{"id":105053,"date":"2017-04-04T18:04:57","date_gmt":"2017-04-04T22:04:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.1stdibs.com\/blogs\/the-study\/?p=105053"},"modified":"2020-07-14T14:57:18","modified_gmt":"2020-07-14T18:57:18","slug":"mood-lighting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.1stdibs.com\/blogs\/the-study\/mood-lighting\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Light Your Space for the Ultimate Mood-Boosting Effects"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Drew McGukin’s design for a high-rise apartment in Chelsea, New York<\/a>, offers plenty of sunlight by day and dramatic illumination from a Lindsey Adelman<\/a> chandelier by night. Photo by Brett Beyer<\/p><\/div>\n

<\/b>Choosing the right lamp, chandelier, sconce or bulb can be a daunting task. It\u2019s best to approach the lighting of a room with a mindset that is one-part practical and one-part aesthetics-driven, which should ensure that a space \u2014 and its occupants \u2014 feels balanced. For insight on infusing one\u2019s interior with illumination and subsequent mood-boosting properties, lighting designers David Weeks<\/a> and Kristin Victoria Barron<\/a> share their bright advice.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cJewelry for the Home\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Asymmetrical lighting fixtures by David Weeks enabled architect Dana Tang of Gluckman Tang<\/a> to reconcile the vaulted ceiling in this Tribeca, New York, kitchen. Photo by Bruce Damonte<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cJewelry for the home\u201d is how the wildly creative, New York\u2013based designer David Weeks has described his pieces. \u201cI always fixate on the inherent sculptural nature of the lighting design,\u201d Weeks says. He uses a range of exquisite materials to create his signature multi-pronged chandeliers. \u201cThe utility always orients the design to a certain extent, but for me, it never inhibits the aesthetic presentation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Similarly, Kristin Victoria Barron of Kriest in Los Angeles<\/a> seeks to let her creative vision drive her design from the beginning. \u201cMy work comes from my dream imagery,\u201d Barron says. \u201cLighting seemed like a natural vehicle for my process because it marries the physical and ephemeral. I sculpt forms as a way to meditate.\u201d Choosing a light fixture is akin to picking a work of art. You will be coexisting with it for quite some time. Opt for a piece that makes you happy when it\u2019s on \u2014 and off.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Dim Thinking<\/b><\/h2>\n
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A stark hallway provides the perfect backdrop for a sculptural array of pendant lights in this Paris home designed by Isabelle Stanislas Architecture<\/a>. Photo by Olivier Lo\u0308ser<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cI vouch for dimmers, hands down, in everything,\u201d says Weeks. \u201cThroughout the day, you\u2019re going to need different amounts of light in the same space.\u201d He recommends having a single fixture that contains a lot of low-watt light bulbs. This is \u201cespecially important in larger, communal spaces. It lends to a softer effect. That\u2019s the intention of most of our mobiles and pendant lights. With extended arms and lots of light sources, the whole space is lit more comfortably.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Weeks also cites dimmers as crucial for finding that balance in daily transitions. \u201cThere\u2019s that half hour of darkness at dusk when you\u2019re waiting to turn the lights on. That\u2019s a magic moment. Dimmers and soft light make that transition really smooth. A fixture may be like a piece of jewelry, but the light itself is best when you don\u2019t notice it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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Cozy & Intimate Spaces<\/b><\/h2>\n
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As this preppy Hamptons bedroom by Kemble Interiors<\/a> demonstrates, lamps around the bed are a comfortable necessity. Photo by Ball & Albanese<\/p><\/div>\n

It is no wonder Barron finds that many of her lamps fit nicely by the bedside. It is, after all, \u201cthe room where [my ideas were] conceived,\u201d she says. \u201cI often struggled with the scale and feel of bedside table lamp options. When I was designing my Orchis collection, especially the Orchis Japser I<\/a>, I chose the proportion very deliberately.\u201d She also opts for warmer-temperature bulbs (2,700K to 3,000K) in the bedroom. \u201cYou want a softer, warmer temperature to help prepare the body for sleep. Cooler light is akin to early-morning light and signals the body to wake up. It can be disruptive to sleep patterns in the evening.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Bulbs 101<\/b><\/h2>\n
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In a Paris foyer by Dimore Studio<\/a>, a luminous mobile greets all who enter the home. Photo by Mai-Linh<\/p><\/div>\n

Weeks, who\u2019s known for his ceiling fixtures with a multitude of bulbs, notes that it is crucial to use the same bulb in these type of designs. \u201cIf different light bulbs are being used on the same fixture, there\u2019s a discordance that really throws the ambiance off. Hard bright bulbs are generally too abrasive. A single fixture with a bunch of [the same] bulbs can combat that.\u201d In recent years, LED bulbs have made huge headway in the design industry and are being adopted in interiors for their eco-friendly benefits. Weeks himself recently released his first LED collection, OTTO.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI like the concept of LED from a sustainability standpoint since the bulbs last a lot longer,\u201d Weeks says. Still, he cautions \u201cwe do have to consider that the bulbs cast a different hue of light. We\u2019re doing a lot of experimenting, because the industry continues to outdo itself year after year. We\u2019re playing off that progress.\u201d Barron has a similar assessment of the evolving LED industry. \u201cThey are so much more efficient, which is excellent for Mother Earth. There are still holes in the market for certain LED equivalents to incandescent options, but the gap is closing rapidly.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

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Consider <\/b>Everything <\/i><\/b><\/h2>\n
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Natural light and designer fixtures complement one another in this eclectic New York office and study by Brian J. McCarthy<\/a>.<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cWhen you\u2019re shopping for a fixture, consider how it will interact with your windows and your natural light,\u201d says Weeks. \u201cUse the room and its function to inform your lighting design.\u201d The easiest way to start? Listen to your space. Barron notes that \u201call spaces pose an inherent energy and feeling. There is often a transformation that we wish to create as designers. To create the bridge from what exists to what we desire something to be requires listening and sensitivities to all the elements in a space.\u201d While all furnishings serve as part of creating a room\u2019s tableau, lighting is in a unique position. It is \u201csimultaneously physical and ephemeral,\u201d says Barron. \u201cIn the creation of an environment it is essential to have one foot in each world.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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Find Fabulous Mood Lighting<\/h2>\n

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