Lighting and Your Emotions (Part One)

Do you feel unhappy in your home and you don't know why? Maybe you need to let the light shine! Add new light to your rooms for an instant uplift.

Lighting affects you more than any other design detail in your home. Your choice of lighting fixtures, light bulbs, and color of light makes a difference in your emotional and physical comfort. Lighting is both an art and a science.

Correct use of lighting benefits you in many ways. Besides allowing you to see, lighting sets the emotional atmosphere. You spend most of your day in activity. You need good lighting for these activities, to see clearly, to prevent fatigue, and to support your happiness.

Lighting helps change a room for different uses more easily than any other design detail. We can light a room for the occasion or the activity of the moment. The change and variation provided by lighting enhances the rhythms of our daily lives.

From flickering candles and twinkling party lights to advanced micro-lighting systems, lighting gives us either a comfortable or a miserable emotional atmosphere. Understanding the effects of different lighting helps you select the exact fixture and light source to create the desired emotional setting.

EIGHT PHYSIOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL RESPONSES TO LIGHT

1. Poor lighting causes eye fatigue and headaches.

2. Absence of natural daylight triggers depression and poor immune defenses.

3. Bright light stimulates us, while low levels of illumination quiet our senses.

4. Dim lighting or harsh contrasts produce eyestrain.

5. Too much artificial light and overly-bright rooms hurt our eyes and make us feel jittery.

6. Insufficient lighting is linked to emotional stress and to physical ailments.

7. An excess of unnatural light does not replace the calming effects of natural daylight.

8. Uncovered light bulbs cause irritation and disturb tranquility.

Notice how too much artificial lighting or too little supplementary light bring about the same harmful side-effects. Choose your lighting design carefully to assure emotional and physical comfort. Look for types of light fixtures with covered light bulbs. Use daylight-like light bulbs in combination with colored light to set the mood.

Consider another fact: people feel more comfortable with lighting from many sources. Combinations of lighting add variety and vivacity to our lives. Contrasting mixtures of brightness and darkness cause dramatic and lively changes in our home ambiance. Uniform lighting is good for working, but it is boring. Blending light sources halts insipid monotony in our rooms and in our lives. Selecting from a gentle radiance, a warm glow, to a bright, intense light involves understanding the effects of lighting on our emotions.

For these reasons, take care when selecting your lighting. Choose varying lighting effects to bring about your changing harmonious space.

(c) Copyright 2004, Jeanette J. Fisher. All rights reserved.

Professor Jeanette Fisher, author of Doghouse to Dollhouse for Dollars, Joy to the Home, and other books teaches Real Estate Investing and Design Psychology. For more articles, tips, reports, newsletters, and sales flyer template, see http://www.doghousetodollhouse fordollars.com/pages/5/index.htm

---

The Ultimate Comfort - Top 5 Reasons For Getting an Awning

Awnings are an economical and efficient way to shade a... Read More

10 Things You Can Do Now To Prepare For Hurricane Season

The 2005 hurricane season is right around the corner and... Read More

How to Deal With Contractors (So You Wont Go Mad!)

BE PREPARED -- Building a house is lots of fun,... Read More

Log Home Mistakes Ebook Review

Ok, you are ready to build a log home. If... Read More

Wood Panels and Humidity

Coping with wood movementAll wood workers need to be aware... Read More

How To Choose The Perfect Granite Work Surface

My Grandmother used to say to me "Nothing cheap is... Read More

New-age Paint Thickening & Rheological Additives : Solvitex & Solvizen

For Paint Manufacturers worldwide, there has come a radical new... Read More

Rodent Proofing Your Home

It's that time of year where rats and mice are... Read More

Which Type of Radiant Floor Heating is Best For Me?

If you are looking to warm your floors with a... Read More

The Cost of Remodeling a Bathroom

Before beginning any bathroom remodeling, you should create a budget.... Read More

Wall Oven - A Necessity For The Disabled

Wall ovens, available in electric and gas forms, are best... Read More

Remodeling Your Kitchen Cabinets

While remodeling your kitchen, install only the essential cabinets, so... Read More

Easy Ways to Increase Your Houses Value

Before getting your house valuated think about the list below... Read More

Kitchen Design ? No Need to Do It Alone

You can't opt out of the process altogether, though, because... Read More

Ceiling Fan Blades

A ceiling fan consists of three basic parts, namely the... Read More

Traditional Interior Design

Traditional interior design encompasses a great variety of elements in... Read More

Laminate Flooring is Built for the Twenty First Century

The tradition of hardwood floors dates back hundreds of years,... Read More

Flooring: Installing Ceramic Tile

Ceramic Tile brings a texture, richness and color to a... Read More

Hand Hooked Rugs

Hand hooked rugs are a great way to add splendor... Read More

Small Kitchen Remodeling Ideas

Any remodeling idea for a small kitchen must address the... Read More

Planning Permission Tips UK - Understanding Your Local Planning Officer - They are Only Human

This time of year often sees an explosion in new... Read More

Ridding Your Home of Geopathic Stress

Just as there are solar magnetic stresses that come from... Read More

Colour Your World With Art

When you buy art, you may think you not consciously... Read More

How to Layout Recessed Lighting

One of the most important principles to understand when designing... Read More

Mommy, Mommy, Theres a Caterpillar on my Bed

Chenille has been used for bedspreads since Catherine Evans revived... Read More

Outdoor Decks - Understanding Seven Elements of Good Deck Design

You're all comfortable in your favorite lounge chair, reading your... Read More

Installing Vinyl Replacement Windows on the Second Floor

If you have a two story house, and you are... Read More

Choosing The Right Window

When you have reached the decision to purchase new windows... Read More

Small Cabin Plans - Finding a Great Log Cabin Plan Online

Small cabin plans - how do you find that special... Read More

Interior Design For Children

Interior design for children is one of the most fun,... Read More

Planning Permission Tips UK - Free Design Advice In The UK - How And Where To Get It

Isn't it funny how people shelve projects for the new... Read More

What to Look For in a Drill Press

A drill press, also known as a pillar drill, is... Read More

Design Psychology: Beds and Emotional Well-Being

The bed represents the beginning and ending of life. In... Read More