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With a huge variety of styles, colours and finishes available, pendant lights offer a fabulous focal point for any room of your house. They’re bold and assertive – a modern twist on an old classic, the traditional chandelier.
But can you fit pendant lights in a bathroom? The short answer is yes. They’re more commonly seen in hallways and kitchens, but pendant lights are many interior stylists’ secret weapon and a go-to solution for adding a fresh aesthetic to bathroom projects.
Of course, safety is a factor. You need to ensure your bathroom pendant light adheres to the IP rating system, which refers to how well protected your lighting fixture is against the intrusion of dust or water.
There are a range of IP protections to suit levels of exposure from drips to sprays to splashes, but you must ensure your bathroom lights have the appropriate IP rating to meet bathroom lighting regulations.
So what IP rating will you need for a pendant light? Here we answer a few of your questions about finding the perfect IP rated option…
If you’ve read our previous blog, ‘The right IP ratings for your bathroom lighting – with no compromise on style’, you’ll know all about the concept of bathroom lighting zones.
Spaces directly above a shower or bath are considered “Zone 1”. This is where splashes or sprays are most likely to occur. It’s also where many of us spend our time.
Fitting a pendant light above your bath is a great option. It offers you some much-needed ambiance, so you can while away the hours reading a book in a long relaxing bath. If you choose to fit your pendant light here, a rating of IP44 is sufficient. This means your pendant light is fully splash-proof and protected against the intrusion of solid objects over 1mm in size.
The next thing to consider is style. Gone are the days when IP44 rated lighting meant a bland and characterless look. Specialist manufacturers such as Gwyn Carless at the Light Yard are incorporating up to the minute trends and a wide range of colours and finishes. With current bathroom styles tending towards neutral palettes, featuring intricate textures and artful details, lighting is an effective way to introduce a pop of colour or a central focal point which ties your look together.
If you’ve gone for a pared-back style in your bathroom, a pendant light can add a much-needed sense of atmosphere. Consider a lustrous finish with metallic leaf applique, or if it’s a relaxed look you’re after, try reeded or smoked glass to bring a sense of simplicity and calm.
You may also want to consider layering your bathroom lighting. This means complementing your pendant light with other light sources.
Wall lights are a fantastic choice here as they lend a feeling of ambience to the downward and reflected ceiling light afforded by your pendant. Wall lights can be positioned symmetrically or asymmetrically; however if your aim is to use a space for applying make-up, such as at a mirror over a sink basin, then you’ll want the lighting to be balanced on either side. If this is the case, use two wall lights positioned just above eye level.
Gwyn Carless at the Light Yard is a leading specialist in handcrafted bathroom lighting, with one of the UK’s widest selections of stylish IP44-rated luminaires.
Our Bathroom Lighting Collection – popular with professional home interior stylists and homeowners alike – holds a fantastic range of wall lights and pendants. Each handcrafted luminaire is rated IP44, giving you the flexibility to style your perfect pendant and breathe life into your bathroom.
Discover our complete bathroom lighting collection here
For more lighting commentary, design news and advice, follow Gwyn Carless at the Light Yard on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and/or LinkedIn. To speak directly with a member of the Gwyn Carless at the Light Yard team, call + 44 (0)330 223 3940.
