Fixtures with diffusers (shades or glass covers) are best to avoid glare, while fixtures with bare bulbs can produce glare in your eyes from mirrors. Ceiling fixtures above mirrors should be directly over centre of mirror and be in proportion to mirror size for best results. Recessed downlights have benefit of being unobtrusive, but will produce shadows under eyelids, nose and chin unless placed close to mirror, spaced well apart and above a light coloured surface they will bounce light back upward to remove shadows. General lighting from recessed fixtures will serve to illuminate spaces, cupboards and bath, where some people like to read and relax. There are also waterproof lighting fixtures now available suitable for showers. Bathroom lighting, including fluorescent lights @ SelectLighting UK.

Installing dimmer controls for these fixtures is useful as they give attractive low levels of lighting for evening and allow you to adapt lighting to your mood and requirements. Candles can be added for that extra relaxing bath to soothe away daily strains and add intimacy.

Safety Lighting and Lights for Bathrooms

Firstly it is important to understand rating by which bathroom and some outdoor lights are classified. IP rating stands for 'Ingress Protection' and is always followed by two characters. The first character specifies degree of protection against particles or solid objects. Starting with 0 for no protection to 8 for a light which may be totally submerged in water up to specified depth. The rating which interest us are IPx4 (x is used in this case because there is no requirement in regulations for a level of dust protection). Lights sold as IPx4 will have been tested for protection against water splashing from any direction.

Zone 0 is inside bath or shower itself and any fittings used here must be low voltage (max 12V) and be rated IPx7 which is total protection when immersed in water.

Zone 1 is above bath to a height of 2.25m. A minimum rating of IPx4 is required here.

Zone 2 is an area stretching to 0.6m outside bath and above bath if over 2.25m. An IP rating of at least IPx4 is required here.

Zone 3 is anywhere outside zones 0, 1, and 2 (subject to specific limits) and where no water jet is likely to be used there is no IP rating required.

The IEE Regulations do not make specific reference to wash basins but in opinion of The Lighting Association they should be treated as Zone 2 (i.e. IPx4).

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Some people subscribing to our news letter may value our 'design lead' approach so we schedule below some of our assessment criteria relating to loft conversions that you may find useful:-

1. Does it need Planning Permission - If so utilising councils design guides is a must. Some front or side facing dormers may still be resisted even if they are small. Velux windows often overcome these objections. In most cases, big bulky box dormers will not be allowed.

2. What area of new space does client require - Many clients have overambitious floor space targets & visualise 3 bedrooms for example (all with ensuite of course). They fail to appreciate loss of floor space caused by extensive sloping soffits, & new stairs.

3. Where can new stair set go - Many clients fail to realise that their preferred location for stairs does not achieve required head room within new floor for example. In most cases some existing floor space of bedrooms for example will need to be sacrificed.

4. It is better to achieve one or two good sized functional rooms to compensate for lack of head room in some areas of new rooms rather than trying to cram in bedroom numbers for sake of it where new rooms can become nothing more than single bed sleeping podules with very little inbuilt amenity value.

5. If flat roofed dormers can only be achieved due to low ridge height then split dormers into 2 or three smaller ones with no more than 1200mm (4') wide windows to break up its bulk. Always, always always recess dormer into roof slope to reduce dormers bulk - DO NOT BUILD THE EXTERNAL FACE OF THE DORMER WALL OFF THE EXISTING EXTERNAL WALL OF THE HOUSE.

6. If a client wants a conversion with only Velux type roof lights then all well & good (much cheaper as well). However an exercise should be completed to explore possibilities of a strategically located dormer or two that often frees up an extra 30% floor area that client may not have realised for very little extra money.

7. Dormers are not only design solution to more light & space - consideration could also be given to a hip to gable conversion of side roof for example that wont look out of keeping (unless your a semi of course).

8. As a rule of thumb to practicality of your new room in roof - if you can already touch ridge board when standing in loft (about 2.3M or less), then its normally too small to form useful functioning bedrooms unless a bulky box dormer is constructed (which is what we are trying to avoid) If it is an area just for a play room or a study then all well & good but beware, many people have embarked on tight loft conversions only to realise too late that that they have no where to place bed or locate a wardrobe.

There are a great many other issues to consider as well when completing loft conversions such as overheating, fire regs, weather protection during works etc. & these are major discussion topics in themselves that I will leave for another day. However, points listed above are main ones relative to external design & appearance of loft conversions.

Our 'Maximum Build Planning Guide' explains further tactics involved when developing a site with a loft conversion or extension & how to give yourself best chance of being granted a planning permission or planning approval.

http://www.planning-approval.co.uk