. IMG 1431, 4. Detailed woodwork, 5. Our Dining Room, 6. Arts & Crafts door, 7. Secessionist style Art Glass Door, 8. Plinthy, 9. Roycroft Hanging Lantern, 10. MG 0447, 11. Rockridge – 30, 12. Kitchen Remodel – After, 13. Maybeck church