Need your bright ideas for vanity lighting
November 15, 2015 10:59 AM Subscribe
We're nearly done remodelling our bathroom. All that's left is a fixture to go over the vanity. We have this idea we'd like a four bulb fixture (maybe three) with Edison bulbs. But everything else we've got is chrome and we aren't finding a match. Ideas?
We found out there are high efficiency LED bulbs that mimic Edison bulbs and we'd really like that look, preferably with exposed or minimally obstructed bulbs so you can see them. But virtually everything we are finding is brushed nickel and we need chrome. We could go as high as the low $200 range for the absolute perfect one, but would be happier at about half of that.
We've exhausted all of our local options looking for something. Can you help us find something online?
We found out there are high efficiency LED bulbs that mimic Edison bulbs and we'd really like that look, preferably with exposed or minimally obstructed bulbs so you can see them. But virtually everything we are finding is brushed nickel and we need chrome. We could go as high as the low $200 range for the absolute perfect one, but would be happier at about half of that.
We've exhausted all of our local options looking for something. Can you help us find something online?
Response by poster: This one is pretty cool were it not brushed nickel.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 11:39 AM on November 15, 2015
posted by DirtyOldTown at 11:39 AM on November 15, 2015
Maybe something like this?
BTW, I've experimented a little bit with those filament LEDs, and they look neat, but the color temperature is REALLY warm. I wouldn't want to use them as the primary source of lighting for things like shaving, makeup, etc. I'd only go down this path if either there's a lot of other light in the room, or it's a bathroom that's not going to be used for that kind of stuff (powder room or something). Just my opinion.
posted by primethyme at 12:18 PM on November 15, 2015 [1 favorite]
BTW, I've experimented a little bit with those filament LEDs, and they look neat, but the color temperature is REALLY warm. I wouldn't want to use them as the primary source of lighting for things like shaving, makeup, etc. I'd only go down this path if either there's a lot of other light in the room, or it's a bathroom that's not going to be used for that kind of stuff (powder room or something). Just my opinion.
posted by primethyme at 12:18 PM on November 15, 2015 [1 favorite]
Oh, sorry, I missed that your budget is $200. Clearly that's quite a bit higher (though notice that if you configure it without a shade, it's less than the default price it shows). Maybe they have a sale coming up?
I've mostly seen the bare Edison bulb look in higher end projects and manufacturers, so it might be a little hard to find a budget option here.
posted by primethyme at 12:24 PM on November 15, 2015
I've mostly seen the bare Edison bulb look in higher end projects and manufacturers, so it might be a little hard to find a budget option here.
posted by primethyme at 12:24 PM on November 15, 2015
Wayfair's pretty great for lights, and you can usually get a 10% off coupon. You can actually run a search on type (bathroom vanity), and then by finish and number of bulbs. Have you thought about getting something with a shade and then popping that off? Maybe like this? 3 lights is usually cheaper than 4, and this is pretty close to your budget after a coupon.
posted by veryhappyheidi at 1:50 PM on November 15, 2015
posted by veryhappyheidi at 1:50 PM on November 15, 2015
Home Depot has a lot 'o lights. Check all the big boxes online.
posted by Oyéah at 2:10 PM on November 15, 2015
posted by Oyéah at 2:10 PM on November 15, 2015
You might have the best luck finding the fixture you like, than spray painting it chrome. Those vintage filament style fixtures tend to come in "industrial" colors like oil rubbed bronze and brushed nickle.
Also, like primethyme said, those LEDs are very warm and maybe not the best for a vanity you use to get dressed (if it's just a powder room for guests, shouldn't be an issue). Phillips makes a great vanity LED that is a near perfect mimic for bright incandescents, though maybe a bit uglier fully-exposed in a fixture.
posted by Drosera at 4:21 PM on November 15, 2015 [1 favorite]
Also, like primethyme said, those LEDs are very warm and maybe not the best for a vanity you use to get dressed (if it's just a powder room for guests, shouldn't be an issue). Phillips makes a great vanity LED that is a near perfect mimic for bright incandescents, though maybe a bit uglier fully-exposed in a fixture.
posted by Drosera at 4:21 PM on November 15, 2015 [1 favorite]
I've been looking into bathroom lighting and virtually everything I've read says 'don't do overhead lighting. you look like a corpse.'
Everything I've read says lights on each side of the mirror, because it minimizes the weird contours that happen with overhead lighting. This is a little like why teenagers take their selfies from above, not below. You want to minimize the overhang of light.
Also, I'd say, how you look in a mirror has a really huge impact on how you face the world and I'm amazed that more hotels don't understand that what their guests want in the bathrooms is to look absolutely fantastic. So they've got all these greenish and yellowish cost saving lightbulbs in there, but you look at yourself, and you look like junk. Pink, gold lights make people look better. Bathrooms are very private spaces where people sort of take a deep breath before they face the world, so I'm thinking carefully about what I'm adding around our house.
Highly YMMV.
Here are some chrome/LED options if you are interested. But if you want something beyond pure pragmatism you might want to take a meander down lighting-land.
posted by A Terrible Llama at 4:24 PM on November 15, 2015
Everything I've read says lights on each side of the mirror, because it minimizes the weird contours that happen with overhead lighting. This is a little like why teenagers take their selfies from above, not below. You want to minimize the overhang of light.
Also, I'd say, how you look in a mirror has a really huge impact on how you face the world and I'm amazed that more hotels don't understand that what their guests want in the bathrooms is to look absolutely fantastic. So they've got all these greenish and yellowish cost saving lightbulbs in there, but you look at yourself, and you look like junk. Pink, gold lights make people look better. Bathrooms are very private spaces where people sort of take a deep breath before they face the world, so I'm thinking carefully about what I'm adding around our house.
Highly YMMV.
Here are some chrome/LED options if you are interested. But if you want something beyond pure pragmatism you might want to take a meander down lighting-land.
posted by A Terrible Llama at 4:24 PM on November 15, 2015
Depending on what qualifies as minimal obstruction, there are a number of chrome and crystal fixtures out there. I have frosted incandescent chandelier bulbs in mine and they are visible when standing at the sink.
posted by ecsh at 9:23 PM on November 15, 2015
posted by ecsh at 9:23 PM on November 15, 2015
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posted by cecic at 11:21 AM on November 15, 2015