The vast options of ceramic tile colors, shapes, sizes, textures, designs, and layout patterns allow you to realize your one-of-a-kind dream bathroom — don’t leave it in the dark!

Although the lighting in modern bathrooms is generally brighter than a traditional living space, some areas can lose illumination when the area is closed off to allow for privacy. Lighting is a specific detail for the bathroom as you consider appropriate lighting for vanity area tasks, as well as lighting for wet applications, such as in the shower.

Bathroom Lighting

See your bathroom in a whole new light! From powder room to personal spa, your bathroom benefits from lighting that makes grooming tasks efficient while also creating a beautiful environment. We’re showcasing some of our favorite Instagram bathroom lighting examples to inspire you.

Shower Niche

The addition of a shower niche gives you extra storage for soaps and shampoos. These recessed areas can be dark if not lighted. LED strips or recessed spotlights illuminate the niche and its contents, and they also add to the visibility of the entire shower.

New laws may require high-efficiency lighting, and using LEDs can be a great option to ensure your project passes local building codes.

1. LED Light Strip

One light is all it takes! Using a single LED light strip brightens this shower niche and showcases the details of the earthy green terrazzo-inspired ceramic tile. The coordinating vertically stacked subway tile receives additional light from overhead.

Pro tip:1100 lumens has the brightness equivalent of a 75-watt bulb.

2. Dimmable Lighting

Dimmability is a common option with LEDs that allows you to easily change the mood in your bathroom from a bright early morning wake-me-up to a soft soothing nighttime soak.

3. Lighting Temperature

When selecting LEDs, you may consider the lumen output (brightness), color temperature (cool = more blue, warm = more yellow), and even color choice. Warm LED lighting accentuates the contrasting detail of this shower niche backed with penny-round tile in cool blue tones.

4. Contrasting Layout

This lighted shower niche is more than first meets the eye. The warm light on the chevron design gently contrasts with the walls’ dusty blue subway tile.

5. Wide and Wonderful

A wide LED lighting strip is exquisite in this wall-to-wall niche. Brown and gray penny-round tile reflects its glow with a subtle metallic iridescence.

6. Electric Blue

Blue LED shower niche lighting makes a decidedly modern statement, while a shelf creates perfect symmetry in the space. The expert craftsmanship of this installation meticulously continues the black veining streaks of the marble-look tile across the niche.

Dark Décor

Trends toward darker tile installations and tiles with unique textures are shown in their best light when you carefully choose lighting options.

7. Textured Greige

Dark greige tile is highlighted in the niche, accentuating the tile’s unique texture. Coordinating profiles framing the niche add further structure and elegance to this shower’s design.

8. Smoky Luxury

Soft lighting glows within this statement shower niche, backed with luxurious hexagon mosaic tile.

9. Deep Beige Shades

This spa-like shower gives you room — and then some! Lighting in four shower niches adds interest and brightness to a space without access to natural light or light from other parts of the bathroom.

[Related: 2023 Tile Trends: Darkening]

Light Décor

Light-colored surfaces are sought after for reflecting light and are prized for brightening spaces. A lighting plan can further emphasize lighter colors and reflect even more on glossy surfaces.

10. White Diamonds

Why not go brighter? Three LED shower niche lights shine on clean white diamond tile and airy marble-look tile. We love the space’s interesting angles and block shower bench.

11. Multiple Spotlights

A precisely spaced trio of lights glows in this matched shower niche, bouncing off glossy ivory subway tile.

12. Clean and Gleaming

Bright shower niche lighting adds an air of perfect cleanliness among cream and pale pastel zellige tile.

Light and Dark

13. Gray and White

A lighted shower niche invigorates chic slate-gray tile to balance the white tile walls.

14. Black-and-White Marble-Look

Two recessed lights in the shower niche accentuate the dramatic veining of this black and white marble-look tile.

15. Chic Contrast

Need more space? Two lighted shower niches, featuring textured and variegated ivory tile, ensure you have it. We love the dramatic punctuation of the black tile shower bench top and niche profiles.

Shelving

Shelves within a niche or on a bathroom wall allow for organization and can also serve as a beautiful focal point. Choose to light the unit as a whole, or add more interest and accessibility by adding lighting to each shelf.

16. Single Shelf

A slim shelf elevates this lighted shower niche with undeniable style while separating essentials to garner the most efficiency within the space.

17. Dark Multiple Shelves

Multiple shelves accentuate this his-and-hers shower, with lighting shining softly across stately herringbone tile.

18. Light Multiple Shelves

A floor-to-ceiling shower niche ups the ante with shelving. Bright vertical lighting frames warm white stone-look tile.

19. Floating Shelves

This large niche of blue tile in a herringbone pattern sports two floating shelves. A soft niche spotlight complements the sink lighting and an outpouring of natural light from the skylight.

Bathtub

For lighting that helps your tub area function both efficiently and as a space to unwind, lower lighting or a lighted lower niche are great options. Over-the-tub lighting should be damp rated (can withstand indirect condensation and the occasional splash).

Here’s a space where your lighting choices can really shine (pun intended) as the bathtub often commands a focal point in the bathroom.

20. Simple Perfection

A rectangular lighted niche sits above an oval stand-alone bathtub, creating exquisite geometric contrast.

21. Marble-Look Love

A large bathtub niche with LED lighting is the perfect place for decor, sundries, and candles. Marble-look tile swirling with white, gray, and black hues distinguishes this space.

22. Green Herringbone

Earthy green herringbone tile shines in this lighted bathtub niche, beckoning you to enjoy a relaxing soak. Note how the sloped ceiling echoes the diagonal lines in the herringbone tile layout.

23. Cool Highlights

A lighted bathtub niche of gray tile creates a burst of energy in this space surrounded by coordinating patterned tile. The niche’s cool, modern glow plays off the warmer tones of the ceiling lights.

24. Wall Lighting

A pair of warm lights within this deep bathtub niche creates chic brilliance in an already-heavenly space, reflecting off luxurious glossy white marble-look tile. The addition of LED lights around the niche frame further accents the room.

Vanity

Designers agree that the best vanity lighting is as level to your face as possible. Lighting on either side of the mirror provides more even lighting than lighting on top of mirrors.

Avoid just having overhead lighting above the mirror because it can cast shadows that make tasks using the mirror challenging.

25. Single Mirror

A circular lighted mirror softens the vanity area to coordinate with the elegant marble-look ceramic tile and echo the shower bench lighting.

26. Double Mirrors

Two lighted mirrors add a bright, modern air to this his-and-hers vanity, alongside cool stone-look ceramic tile throughout the bathroom.

27. Single Pendant

This bathroom is absolutely aglow from the pendant fixture, adding visual interest and precision lighting to the vanity as well as accentuating the textured tile.

28. Multiple Pendants

A trio of globe pendant lights to the vanity’s side complements a circular mirror and rounded sink, quietly contrasting with the herringbone tile’s angular pattern.

29. Side Sconces

Lighting on either side of the vanity ensures an even look every time you gaze in the mirror. Deep green hexagon tile stuns in the shower’s accent wall and spacious niche.

30. Arch

Carefully installed lighting surrounds this vanity sink in a halo. We love how the arched frame, rounded mirrors, and marble-look tile tie together this bathroom’s overall look. You’ll even spot a shower window in the video that allows natural light to flow in.

Bathroom Light Layering

Consider how the individually lighted spaces of your bathroom work together to brighten your entire space.

31. Subdued

Sumptuous wood-look tile surrounds a spacious lighted bathroom niche in a space rich with neutral brown, beige, and cream hues, flooded with natural light balanced by recessed ceiling lights.

32. Bold and Natural

A cascade of natural light illuminates the bold lines and clean white and black tile of this bathroom, even with the vanity and ceiling lights off!

33. Minimalist

Niche lighting is a big and beautiful element in this bathroom space. Its glow against stone-look tile layers with delicate ceiling and wall lights. Check out the sleek LED strip at the top of the honeycomb tile divider wall, too.

34. Work Zones

A peachy lighted niche offers plenty of storage space in this bathroom, its glow complementing demure ceiling lights in the “work zones” of this bathroom. Additionally, the large mirror allows light to reflect beautifully across the room’s vintage-inspired tile.

35. Symmetry

Warm lights at the mirror, wall sconce, and low vanity shelf bring this bathroom space together for a coordinated style that conveys everyday luxury.

36. Spa-Like Serenity

Soft light lies inside the niches, mirror, vanity, pendant fixtures, and ceiling to lend lush layering to this bathroom. Stone-look tile is the ideal complement to the chic, welcoming look, while stone details and gold finishes add distinctive spa-like touches.

37. Modern

This ultra-modern bathroom space comes alive, light by light (watch the video). We adore how the warm LED ceiling lighting pours down decadent marble-look tile in black and chocolate-brown tones.

Illuminate Your Bathroom Space With Lighting

Now that we’ve shed light on our favorite bathroom lighting ideas, we hope you’re ready to light it up!

Large bathrooms may have options to illuminate multiple areas, such as the shower, shower niche, vanity area, and tub area. Even powder rooms can benefit from light layering that may include lighting around the vanity, as well as an overhead room light or low lighting. Also consider dimmable light options that can help transform your bathroom from a bright busy morning routine to a subdued evening retreat.

For more bathroom lighting inspiration, visit our Pinterest collection.

37 Luminous Bathroom Lighting and Shower Niche Lighting Ideas