Can you put a chandelier in the bathroom? If you want to make a style statement, the answer is yes. Traditionally used in foyers and dining rooms, chandeliers have made their way into almost every space, including bathrooms and luxury closets. Before you make the leap and add a chandelier to your bathroom design plan, however, take the time to consider your choices carefully to ensure a bathroom chandelier is right for you.

The Best Ideas for Bathroom Chandeliers

Not every bathroom can handle a chandelier, but for those that can, it adds a touch of elegance and a focal point that’s hard to match any other way. There are small chandeliers for a modestly sized bathroom, large and ornate chandeliers that bring drama, modern chandeliers with sleek, minimalist styling, and everything in between.

Stylewise, your choices for bathroom chandeliers are no more limited than they would be for any other room in the house. As you’re shopping for chandeliers, you’ll want to know a bit about the various types available online and in design centers and home improvement stores. The following are just a few possibilities:

• Crystal chandelier: Probably one of the most common types that comes to mind with chandeliers in general, it works best in formal spaces but can be a striking surprise when used with unexpected interior design styles.
• Drum chandelier: Great for pared-down modern spaces, this round chandelier typically provides more ambient light and less overall drama for an understated look.
• Candle chandelier: This style of chandelier is on the casual/rustic side and uses faux candles that don’t pose the fire risk of real candles.
• Lantern chandelier: With either glass panes or open spaces, a lantern chandelier is perfect for decorating with a farmhouse flavor. This understated style can fit into several types of interior design schemes.
• Sputnik chandelier: These fixtures have been all the rage in the last decade or so in many room styles. There are variations, but most have “branches” with lights on the tips. The bulbs are usually exposed and cast an attention-getting shadow, so keep that in mind if you’re thinking of using this style.
• Globe chandelier: In this popular chandelier type, one or more lights are contained in a sphere, usually some kind of open cage.
• Flush-mount chandelier: Rather than hang from a rod, chain, or wire like a pendant, this fixture is installed right against the ceiling. If height constraints are an issue in your bathroom design, a flush-mount chandelier may fit nicely.
• Tiffany chandelier: These Art Nouveau-style fixtures have been used for a century but still bring drama to rooms today.
• Empire chandelier: If you want a formal style in your bathroom, an empire chandelier is a good choice. It’s shaped like a bowl and is often composed of crystals.

Choosing a Bathroom Chandelier

Of course, you want a bathroom chandelier that expresses your taste, but beyond that, you’ll need to consider these aspects of your space when choosing the one that’ll work best:

• The size of your bathroom: Most chandeliers strongly impact a room, so keep in mind how much visual and physical space any chandelier may take up in your bathroom. A large, luxurious bathroom may be able to handle any style and most sizes of chandeliers, but even then, you probably don’t want this element to overpower the room.
• The ceiling height: It’s important to ensure that your chandelier is placed following local, state, and national electrical and building codes. You should have a licensed electrician advise you on regulations (particularly local ones). You can expect to find that anything that goes above the tub in your bathroom design must be a minimum of eight feet above it.
• The layout: If you want the tub to grab all the attention, you’ll likely want your chandelier above it. If it’s not practical—or in line with electrical codes—to hang a chandelier directly over the tub, consider placing it just in front or in the center of the bathroom.

More Bathroom Lighting Ideas

The most-used room in the house should have many lighting types, each contributing to the functionality and beauty of the space. Consider the following tips as you create your bathroom design plan, aiming for the perfect combination of brightness and usefulness:

• A ceiling light shouldn’t be the only light source, but it’s important. It fills the room with light, providing safety at night and background lighting when other lights are on.
• For the most part, your best choice for vanity lighting depends on the placement, size, and style of your bathroom mirrors. Whether you place them above or on the sides of your mirrors, make sure the bulbs have sufficient shading; otherwise, you may have bright lights shining directly in your eyes. Fixtures with multiple bulbs and shades are suitable for over-the-mirror lighting, while flush-mounted wall sconces are an elegant touch on either side of the mirrors.
• Recessed lighting isn’t just for modern bathroom design styles. These space-saving fixtures add illumination and can create an overall mood in any room.

No matter which types of lighting you include in your plan, remember that they’ll need to be suitable for humid environments, especially if you need to light a shower stall. Look for watertight lenses designed to be safe if water splashes on them.

Find Your Luxury Lifestyle at Amelia Island

Are you looking for a one-of-a-kind home with great style already built into every room? If so, you’ll want to browse our Amelia Island luxury homes for sale. Our listings include single-family homes, condos, and homesites with locations on the oceanfront, golf course, and Intracoastal Waterway. 

Call the experienced agents at Amelia Island Real Estate Services at 904-277-5980 to learn more about our luxury island lifestyle.