Interior decoration with lamps can help your health and create unique experiences.
Love of Lamps, Fixtures and Lighting
I was watching Diary of a CEO recently - an interview where they had a Whoop Executive who talked about the impact of light on our sleep and well-being. Now, I can't argue that this hasn't been in the discussion, good and bad, for a long time. We've been battling light since we introduced the cellphone screen decades ago. But after watching this interview, I started to think more about how our recent light choices have been controlling us and, more importantly, about how we have a simple design/decor solution that we’re often not pursuing.
Let me explain more.
We Need to Control Our Lighting (And Not Be Controlled)
Contemporary interior and architectural lighting plans can pretty much be summarized by introducing two extreme yet beautiful features: recessed lighting and lots of natural light. Plus, although not part of the lighting plan, we’ve picked up the added light from our screens and devices, which also plays into our contemporary light exposure.
I should start by saying that recessed lighting, natural light, and our devices can be fantastic and are parts of the modern world that we need to learn to work with.
But there is a pretty clear problem with how they generally function for us.
For the most part, we’re operating in black and white for all our contemporary lighting options (including recessed and natural light) on and off. Since on/off are our primary options, lighting today means fighting our body’s circadian rhythm, which needs triggers to get healthy sleep. Yes, there are some nuances of grey, but not nearly enough. In other words, our lack of lighting options disconnects us from our body’s needs. And because our society generally loves to work, and the day-to-night transitions are within one hour, we’ve often ignored this in our design planning.
So, while I feel like our contemporary lighting options are great ones, we also need more options specifically for transitioning from day to night and better management of night-to-day transitions. Because how we’ve been living so far has been beyond disruptive to our circadian rhythm, and it doesn’t need to be. Design can help us there.
Enter lamps, fixtures, and a love of lighting [for all interior design plans].
We Need Better Planning for Lamps, Fixtures, and Lighting in our Interior Design Plans.
We need to manage our light intake process beyond our screens for our health, and we can do this by revisiting old-world design solutions.
Lamps have become somewhat unpopular over the last decade, feeling old-fashioned. They are rarely published as part of finished contemporary design projects, and when they are, we generally only see them styled as bedside tables or bathroom mirror wall accents. But we should use lamps and light fixtures in every room in the house because they can significantly improve our health and create new experiences/connections.
The solution is simple: look into adding lamps (table and floor) to every room in your house – particularly in the space that you use following sunset. If you want to address the day-to-night release of melatonin for your sleep – I highly recommend switching a few of the lamp lights to 25 watts. These lamps will be the primary lights you’ll turn on once the sun goes down – staying away from the bright lights of overhead lighting. This light is soft enough to trigger the sunset but also for focused work if you need to continue onwards.
Purchasing any significant design décor items like lamps can use the support of a refined eye so they partner well with everything else in your place – so hiring a design professional to do a lighting refresh is a great option. That said, HomeGoods, PotteryBarn, and Ballard Designs all sell lamps. And don’t forget you can always shop for vintage or antique lighting options. The main considerations should be height, color, and texture (shade or stand).
Dimmer Switches Can Help Our Lamps and Lighting, Too
Dimmer switches can help immensely with managing our light intake and setting different atmospheres when we need the space to be utilized differently – even if they have a midcentury reputation not praised by all. Plus, if you absolutely hate lamps, this could be a good alternative for you to consider because you can soften your overhead lights without much trouble. That said, you're still playing zone coverage rather than man-to-man, so the idea is less efficient in the end.
Adding dimmer switches isn’t quite as simple as buying them because you’ll need an electrician to help with the installation to ensure it’s done right and safely.
Here are a few additional tips to help with managing your light intake:
· When you get up in the morning, immediately turn on every light in all the rooms you walk into and leave them on for at least 30 minutes. This tells your body that the sun is up and it’s time to get the day going.
· Roughly 20-30 minutes before sunset (or, more realistically, as you notice the sun setting), start to turn off your overhead lighting (including recessed lights) in favor of your soft, low-watt lamps. You can work well beyond sunset with the softer, more controlled light, though I can’t say I recommend that for your health! And the less light you can get away with, the better. In any event, the softer light from the lamps will still help release melatonin and ready your body for a good night’s sleep.
Lighting is such a critical part of any design renovation and planning. Adding lamps and systems like dimmers to help manage the lighting will help you deepen the connection to your body and get a better night’s sleep!
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For the love of design,
Florence
Interior Designer and Founder of CCC
Read more about Florence or reach out here.
