As a lighting designer, I've seen
many bathroom mirrors illuminated by
a single recessed downlight mounted
directly above the sink. This is a mistake
— not only are the shadows from
a downlight unflattering, but they
make it hard to do certain tasks. As an
example, look at photo A. The
recessed light casts harsh shadows on
the man's face and provides no light
beneath his chin. The result is that he
has inadequate light for shaving; a
woman would also have trouble applying
makeup in this light.
Good lighting should illuminate the
entire face without casting shadows. A
better strategy than downlighting is to
place a diffuse light strip on the wall
over the mirror. The plastic