Oct 09, 2026 / By the Lumibox team / in LED Guides
A bathroom renovation is the best moment to get the lighting right. Once the tile is set, moving a pot light becomes a costly detour. This bathroom renovation lighting guide walks you through a layered LED plan built for Canadian homes: ceiling and recessed lighting, the LED mirror, the vanity fixture, the shower, and the accent strips that make a small room feel finished.
It is written for homeowners, contractors and electricians alike. You will find what to read on a spec sheet (colour temperature, CRI, location rating, dimming), how to light a face for shaving and makeup, and where lighting fits in the renovation schedule.
A single ceiling fixture in the middle of the room is the classic mistake. It throws shadows on your face at the mirror and leaves the shower dark. A good bathroom plan uses three or four layers that each do one job.
Each layer should be on its own switch or dimmer: bright task light for the morning routine, a soft accent strip for a night visit.
Most renovated bathrooms rely on round recessed downlights for general light. Plan a grid that covers the open floor, then add a dedicated fixture over the shower. Our guide How many pot lights do I need? explains spacing and layout, and the recessed lighting calculator gives you a starting count from your room dimensions.
Avoid a pot light directly above where you stand at the vanity: it creates shadows under the eyes and chin. Let the mirror or vanity light handle the face.
When the ceiling is low or the joists leave no room for recessed housings, a flush mount ceiling light is the practical choice. Many models in the ceiling light range are rated IP65, offer selectable CCT and work with a TRIAC dimmer; a few include a motion sensor.
The mirror is where the light matters most. The goal is light from the front, at face level, that fills shadows instead of creating them.
An LED mirror solves the vanity light question in one product: the light is built into the glass, centred on the face, and there is no separate fixture to align. Front-lit mirrors send light through a frosted band toward you, which is the best choice for shaving and makeup. Backlit mirrors wash the wall behind the glass with a soft halo and work best as a decorative layer, often paired with sconces or a vanity bar. Cabinet mirrors add storage behind the glass.
The Aurora LED mirror, for example, combines a high CRI with selectable colour temperature, so the same mirror can give a warm evening light and a crisper daytime light. For sizing, anti-fog and the front-lit versus backlit choice in detail, read our LED mirror buying guide.
If you prefer a classic mirror, mount a vanity light above it or a pair of sconces on each side. Our bathroom vanity lights include linear and round designs in several finishes. The 22 inch round LED wall vanity is a good reference: 17W, 1800 lumens, 5CCT selectable from 2700K to 5000K and a 120-277V input, so it suits a home as well as a commercial washroom. A longer 34 inch version produces 2600 lumens at 25W for a wider double vanity.
For commercial washrooms, a vanity retrofit is worth a look. Light Efficient Design offers a 14 inch vanity retrofit with FlexWatt and FlexColor, set by default to 6W and 4000K on a 120-277V input, and one version includes an occupancy sensor.
Bathroom lighting is judged on faces. Two numbers on the spec sheet decide whether makeup looks the same in the mirror as it does outdoors.
| Colour temperature | Feel | Best use in the bathroom |
|---|---|---|
| 2700K | Warm, cosy | Evening, soaking tub, accent strips |
| 3000K | Warm white | General ceiling light in most homes |
| 3500K | Neutral warm | A balanced choice for the whole room |
| 4000K | Neutral white | Mirror and makeup, commercial washrooms |
| 5000K | Crisp, daylight | Detailed grooming tasks, very bright spaces |
For makeup, a neutral 3500K to 4000K at the mirror is a common choice because it sits between warm indoor light and daylight. If you are unsure, choose 5CCT or selectable-CCT products: you can adjust after installation without changing fixtures.
CRI (colour rendering index, IRC in French) measures how faithfully a light shows colours. In our bathroom selection, CRI 80 and CRI 90 are the two values you will meet most often. For the mirror and vanity, aim for CRI 90 or higher: skin tones, foundation and hair colour look natural. CRI 80 is fine for general ceiling light. In the downlight range, a few models even reach CRI 98.
A shower light is the fixture that gets the most questions. In Canada, the electrical code treats the area inside and directly over a shower or tub as a wet location, while the rest of the bathroom is generally a damp location. Confirm the requirements with your electrician.
A slim pot light with a sealed lens and a Wet Location rating is the usual shower solution. Linear recessed fixtures are another option for a modern look: the CANOLIGHT recessed linear blade light with 5 heads delivers 600 lumens at 10W, CRI 90, and is rated for damp locations, a good fit above a vanity or along a wall outside the spray zone.
LED strips bring the finishing touch: a glow under a floating vanity, a lit shower niche, a cove above a tub or a toe-kick light that works as a night light. Because a bathroom is humid, choose the strip by its protection rating, not just its colour.
Most strips run on low voltage (12V or 24V DC), so the power supply must sit in a dry, accessible spot, such as inside the vanity cabinet or behind an access panel, never in the shower. An aluminum channel with a diffuser gives a dot-free line and better heat dissipation. Our guide How to choose LED strip lights covers COB versus SMD, 12V versus 24V and power supply sizing.
Dimming turns a bright, functional bathroom into a relaxing one in the evening. Plan it from the start:
To estimate how much light you need before dimming, the guide How many lumens per room? gives practical targets room by room.
Lighting is decided early, even if fixtures go in last.
There is no single best fixture. The best result comes from layers: wet-rated pot lights or a flush mount ceiling light for general light, an LED mirror or vanity light at face level, and a soft LED strip for accent. Choose CRI 90 at the mirror and a matching colour temperature across the room.
Yes, as long as the fixture is rated for wet locations. A sealed pot light with a Wet Location rating, or a product rated IP65 or higher, is the usual choice. Have a licensed electrician do the installation and confirm the local requirements.
Many people prefer 3500K to 4000K at the mirror, with CRI 90 or more, because it shows skin tones close to daylight. Selectable CCT mirrors and vanity lights let you test and adjust after installation.
Integrated LED vanity lights are slim, often offer selectable CCT and wattage, and have no bulbs to replace. A model like the 22 inch round wall vanity gives 1800 lumens from 17W with 5CCT selection, which makes it easy to match the rest of the room.
Outside the shower, a Damp Location rating is generally enough. Inside or directly above the shower or tub, choose Wet Location. Ask your electrician, who will follow the code that applies to your project.
Ready to plan your project? Start with the LED bathroom lighting collection, then compare LED mirrors, vanity lights and recessed downlights to build each layer of your new bathroom.
