Bathroom Renovation: Getting the LED Lighting Right
BATHROOM RENOVATION: GETTING THE LED LIGHTING RIGHT
A bathroom renovation is the best time to redo the lighting: the walls are open, the wiring is accessible, and every choice — mirror, pot lights, shower niche, vanity — can be planned in its place. The most common mistake is thinking about lighting at the end, once the tile is down. The right order: choose the mirror and fixtures during planning, run the wiring before the walls close, then install the fixtures at the finishing stage.
The LED mirror: the heart of bathroom lighting
An LED mirror lights the face without the shadows of a ceiling fixture alone. LEDCO mirrors are hard-wired to the circuit and turn on from the wall switch; the 3000K (warm white) and 6000K (daylight) models dim with a standard wall dimmer (MLV or TRIAC), with no fragile buttons on the mirror. Depending on the model, there is also a 3-colours-by-touch option, tunable white or RGB by remote, front-lit or backlit mirrors, round, oval or rectangular shapes, and medicine cabinets. Most models have a CRI of 90+, for true-to-life skin tones and makeup.
To plan during the work: the electrical box behind the mirror, centred at the right height, and the mirror size chosen before ordering the vanity. Mirrors are assembled in 3 to 5 business days, then shipped in 24 to 48 hours: order early enough for them to arrive before finishing. Each model has its own spec sheet (sizes, power, lumens, weight).
Pot lights, shower niche and vanity
On the ceiling, choose pot lights rated for damp locations: each model's spec sheet says so. Directly above or inside the shower, have the model validated by an advisor. CCT pot lights let you set the colour temperature at installation to match the mirror.
The shower niche is prepared during tiling: an IP66 waterproof LED strip in a small aluminum profile, under the shelf or at the top of the niche, lights the products and adds depth to the wall. For a vanity or a shelf, a profile with a diffuser gives an even line of light with no visible dots. With the LED Custom Builder on ledco.ca, the strip and profile are cut to the inch to fit the niche or the cabinet, ready in 3 to 7 business days after payment.
The details that make the difference
Keep a single colour temperature in the room (3000K for a warm ambiance, 6000K for crisp daylight), or choose a mirror with adjustable colour if the bathroom is used as much in the morning as in the evening. Also think about a towel warmer, available in our bathroom range. Never install a pot light in a sauna or steam room.
Renovating? Send us the dimensions of your bathroom and vanity: our team will help you choose the mirror, the pot lights and the niche lighting. Showroom open to the public in Saint-Hubert, on Montreal's South Shore.
