Bath Design: Renew Body and Mind With Colorful Light
Take one tired, stressed-out self. Rinse in a shower bathed in blue light (or any color you like). Repeat
When we're blessed with good weather, we view the sun's warm rays as bright white. On early winter mornings, the sky is almost pink, and in the summer, warmer colors like red and orange can be seen at sunset. The spectrum of white light is made up of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet — and these seven colors have an incredible impact on our physical and mental health.
Chromotheraphy has been studied and practiced for more than 4,000 years. Once reserved for the pharaohs of Egypt, this healing technique is now possible in our own homes to help improve our health and daily outlook. Often, the shower can be the best place to get a dose of healing light without breaking a daily routine. A multitude of colors can be produced with the aid of low-voltage LEDs (light-emitting diodes). This little bit of extra lighting does wonders for a small shower or bathroom — the ability to layer the light to suit morning routines or lazy weekend soaks is key to enjoying the bathroom at different times of day. Add in a little colored light, and you have a whole new space.
Let's take a look at colored light for bathrooms and cover a few pointers for successful installation.
Chromotheraphy has been studied and practiced for more than 4,000 years. Once reserved for the pharaohs of Egypt, this healing technique is now possible in our own homes to help improve our health and daily outlook. Often, the shower can be the best place to get a dose of healing light without breaking a daily routine. A multitude of colors can be produced with the aid of low-voltage LEDs (light-emitting diodes). This little bit of extra lighting does wonders for a small shower or bathroom — the ability to layer the light to suit morning routines or lazy weekend soaks is key to enjoying the bathroom at different times of day. Add in a little colored light, and you have a whole new space.
Let's take a look at colored light for bathrooms and cover a few pointers for successful installation.
Blue light has many documented health benefits. It helps reduce blood pressure and calm breathing, and makes relaxing easier. Blue light has also been shown to be an anti-inflammatory and improve circulation — all good things as we age.
Look how this blue light brings the walls to life — at first you see the blue, then you notice the stone and the light reflecting off the water in the tub.
When you're picking a tub with a chromotherapy package, get one with at least four lights. Sometimes two lights just doesn't cut it.
When you're picking a tub with a chromotherapy package, get one with at least four lights. Sometimes two lights just doesn't cut it.
Red light energizes and stimulates. The effects of red light can increase your pulse rate and get you charged up for a big game, pumped for a big meeting or in the mood for a little romance.
This shower has a wonderful iridescent tile that sparkles. With regular lighting, this room itself must be a real energizer both in the morning and at night. To highlight iridescent particles in the tile, multiple sources of light should be used. Three or five small halogens would work perfectly.
A tiled wall washed in light like this should be set perfectly so that the wall is smooth and flat. The closer the light is to hitting the wall, the more it will show flaws in the installation. Also, make sure the LED lighting, task lighting and fixtures are in place during the tiling process for complete accuracy.
This shower has a wonderful iridescent tile that sparkles. With regular lighting, this room itself must be a real energizer both in the morning and at night. To highlight iridescent particles in the tile, multiple sources of light should be used. Three or five small halogens would work perfectly.
A tiled wall washed in light like this should be set perfectly so that the wall is smooth and flat. The closer the light is to hitting the wall, the more it will show flaws in the installation. Also, make sure the LED lighting, task lighting and fixtures are in place during the tiling process for complete accuracy.
If you're not brave enough for sparkly red tile, choose a safer tile and stick with LED lighting for color. When the mood hits, you can choose any color you like.
You can always switch out regular light bulbs for LED versions in your standard fixture or build a custom light feature out of LED strip lighting for a similar approach. When working with a professional, make sure your installer doesn't underestimate the light needs of a room and add in too little lighting for a huge impact.
When you're planning your lighting system, make sure it can be dimmed and build it brighter than you think you need it to be. The ThermaSol light featured here has six high-intensity light generators per color for intense and adjustable lighting.
You can always switch out regular light bulbs for LED versions in your standard fixture or build a custom light feature out of LED strip lighting for a similar approach. When working with a professional, make sure your installer doesn't underestimate the light needs of a room and add in too little lighting for a huge impact.
When you're planning your lighting system, make sure it can be dimmed and build it brighter than you think you need it to be. The ThermaSol light featured here has six high-intensity light generators per color for intense and adjustable lighting.
This steam shower has a chromotherapy setting that allows all the colors to change slowly. This is a real treat when you're taking a long steam shower. Many of my clients stretch in their showers before and after exercising, or to relax before bedtime. Clearing your head and detoxifying at day's end can produce a deeper sleep and help keep your nerves in check. Color can help improve this experience.
Hundreds of years ago, stained glass was often used for chromotherapy purposes. Leonardo da Vinci believed that the power of meditation increased tenfold under the rays of violet light shining through a church's stained glass windows. Green light has been found to reduce irritability and insomnia, and can be used to help a person recover from a nervous breakdown. Yellow lighting can help with digestion and simply make us feel happy.
Stained glass, whether filtering natural or man-made light, produces amazing results. If the glass is beveled and used in conjunction with beads, crystals or different types of glass, the result is even more amazing.
Stained glass, whether filtering natural or man-made light, produces amazing results. If the glass is beveled and used in conjunction with beads, crystals or different types of glass, the result is even more amazing.
If you use your master bath every day to get ready for work, shower after soccer, bathe the kids and wash the dog, how can you make it feel like a spa when you have the time to relax?
When general lighting or task lighting is switched off (the downlights, or pot lights, in the photo), ambient lighting can take over. Pendants and accent colored lighting (here, on the vanity toe kick and shower ceiling) can be set to a slow scroll to completely transform the mood.
If you're on the fence about whether or not to install some chromotheraphy lights, just do it. It's easy to leave them off most of the time, and the benefit they offer when they're turned on is invaluable.
When general lighting or task lighting is switched off (the downlights, or pot lights, in the photo), ambient lighting can take over. Pendants and accent colored lighting (here, on the vanity toe kick and shower ceiling) can be set to a slow scroll to completely transform the mood.
If you're on the fence about whether or not to install some chromotheraphy lights, just do it. It's easy to leave them off most of the time, and the benefit they offer when they're turned on is invaluable.
How could you not feel great taking a sunshine-filled shower? Harvesting the sun's light is easier with a large skylight like this one. We have started working more with 4- by 4-foot skylights, and the added light is always welcome.
Consider locating your master en suite on the east elevation of a new home if you want to shower early in the day, or on the west side if you want to shower at day's end and catch the sunset's final rays.
Consider locating your master en suite on the east elevation of a new home if you want to shower early in the day, or on the west side if you want to shower at day's end and catch the sunset's final rays.
It doesn't matter which form of chromotheraphy you decide on for your next bathroom renovation; any and all are wonderful ways to bring your favorite color into your daily routine.
For thousands of years, people have used colored lighting for healing — see if it improves the quality of your life.
More:
The Low-Down on LED LightingGet the Light Right for a Healthier House
For thousands of years, people have used colored lighting for healing — see if it improves the quality of your life.
More:
The Low-Down on LED LightingGet the Light Right for a Healthier House