Style Guide for Lighting Up Your Bathroom Vanity Mirrors

The mirror selfie in beautiful bathrooms has become a trend that many people indulge in. There is something about snapping a picture of yourself in an amazingly large mirror with a tastefully decorated background serving a visual treat to your social media followers. Whether it’s in your own home, or a public space like a hotel or restaurant bathroom, the bathroom mirror plays an important role in every bathroom. They are essential for checking out one’s appearance, applying makeup or shaving. 

Image from: Mirrors & Marble

Large and small mirrors provide a vital focal point to any bathroom decor. For smaller spaces, large mirrors can help to give an impression of a larger space. For darker bathrooms, the reflection of light gives off a brighter and more cheery feel. Mirrors can also be used to hide elements like a deep countertop cabinet or add a decorative flair to the room, similar to a piece of wall art.

However, its importance goes beyond that. It can do so much more than just showing you a reflection of how you look. It enhances the bathroom as it adds style, light, and it usually provides additional storage space for your cosmetics. At the core of it, having good lighting is an important step so that you can enjoy the benefits of the mirror you picked, as well as to further enhance your selfies.  

The decision on whether just ceiling lighting is sufficient, or whether you need additional lighting on top or beside the mirror plays a huge part as well. Today, we’re looking at a few stylistic bathroom mirrors and inspired lighting ideas to make your bathroom the perfect photo spot. 

Before we start, remember to check out our store for the best lighting needs for your home.  You can also check out our selection of bathroom vanity lights to brighten up your home here.

How Do You Set Up a Vanity Mirror With Good Lighting?

The best way to light a vanity mirror is to place light where it illuminates your face evenly. Side lights beside the mirror are usually the most flattering because they reduce shadows under the eyes, nose, and chin. If there is not enough wall space beside the mirror, a vanity light above the mirror can work well when it is centered and placed at the right height.

Avoid relying on ceiling lighting alone. Ceiling lights brighten the bathroom, but they often cast shadows when you stand in front of the mirror. A stronger setup combines bathroom vanity lights near the mirror with soft overhead lighting for the rest of the room.

Bathroom Lighting Above or Beside the Mirror: Which Is Better?

Both above-mirror lighting and side mirror lighting can work well, but they serve different needs. Side lights are usually better for even face illumination, while lights above the mirror are helpful when the bathroom does not have enough wall space for sconces.

If you have enough space, side lights are usually better for reducing shadows. If the mirror is close to a side wall or cabinet, an over-mirror vanity light may be more practical. For larger bathrooms, using both can create a brighter and more complete vanity lighting setup.

Vanity Light Placement Over Mirror: Height, Width and Spacing

The placement of a vanity light over the mirror affects both the bathroom’s appearance and the quality of light. If the light is too high, it may not illuminate the face properly. If it is too low, it can create glare or make the mirror area feel cramped.

For many bathrooms, vanity lights above the mirror are placed around 75 to 80 inches from the floor, depending on ceiling height, mirror size, and fixture shape. The light should usually be centered over the mirror or vanity so the setup looks balanced.

Side lights are usually placed near eye level so they can illuminate the face from both sides. If you are using two side lights, keep them evenly spaced from the mirror edges so the layout feels clean and intentional.

Side sconces are great for providing light

Image from: YLighting

 Side by side sconces are great for helping you have a well-lit mirror to make you look your best. Placed at eye-level, these light fixtures will illuminate your space, without the hassle of casting any dark shadows. The Kalica Wall Sconces work very well for this. Of course, there is the issue of space to think about, as vertical sconces take up a relatively large amount of space beside your mirror. A tip is to limit the side sconces to narrower set-ups, with only around 36 inches to 40 inches apart from each other.

Size matters

When planning your bathroom mirror lighting, you should also consider the size. If your bathroom has enough space for two overhead lights above the mirror, make sure you don’t overwhelm the mirror with an oversized fixture.For example, you can pair a skinnier mirror with vanity lighting that’s roughly the same width so that you won’t have a lopsided look to it. 

A great choice is the Boly Brushed Nickel 1-Light Bathroom Vanity Light, which gives you the perfect height for vanity lighting above your mirror at around 75 - 80 inches from the floor. A tip is to remember that the longer the mirror, the longer the light needs to be, so that you won’t have any pockets of darkness lingering around. 

Your style comes first

At the gist of it, your bathroom vanity lighting must have traces of your own style mixed in. You shouldn’t just be going for any lighting fixtures that you think would look good, instead, try going for lights that fit your overall bathroom style. If your vanity lighting doesn’t gel with your overall bathroom style, you’re going to have a very mismatched and disjointed look, which doesn’t bode well. 

If you’re creating a more traditional look, you could try the Leon 3-Light Polished Chrome Vanity Light, which lets you have a more upscale and classy look. Otherwise, the Kalica Wall Sconces, with their glass covers help to suit a frameless mirror setup. 

Alternative lighting options for larger vanity mirrors

Decorative mirrors that are uniquely shaped, large or have a bulky frame take up a different space than a traditional vanity mirror. This can affect your ability to place lighting in your bathroom. It may mean you can't put lighting above your vanity, resulting in ceiling lights.

However, we have a tip for you to work around this problem. What you can do is to cut a large vanity mirror into two pieces, then put in two vanity lights, one over each mirror, instead of having one long light across the top. This way, you’ll be saving a lot of space, but still getting sufficient lighting for your bathroom mirror. The Poleis 2-Light Chrome Vanity Light is a great fit for this kind of application, and it looks great to boot. 

Vanity Light to Mirror Ratio: How Wide Should the Light Be?

A vanity light should look balanced with the mirror, vanity, and surrounding wall. If the fixture is too small, the mirror area may look unfinished and unevenly lit. If it is too wide, it can overpower the mirror or make the vanity feel crowded.

As a general design rule, an over-mirror vanity light should be slightly narrower than the mirror or close to the mirror width. For a single mirror, a light that is around 75% of the mirror width often looks balanced. For a wide mirror or double vanity, two separate fixtures or multiple sconces may work better than one very long light.

For side lights, the ratio depends more on spacing and height than width. The fixtures should frame the mirror without sitting too close to it. Slim vertical sconces work well for smaller mirrors, while taller or wider side lights can suit larger vanity areas.

Can Vanity Lights Overhang the Mirror?

Vanity lights can overhang the mirror slightly if the fixture is centered and fits the overall wall layout. A small overhang may look fine, especially when the light is aligned with the vanity rather than only the mirror. However, a fixture that extends too far beyond the mirror edges can look oversized.

A better approach is to choose a vanity light that matches the mirror and vanity width. For narrow mirrors, use a compact bar light or side sconces. For wider mirrors, choose a longer vanity light or use two fixtures to spread light more evenly.

Common Vanity Mirror Lighting Mistakes to Avoid

• Using only ceiling lighting: Ceiling lights can brighten the room, but they often cast shadows on the face. Add lighting near the mirror for better visibility.
• Placing vanity lights too high or too low: Poor placement can create glare, shadows, or uneven light. Position the fixture where it spreads light across the mirror and face.
• Choosing a light that is too wide or too narrow: The vanity light should look balanced with the mirror. A fixture that is too small may look weak, while one that is too wide can overpower the space.
• Ignoring side lighting: Side lights can be more flattering than overhead lighting because they illuminate the face more evenly.
• Forgetting the bathroom style: Vanity lights should match the mirror, faucet, cabinet hardware, and overall bathroom design. A mismatched fixture can make the room feel disconnected.

Conclusion

If you want to turn your bathroom into a beautifully aesthetic designer piece, make sure that you pair your mirrors with the complementary lighting. Choosing your bathroom vanity lighting is just as essential as picking out tile or hanging the perfect shower curtain. Whatever you choose, we hope that this article has helped you to learn how to pick a good setup no matter what your bathroom design is. 

What did you think about our article? We’d love to hear from you. Share your thoughts in the comment section below! If you haven’t already done so, take a look at our store for all your lighting needs at the most affordable prices.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are some pros and cons of having decorative bathroom mirrors?

Pro: Decorative mirrors make a statement

As a statement piece, decorative mirrors are able to bring out a flair to your space, not only in the bathroom, but also in living rooms, bedrooms and more. Adding in vanity lighting will only serve to enhance that statement by literally putting it in the spotlight.

Pro: Decorative mirrors incorporate a theme into your bathroom

Having a theme in your bathroom is great, and your mirror can be an important centerpiece to the role. For example, if you’re planning to go for a contemporary theme, you can opt for large, frameless mirrors, lit up by side sconces for a great look!

Con: Decorative mirrors sacrifice function for looks

Decorative bathroom mirrors look great, but they may not function well. Some decorative mirrors have small surface areas, making it harder to check your appearance. But this can be remedied by utilizing lighting to further improve the overall look and feel of the bathroom. 

2. What kind of finishing should I choose for my lighting fixture?

Many people like to pair their light fixture with the faucet. The trend here is mixing metals, but you have to remember that the silver faucet may not match well with a nickel-brushed sconce. If you really must, try to pick metals that complement each other, rather than clash aesthetically. 

Image from: Home Design, Decorating & Remodelling

For example, if you’re choosing a glass sconce like the Kalica Wall Sconces, your sink should be a darker color like black or grey to keep the modern sleek lines cohesive and looking great.