Shower lighting ideas – 10 ways to ensure your space is well-illuminated

Shower lighting ideas can help to create a relaxing and practical bathroom design in the home. 

The shower is often an enclosed area away from the central light source in a bathroom, so incorporating innovative lighting designs to ensure the space is inviting and well-lit is definitely one to remember for your walk-in shower ideas and shower ideas.

Luke Thomas, Design Director at John Cullen Lighting states, 'when it comes to lighting a shower, the right lighting can create a wonderful effect, transforming the space and creating a spa-like environment.'

Shower and bathroom lighting ideas should not just be purely functional and pared-back, carefully planning your designs can lead to a creative and well-thought out bathroom scheme that embraces a range of lighting technologies and styles.

Shower lighting ideas – 10 inspiring designs for a serene shower space

From practical spotlight designs, to innovative light-up shower-heads, we have gathered our favorite shower lighting ideas to help you make the most out of this area in the bathroom.

1. Keep it simple with spotlights

One of the most popular shower lighting ideas for the home, spotlights can effortlessly integrate into bathroom and shower designs of all shapes and sizes, providing efficient and focused downlighting. 

Spotlights are a great choice if you want to achieve a more minimalist look with your lighting, with a recessed spotlight design creating a sleek and simple look. 

Whether you position one large spotlight in a smaller shower space, or multiples to create inviting pools of light in a larger walk-in shower, these practical, modern lighting designs are a highly effective choice for bathroom ceiling lighting ideas, establishing an even spread of light in your shower space.

2. Light up your niches

Shower niches create a practical platform where you can easily store your toiletries and shower accessories in an uncluttered and organized way - a great option for shower storage ideas.

Luke Thomas states, 'if you are including any niches or recessed shelving within a shower, consider lighting these using Contour LED strip or a miniature IP rated Lucca downlight.'

Adding lighting to your niche can beautifully elevate a simple, recessed design, creating depth as well as establishing an alluring focal point in your shower space.

3. Use a mix of lighting designs

Using a unique mix of lighting in and around your shower space can create an attractive design that prioritizes both style and practicality.

In this beautiful bathroom, LED strips have been used on the ceiling above the shower, efficiently lighting up the area as well as enhancing the elegant, scalloped wall tiles. A wall light has also been positioned beside the sink and shower area, adding a unique, decorative touch to the space. 

The varied lighting ideas in this bathroom unite traditional and modern designs to create an inviting and sophisticated shower space.

4. Plan the lighting and tiling together

When planning your shower tile ideas, thinking about how your lighting will work in combination is key, as Luke Thomas explains: 

'Plan the tiling and lighting together. For example, if using larger format tiles, think about lining up the downlights so that the light skims down the center of the tiles. 

Avoid positioning downlights directly above a shower head which causes funny reflections on the ceiling and a shadow into the shower area. Instead, position the lights, close to the wall so that they skim down and highlight the tiles. This works particularly well with bathroom tiles that have a texture or pattern to them as this is accented with light and shadow.'

5. Choose an innovative shower light

For a stand-out, multipurpose shower and lighting design, why not choose an innovative shower light.

In this bathroom space, the Keuco Perfect Symbiotic Shower Light has a large showering area, surrounded by a circle of LED light, designed to create a fully immersive showering experience. The light settings can be adjusted to daylight white, perfect for a bright start to the day, to a warming white, ideal for calming and cozy evenings.

Promoting the importance of wellness and relaxation at home, this modern shower design embodies a beautiful union of water and light.

6. Embrace a traditional ceiling light design

In this wonderful wet room, the scheme is defined by a characterful mix of materials, creating a luxurious design that unites the traditional with the modern.

Thoughtful details such as the bulkhead, marine-style ceiling light elevate the overall industrial design, adding a unique and stylish touch to the walk-in shower space - a great lighting style to consider for industrial decor ideas.

With this style of caged light referencing traditional, nautical designs found on ships, the design is perfectly fitting for a bathroom, bringing a characterful, maritime element to your shower space.

7. Use a central, large pendant light

'Great for both small bathroom lighting ideas and large bathrooms alike, if you cannot install lighting directly over your shower, using a central, large pendant can beautifully light up your whole bathroom space,' says Jennifer Ebert, Homes & Gardens' Digital Editor.

From bathroom chandelier ideas, to bathroom lighting trends that showcase statement, stylish lighting designs, a large pendant light can create a inviting focal point in your bathroom, adding a sense of impact and drama to the space.

8. Make the most of natural light

Making the most out of the natural light available in your bathroom can create an invigorating and refreshing space. 

Not all bathrooms have windows, so if you do have them, ensure to take advantage of the benefits that come with the warmth and vitality of natural light. 

Positioning your shower beside a window will allow lots of natural light to flood into the space, creating an inviting area where artificial lights only needs to be used at certain times of the day.

The elegant shower space in this bathroom, designed by Jessica Bennett of Alice Lane Interior Design, is enhanced by a beautiful, rippled glass window design. The light that comes through uplifts the all-white marble design, creating a relaxing and comforting shower area that subtly connects you to the outdoors.

9. Use sleek, LED strip lighting

LED bathroom lighting ideas are becoming increasingly popular for the modern home due to their longevity and powerful illumination.

With an array of different options available, LED strip lights can neatly integrate into a shower space, as well as be cleverly concealed to create an eye-catching effect. 

In this contemporary bathroom by HiB, the strip lighting creates a warming glow throughout the whole room, as well as illuminating key elements of the space such as the shower niches and mirror.

A great option if your want to hide your shower lighting ideas out of sight, LED strip lighting will always be a versatile and long-lasting choice for a bathroom space.

10. Choose decorative designs

Many decorative lighting designs have now been expertly crafted to be bathroom-friendly, allowing for much more creative freedom and and choice when planning your shower lighting ideas - great for luxury bathroom ideas.

If you're planning shower lighting ideas that center around a bathtub, using multiple wall lights can create a truly relaxing ambience and relaxation zone.

In this bathroom, the delicate, rounded glass wall lights have been strategically placed near the bath and shower space, adding a glamorous yet subtle element of texture and shape to the modern bathroom.

'Mood lighting is an essential part of a bathroom design, and strategically placing decorative lighting designs near your bath and shower to create an inviting ambience can help transform your bathroom space into a luxurious, spa-like retreat,' says Homes & Gardens' Editorial Director Sarah Spiteri.

How do I light my shower area?

As explored, there are many different options available for your shower lighting ideas. 

With an increasing amount of decorative and stylish bathroom lighting designs available, you can be both practical and creative with your shower lighting designs. 

Using multiple zones of light in your bathroom will create a space that is highly functional and welcoming. For your shower, combining efficient designs such as spotlights and LED strip lighting with more decorative, atmospheric pieces will create a relaxing space that is inviting, well-lit and reflects your design style.

What kind of lighting can you put in a shower?

Most bathroom spaces have lighting zones which provide rules on what type of light can be used where.

Lights used in a bathroom need to have specific IP (Ingress Protection) ratings to make sure there are suitable for use near water, this will help to establish where they can be used in a bathroom.

When planning your shower lighting ideas, ensure that the lights chosen adhere to the rules of this particular lighting zone in the bathroom.