WORDS Paul Pamboukian PHOTO Dook
The modern bathroom is a sanctuary. In our GREENOVATION issue we asked lighting experts how illumination can contribute to a room that is integral to personal wellbeing. Paul Pamboukian’s thoughts were so powerful, we had to share them all here.
In this age of luxurious spa treatments and lavish beauty salons, bathrooms have veered away from being ablution facilities and become private relaxation spaces where one can linger in a hot, unwinding bath or an intense, exhilarating shower where mood and atmosphere are essential to the enhancement of the experience.
People spend vast amounts of their budget on expensive bathroom fittings and finishes but lighting, the main mood-maker is often neglected.
One should be able to transform the space from an intimate glowing environment to a clean, clear space at the push of a button. This means that a variety of different lighting circuits need to be installed to enable scene-setting. Previously, one or at most two switches may have been installed to create variety, but nowadays three or four light switches and dimmers are not uncommon for mood setting. This can be done using expensive dimmer solutions or with simple wall dimmers and sometimes (in the case of non-dimmable light sources) with well-assigned switches.
Light in a bathroom should also include a provision for candlelight, which really creates the most comforting and relaxing ambience (also handy during load shedding!). One can choose decorative, permanently mounted candle fixtures that can add character to a space.
Avoid down lights in the center of the bathroom or above the bath as these inevitably cause glare and discomfort, especially when lying in the bath. I am not a great fan of ceiling downlights as they are harsh and never flattering. Soft, indirect light, either in the form of a ceiling cove light or light that reflects off the floor, from under the vanity or off the ceiling from an uplight source, is the most comfortable and ambient light. Shadows are soft and light bounces off surfaces, bringing out the finishes and colours.
The vanity mirror lights are the most important lights in the house as they reveal you to yourself first thing in the morning and if the lighting is poor, this can be a most unpleasant experience. Mirror lighting should always be positioned, roughly at head height, directly from the front and never from the top with downlights. You may position a downlight overhead to add sparkle to the porcelain on the vanity but this should never be the mirror lighting. Front light irons out all the folds and topographical contours of the face while top lighting sculpts every blemish. The mirror lights may be wall-mounted on either side of the mirror, or into the mirror itself, and should be dimmable to allow for varying the intensity depending on mood or task.
Depending on the design and detail, lights built into shop-fitted displays, glass cupboards and open shelves, create visual interest and assist with tasks. General lighting tends to wash over everything, killing interesting shadows and creating blandness. Put the light where you need it.
Use a soft wall wash in the shower and a wall light and/or wall wash in the toilet – downlights in the toilet are harsh (even for reading).
Colour temperature is very important. Cool white light makes the space feel like a laundry – always try to go for warm sources (3000 Kelvin and below) and be very wary of this when choosing LEDs as cheap, no-name LEDs can often have very poor colour appearance and rendering index.
Sustainable chic is the order of the day in VISI magazine’s new GREENOVATION issue, with eight homes that get down to earth, 32 reasons to turn up the heat, and kitchens and bathrooms straight from Milan. Get it now!
