Lighting plays an important role in the design of any interior environment, especially in smaller rooms like bathrooms and kitchens. A regular bathroom will have more lights per square metre than other rooms in a house, so it is vital to make the right choices with regard to which lights are installed. The bathroom is also unique in the way that practical and aesthetic considerations need to be combined, and people often install multiple lights for this very reason. For example, concentrated light may be needed when a person is directly in front of a mirror, while more ambient light may be desired when a person is having a bath. In order to choose the right kinds of bathroom lights, it is important to understand the differences between the three major categories of interior lighting.

Task lights refer to any form of concentrated light that is used when strong illumination is required. For example, task lighting may be used when a person is reading a book, cooking a meal, or applying make-up in a bathroom. One of the most well known types of task lighting is spot lights and track lights, which shine light on one area where it is needed the most. In contrast to task lighting, accent lighting is not concentrated and is used to create a mood or feeling within a room. While accent lightning may have some use as a general illumination tool, they are mostly used to create the feeling of beauty and luxury. Accent lights are often used in bathrooms to create soft environments, with common examples including recessed lights and track lights that are placed onto a wall or room feature.

The third most common type of light is simply called general illumination, such as the common light bulb or basic lamp. general lighting is a combination of accent and task lighting, and can be used alone if people do not want or need either of these other solutions. The types of lighting that are picked for a bathroom will depend on many things, including the size of the room, the health of your budget, and your need for either task or accent features. Many new bathrooms in the 21st century include all of these types of lighting on a single light fitting, so that people can choose specific lights for each specific bathroom scenario.