Set the mood with lighting
Interior designers use lighting to achieve specific effects, to enhance a space, or set a specific mood. Most homeowners think that light is just light, but there's more to lighting than that.
When you are shopping for new lighting, there are a number of factors that influence your purchase. We are visual people who more often than not, make decisions based on what we see and how that interpretation appeals to us and research has shown that our sense of sight trumps our other four senses - what we see and how we see it influences our decision to buy.
Chantal Finn of Philips Lighting SA, says homeowners need different lighting to achieve specific or desired effects on their mood, health or to enhance a feature or space. Interior designers more than anybody understand how light influences an environment, but generally, we all should be cognisant of how light influences us.
Lighting influences mood
Lighting levels (bright or dim) and colour affect our mood, and inevitably mood affects behaviour. Lower light levels, along with warm colours, create a more relaxing and intimate setting perfect for specific rooms in a home where you spend a lot of time relaxing. Bright or cool light on the other hand, creates a more invigorating and energising mood.
Whether you’re setting up in the living room or looking for task lighting in the kitchen, whatever your preference, your mood will be enhanced by the light setting you choose.
Lighting changes the way you look
Some light colours are more forgiving than others, but if used correctly, lighting can help you look your best. Cool light is the most versatile when it comes to bathrooms where you apply your make-up, as it can be reflected by any colour. What this means is that you’ll look exactly as you are under this light. Light bulbs that give off a yellow light are flattering for the skin because it has a lot of white light in it, and it looks warm due to a lack of blue light.
When choosing the perfect lighting for your home, consider using warm or white light in rooms where you get dressed and apply make-up to make sure you look great from every angle.
Artificial light affects colour
Have you ever bought paint in a particular colour but after applying to walls the colour changed? This is because paint swatches look different under different kinds of light. This apparent change in colour can also affect upholstery fabrics, and even the clothes you buy.
The best way to ensure that the colour of the paint or fabric is exactly what you want is to look at it under different light conditions, including natural and artificial lighting conditions.
Another trick is to play with the lighting in your house and ensure that it is consistent. Convert your lighting to energy saving LED warm or cool white bulbs. Chantal says lighting is more than just about the ability to see more clearly. Next time you change your light bulb, think about how you would like to feel or what kind of atmosphere you’d like to create in a particular room.
Adapted from an article by property24