Mood Lighting
I am sure that we are all aware, to an extent, of how light affects our mood. We all know how it feels to open the blinds in the morning and see either a sparkling blue sky outside or, more often than not, a flat grey opaque one, and we all know which one makes us feel more uplifted. We have likely all walked into a bar or a pub at some point and either been seduced by the subtle sophisticated lighting or repelled by an old-fashioned, glary, overhead fitting with an energy saving bulb in it, which casts a greyish pall over the space. In simple terms, light can seduce or repel us, lift our spirits or flatten them.
In addition to this, much is being said these days about the effect of light, both natural and artificial, on our circadian rhythm, the natural, built-in clock which governs our waking and sleeping.
If we think back to how life must have been for our ancestors living in caves, it makes sense. Sunrise would have gently woken us up from the dark of night and prompted us to think about getting up and getting on with the business of the day. The sun would then have provided bright, invigorating light from above (sometimes diffused by cloud) during the main part of the day which would have helped to kick us into action. There was much to do – hunting, gathering food, water, firewood, tending to the cave etc during the daylight hours. Sunset would have heralded the end of this period of activity. It would have been a signal to start winding things up and get back to the cave, as it would have been very dangerous to be out and about after dark. The evenings would have been lit by the setting sun and, after it was discovered, firelight. This warm, low-level lighting would have been ideal for helping us relax and get ready to sleep.
The invention of electric light changed all this, lengthening our days and allowing us to continue being active well into the hours of darkness. This has obvious benefits but it has also messed with our natural sleep/wake cycle or circadian rhythm. We are starting to pay attention to ways in which we can combat this, from avoiding blue light from screens at bedtime, to spending 20 minutes outside shortly after waking up.
As described in my brief depiction of our ancestors’ daily life, light comes in different forms, with different qualities.
The quality of light we are exposed to, particularly in terms of its brightness and its colour temperature, affects how we feel.
The colour temperature of light is measured in degrees of Kelvin, the warmer colours being lower down the scale than the cooler ones. Candlelight would measure just above 1000k, whilst direct midday sun would measure more than 5000k. Tungsten light bulbs come in at around 2700k with traditional warm white LED sources measuring 3000k and cool white ones 4000k.
Cooler, bluer types of light have been shown to be invigorating and to aid focus and concentration, whilst warmer lighting tones which are redder have been shown to be more welcoming, to make us feel comfortable and relaxed. They are also more flattering and conducive to romance!
Men tend to be more drawn towards cooler light tones and women towards warmer ones.
The effect of this variation in colour temperature on our mood can be harnessed within commercial environments. Work spaces can benefit from crisp, cooler light tones which help focus the mind and keep people feeling alert. It has also been proven that a work place with adequate lighting of the right sort (even, low-glare, good colour rendering) improves productivity and lower levels of depression.
A space, such a shop, aimed at a mainly male clientele, would benefit from cooler lighting tones, whilst an environment designed to attract mainly women would be better lit with warmer yellow, gold or pinky tones.
Warmer lighting is perfect for hospitality spaces, such as hotels and restaurants, where guests want to feel welcome and relaxed. Soft, flattering lighting in a restaurant will encourage diners to stay and possibly to order another glass of wine. It has been shown that people tend to eat and drink more when the light levels are lower – perhaps they think that no one can see them!
In our homes, then, how can we use our awareness of the effects of light on mood to our benefit?
Think about the space you are lighting and when and how it is used. It is clear that variation in the quality of light is important, especially in multi-functional spaces.
When we wake up in the morning, daylight is our best call to action and so we should aim to get as much as we can as soon as we can (in winter this can be tricky) to reset our body clocks correctly. We can’t all go out for a walk or sit in the garden with our morning coffee when we start our day (chance would be a fine thing for many of us), but we can make sure that we have good, crisp lighting in the areas we will use in the morning. The bathroom and the kitchen are obvious places to start thinking about your morning lighting as we tend to use these spaces most.
Conversely, when we come home in the evening and want to relax, we need soft, warm, low-level lighting to provide that restful atmosphere. This kind of lighting will apply to living rooms but also to the kitchen and bedroom as these spaces are used at both ends of the day. This is when flexibility becomes super important. Being able to dim all light sources gives us options immediately. Using different layers of light, such as lamp light, wall lights and joinery lighting, in addition to ceiling lights also provides the possibility of changing the mood and relying more on the warmer, softer intermediate levels of light during the evening.
Entertaining is another moment when the lighting is all important. As at a restaurant, if you want your guests to be seduced and to want to stay (maybe not all night….. which is why bars turn the lights up at home time!) then again you want to use a mixture of warm, soft ambient light to create the background mood and add a touch of glamour and interest with some clever accent lighting.
There is so much that lighting can do to change our perception of our environment and enhance our mood. It is incredible really that it is so often overlooked when it is such a vital tool and one which is more accessible than you might think.
