The Importance of Barbershop Lighting

To help you get it right we've produced this handy guide on how to select lighting for a barbershop or salon. 

Enrich the complexion and compliment the decor

Light bulbs come in a variety of colour temperatures ranging from cool to very warm. The temperature of the bulbs used in your shop is very important. The warm temperature given off by our Vintage Filament Bulbs is preferable for enriching client complexions by making blemishes and other signs of aging blend in with the rest of the skin, and ideally compliments most barber shop decors. 

Position lighting to eliminate shadows

How a client looks in the barber’s chair is crucial. If they feel good about their appearance, it reinforces a positive experience for repeat custom, thus increasing revenue. The simplest way to eliminate shadows on the face is to position warm temperature lighting, like a Raw Steel Twin Wall Light, either side of the mirror so that it directly lights the complexion. Spot lighting or track lighting fixtures above will create shadows.

Overhead task lighting

Overhead light fixtures, such as placed in the right spots should provide the lighting required to perform tasks as well as general light for the barbershop. Use our Enamel Shades to guide the light to allow you to perform all of the required tasks for hair styling and shaving. The exact overhead lighting will vary from shop to shop and is dependent upon the ceiling height and how dark or light the space is. 

Achieve long term savings with energy efficient bulbs

Although higher in cost to initially purchase, items like our LED Vintage Filament Bulbs are well worth the initial investment and are ideal for barber shops. Use with a dimmer switch and enjoy a colour range from cool to warm. These bulbs use less energy, have long life, save on maintenance and replacement costs, and so provide long term savings.

Remember, the best lighting for any barber shop combines a variety of lighting to suit its particular purpose. Use warm bulbs on the walls that make clients look good, and then bring in good overhead lighting to illuminate the workspace. 

Jimmy Cutthroat, founder of The Gentlemans Retreat can't stress the importance of having the right lighting, both for getting the right quality of cut, and for creating stunning visuals you can easily use for your own social media pages:

"Lighting is the difference between a good and bad fade. It can create lines, wedges and in perfections. If you invest some money on the right lighting it can bring the rest of your shop to life, create the right mood and also boost your chances of taking quality photos which can be used on your social media channels" Jimmy commented.