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Lighting
by Darren Lichter
http://www.firstlighting.com
One of the inventions which altered the quality of human
life the most was artificial lighting. Once we could
reliably light our homes at night, we were no longer ruled
by the rising and setting of the sun. Artificial lighting
allowed us to extend our day, and accomplish more work than
ever before, especially in the long, dark, winter hours. The
age before artificial lighting seems like it is long passed
in first world countries. Lighting is now taken for granted.
Most homes are lit with the standard one hundred watt
bulb. Little thought is given to everyday lighting, it is
almost as if we flip a switch and there is light. If we
consider lighting at all, we do so only when we have
something special in mind. There are basically two kinds of
lighting schemes. Dim lighting arrangements can be used to
set a romantic or cozy mood in a room while bright lighting
arrangements stimulate activity and alertness.
If a well lit room is your objective you should install
overhead lighting. No matter how many lamps you place in a
room there will always be shadows and dark spaces, unless
you use overhead lighting. If you prefer a softer approach
either table lamps or recessed lighting are good choices
for your decor. Table lamps have the advantage that you can
turn on only those you need, creating pools of light.
Recessed lighting on the other hand can be attached to a
dimmer. Using recessed lighting you can adjust the lighting
levers to exactly what you desire. You can alternate from
bright lights to a soft glow, as the situation changes.
Due to the fact that lighting effects people's moods and
reactions so profoudly it is useful to combine several
lighting strategies in main rooms. It is never known when
a living room will have to accommodate party guests,
colleagues or a romantic interest. Certainly, subjecting
different guests to the same overhead lighting would not be
the primary choice.
When considering the effects of lighting, you should also
consider how natural lighting will affect a space. During
the day time, a well designed room should be bright enough
that you never need to turn a light on. Natural lighting
makes a room feel more welcoming and more relaxing. It has
been proven that people who do not get enough natural light
become depressed more frequently and more easily than
people who see a lot of light during the day.
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