Have you ever noticed the lights in your bathroom? Bathroom lighting ideas are not something that people come up with on a daily basis-mostly, people just use the bathroom and don't think about the lighting scheme.
But this is an area where a savvy homeowner can take a little creativity and spice up his water closet, and add real value to his home.
Bathroom lighting ideas concern three basic areas.
First of all, the bathroom mirror is the place where most innovation is possible.
There are several lighting schemes you can use for the mirror.
The most common lighting for the bathroom mirror comes from the disco bar over the top of the mirror, with 3, 4, or even 6 bulbs across the top.
This has the effect of lighting the entire house, and making you go "YOW!" first thing in the morning while you put on your leisure suit and/or tease up your beehive.
Contractors love the light bar over the top of the mirror because it is a cheap way to stick a light in a bathroom.
Aside from actually hanging a disco ball in the bathroom, this lighting is some of the tackiest lighting in your house.
You can have simple elegance and taste all the way through your home, and when you get to the bathroom, you have to squint every morning when you go in to brush your teeth.
  Since this is not the 1970's anymore, it is time to upgrade this lighting scheme.
Wall sconces, track lights, recessed canisters, or just about any other lighting idea works in this area.
The next area of illumination is the shower/commode area.
This is usually a single light in the ceiling near the little fan.
As it is a dual area light, you usually have a fairly strong bulb in place.
Instead of using one huge bulb, why not split that lighting up some? Two 40 watt bulbs use much less electricity than a single 100 watt bulb, and for the green homeowner, you can even have them controlled by separate switches.
This provides the right amount of illumination, while saving real dollars on electricity.
Once you have laid out your new lighting plan, start looking to upgrade the actual fixtures in the room.
You can go with a tavern theme, a castle theme, or just about anything you can think of.
Bathroom lighting ideas are not restricted to just the lights mentioned above.
You can realistically add or subtract lights, use a multiple bulb type system for the different areas of the bathroom, or just go with 40 watt bulbs to have ease in replacement.
The key to upgrading your bathroom lighting is to brainstorm.
Look at a few web sites, a catalog, or go to Lowes or Home Depot and check out the fixtures that are available.
Most importantly, make sure you are getting fixtures that can stand up in a high moisture/heat environment.
Bathroom fixtures  are specially made not to wilt under the pressure of that hot shower.