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Most of us don’t consider the impact of light on our mood. It’s not a coincidence that you feel light and happier on sunny days and relaxed when the lights are dim.
The varied forms of light can significantly influence our mental and emotional state. It has the potential to elevate our mood and regulate our circadian rhythms, helping us achieve better and more restful sleep.
On a psychological level, exposure to light can reduce feelings of depression and even enhance cognitive functions, such as reaction speed and alertness.
Look into how lights in your home influence your mood, wellness, physiological systems, home illumination, and more.
Psychological Effects of Light on Mood
Research suggests that exposure to bright light can intensify emotions, while dim lighting does not suppress emotions but helps regulate them. This may help individuals make more sensible and rational decisions and judgments in low-light environments and negotiate with greater ease.
The intensity of a colour, known as its saturation, also plays a role in emotional responses. Highly saturated colours can amplify emotions, while less saturated hues tend to have a calming or neutralising effect.
Studies indicate that exposure to natural light may boost one’s mood, while artificial lighting, depending on its colour composition, can evoke different feelings and have distinct psychological effects on the body.
Impact of Lights on Mood
Blue light lowers melatonin levels and keeps us alert; hence, exposure to blue light in the hours leading up to bedtime might make it difficult to fall asleep or maintain good quality of sleep.
Most brain cells are most sensitive to blue wavelengths and a least sensitivity to red wavelengths. When it comes to circadian rhythms, blue wavelengths may affect every individual, even those who are blind.
Smart lighting systems understand light language and adjust the colour temperature and intensity of light throughout the day, mimicking the natural progression of sunlight. For example, cooler, blue-enriched light in the morning can help stimulate alertness, while warmer, amber light in the evening can promote relaxation and better sleep quality. This type of lighting can be particularly beneficial in workplaces and homes where natural light is limited.
Red/amber light has the least effect on the body. Exposure to a red hue of light in the evenings is beneficial to mental health. It enhances melatonin release, leading to improved sleep quality.
5 Ideas to Let More Light Into Your Home
It is always better to prefer natural light over artificial lights in your home. Natural light fills the room with a deep, vivid colour that regular light bulbs can’t match. Natural light benefits your body’s natural serotonin levels, which makes you happier.
1. Apply Lighter, More Vibrant Interior Wall and Ceiling Paints
Painting the walls with bright hue is indeed a simple way to boost the amount of available light. Interior wall colour is the most effective technique to reflect natural light into your space.
Light shades of crème, blue, yellow, green, etc., are bright colours that reflect light in a room. These colours also invoke a feeling of calm and peace.
Also Read: Understand Warm and Cool Colours | To Transform your Home Interior!
2. High-Gloss Paint Transforms Walls Into Mirrors
Glossy paint reflects more light in a room, making the space look reflective.
Flat or matte paint, on the other hand, is non-reflective. It absorbs light and reduces reflection due to its porous, velvet-like texture.
3. Use Reflective Tiles or Glass
As an alternative to mirrors, glass tiles make a beautiful backsplash in the kitchen or bathroom. When illuminated properly, glass tiles may reflect almost all the light. High-gloss ceramic tiles are second only to glass in their reflective property.
4. Fix up Your Ceiling With Some Skylights
Skylights have made it easier to bring in natural light, and it is for the same reason that they are called “roof windows.” Skylights not only have the same amount of glazing area as a window of modest size, but they also face upward, which is the direction of the sun.
As the sun is less likely to be blocked by trees or other external factors, and as light from the skylight is reflected by the clouds, the amount of light entering a room via a skylight is more constant when compared to windows.
5. Use White Paint on the Ceiling
There’s a reason why ceilings are often painted white: it helps reflect light.
The ceiling is seldom the focus of attention when taking in the overall design of a space, so painting it white is not a bad choice from an aesthetic standpoint.
Ceilings don’t require the washability of glossier paint since they aren’t touched as often as walls and trim, so a flat white is suggested. Thus, although using glossier paint on the walls usually helps let in more natural light, this doesn’t hold good for the ceiling.
Uses of Lights in Home, Business, and Public Environments
The lightings in our homes have a significant impact on our mood. As we get a deeper knowledge of light language (how light influences us), we will be in a better position to design environments that foster a sense of calm, ease, and productivity.
The last touch to every room or place is its lighting, which can completely transform its appearance and atmosphere.
1. Lighting Systems Shape Our Space
Light language for sleep is created by lowering the lighting and placing furniture around the edges. Dimming the lights is a terrific method to make a room seem cosier and create a laid-back ambience.
Make the room more relaxed and informal by placing the lights below eye level. String lights are perfect for outside patios, while table lamps or muted lanterns would work well within.
2. Correct Lighting Draws Attention
When crossing a street, for instance, pedestrians often choose the brighter and well-lit route over the darker ones for visibility and safety.
The results demonstrate how a change in the relative brightness of an area may provide a new visual emphasis. To draw attention to a certain feature or decoration within a room. It may help navigate large, open spaces like museums, airports, and theatres.
There is a wide range of colours available from artificial light sources. This is of tremendous help in settings such as places of worship, entertainment venues, and school auditoriums, all of which use coloured lighting for events.
3. Cooler Colours Improve Work/Visual Clarity
Lighting quality significantly impacts productivity in workspaces. High-intensity blue-enriched light can enhance concentration, reduce eye strain, and improve cognitive performance, making it ideal for offices, study areas, and other task-driven environments. Integrating adjustable lighting systems that allow for changes in intensity and colour temperature can optimise workspace lighting for various tasks and times of day.
Blue light enhances concentration and focus. Furthermore, it encourages mental exercise by bolstering communication between brain regions that handle emotions, language, thinking, and paying attention. As a hack to increase productivity at home or in the dorm, installing blue-enriched LED lighting in workspaces and study rooms is a great idea.
The Light Bulb explains that adjusting the colour temperature of your bulbs may also dramatically alter a room’s ambience and performance.
Lighting Effects on Mood
1. Warm and Cool Effect Caused by Colour Temperature
The colour temperature may quantify light warmth and coolness. Serotonin, the hormone responsible for making us feel happy and relaxed, is released in response to bright colours, making us more alert and energised.
When exposed to dim light, our bodies produce the sleep hormone melatonin, which has a calming effect. Set the ambience by adjusting the colour temperature of the lights in your home from very warm to very cool.
2. Bright Light Boosts Mood
The intensity of our positive and negative emotions increases when exposed to strong illumination. Overexposure to strong illumination might heighten our senses. A rise in temperature affects heat, which may have an emotional impact.
3. Natural Light Improves Mood
The release of serotonin in response to exposure to natural light has been linked to improved feelings of vigour, clarity, and drive. Happiness increases morale, and less exhaustion results from exposure to natural lighting. Reducing depressive symptoms and increasing happiness are two of its many benefits.
Workplaces with plenty of natural light are more productive than those with solely artificial lighting. The same goes with home lighting design; natural light enhances performance and the atmosphere.
Also Read: How More Natural Lighting Can Enhance Your Living Environment
The Significance of Lighting in Design
By now we know the impact of lights on mood. Appropriate lighting design may provide extra visual depth. Having well-placed lights allows you to create the illusion of depth and height, design cosy nooks, and highlight your most striking features. The key to revitalising a space is finding the right equilibrium between light and shadow—every aspect of the design benefits from proper lighting.
1. Design Effects of Natural Light
For every designer, natural light is essential. Interior and lighting designers will supervise how much daylight penetrates each room they work on since it will influence the location of everything.
It’s just as crucial as using artificial light. Large windows in the living room let natural light fill the area, creating a cheerful and airy ambience. So, we consider how to deal with artificial light and provide several solutions at various times of the day.
Even with plenty of natural light, artificial lighting has a purpose. Use it to illuminate bookshelves, your workspace, or drawing attention to your prized artworks. In addition to the natural light, adding some LED linear strips will provide a cosy glow to the room’s woodwork and other prominent elements.
2. Design Effects of Artificial Lighting
Since our eyes are naturally attracted to the brightest object in a room, artificial lighting is sometimes used to bring attention to certain architectural details.
We’ll draw attention to the flowers on the kitchen island or dining table. We’ll also direct our attention to the room’s periphery to see the big picture. With the help of perimeter lighting, we may softly illuminate vertical objects like cabinets and benefit from the light reflected from them.
It is also important to have enough task lighting to cook, make drinks, or even check the contents of your cabinets. Diffuse lighting creates an all-encompassing feeling of cosiness. Brightening, dramatic pauses, layering, and depth may all be achieved by well-planned artificial lighting.
3. Design Effects of Decorative Lighting
A dramatic chandelier, an intriguing wall light, or a feature lamp can do much more than improve the aesthetics of a space. A tall and attractive chandelier above a table may catch our attention, but two downlights on each side will better illuminate the space.
Lighting designers should not neglect decorative lighting. Turning on the decorative lights in the late afternoon may create a warm and inviting atmosphere, perfect for watching TV or reading a book under a lovely lamp.
Also Read: How to Choose the Perfect Lighting for Home?
4. Optimal Distribution of Light and Shadow
In lighting design, light is just one component. Darkness plays a mystical part in the overall composition of a design when light and shadows are absent. There is a direct connection between the quality of the light, the quality of the shadows cast, and the overall aesthetic appeal of the surrounding space.
Different lighting fixtures may create different moods and ambiences by casting harsh or soft shadows.
Soft shadow effects may be achieved via indirect lighting rather than directional spotlights.
All it takes is a little bit of light, doesn’t matter whether it is natural or artificial, to cast some soft, welcoming shadows to transform a space completely. The movement of this pair has a significant impact on the building’s structure.
It is possible to create a well-designed and rich atmosphere with a well-thought-out lighting setup, the acceptance of darkness, and an understanding of shadow effects.
Shadow details, such as opaque shapes or transparent textures, play a crucial part in how we interpret the world around us. A viewer can see the room’s shape, where things are placed, and how big they are. Furthermore, the contrast between the dark and light parts is heightened by the presence of shadows.
Finally, light is a resource with many potential applications when put to good use. You may increase the amount of natural light coming into your house by using windows and including biophilic design features like sleek furniture that doesn’t block the flow of light and open floor plans. Studies have shown that spaces designed with ample natural light and elements like greenery can reduce stress, enhance mood, and improve cognitive function. Incorporating large windows, glass doors, and open spaces can maximise natural light, creating a more harmonious environment that supports mental and emotional health. A more pleasant atmosphere for at-home workplaces may be encouraged in this way.
When utilised inappropriately, light has the potential to cause disturbance as well. Light profoundly affects our bodies and minds, even at low levels. If you want to improve the well-being, health, and productivity of the people using your space, you must comprehend the impact of light on mood.
Light Language FAQs
1. How does light affect mood?
Positive neurotransmitters like serotonin are produced in greater quantities by the light-sensitive regions of the brain.
2. How does light improve mood?
How we feel, and how happy we are, is greatly influenced by the amount of natural light we’re exposed to. A simple office window can do wonders for a person’s mood and overall health by letting in natural light and keeping the body’s circadian cycles in line.
3. How does lighting affect the mood and atmosphere in a room?
Intensified feelings and a burst of energy may be stimulated by brighter lighting, while a sensation of tranquillity can be achieved with softer illumination. Using “warm” lighting, often a reddish or yellowish hue helps establish a soothing and relaxing mood.
4. How does lighting influence the mood?
Lower light levels generate an environment of relaxation, closeness, and restfulness, whereas brighter lights provide positive effects and stimulate individuals to alertness and action.
5. Why is lighting important in space?
Lighting may give a new depth to an interior design project when used properly. Superior lighting generates a sense of height and depth, highlights architectural details, and creates inviting spaces.
6. Does lighting change mood?
Inadequate lighting has been linked to depression and other health problems, whereas sufficient lighting has been shown to boost mood and vitality. Light directly affects our mental state, influencing things like hunger, focus, and levels of sadness.
Also Read:
Psychology of Colour: Know How Colours Play With Minds!
A Simple Guide to Impeccably Lighting Your Home!
Author Bio
Saili Sawantt – She is an Architect and Interior Designer by profession. Writing is what she treats as her passion. She has worked as an Architectural Writer, Editor, and Journalist for various design as well as digital portals, both national and international. Formerly she has also worked with Godrej Properties Limited (GPL) Design Studio, Mumbai, due to her keen interested in learning about Sustainability and Green buildings. Apart from this, she runs her blog ‘The Reader’s Express’ and is a practicing Architect & Interior Designer.