The perfect lighting for your home

As eventing fans, we all know how great it feels to get out and about in the daylight, but how do you recreate that feel-good lighting once you’re back at home?

The way that buildings influence brain and body is the focus of neuroarchitecture, a fusion of architecture and neuroscience, and though it’s a relatively new buzzword, the idea has been around for a long time. Thousands of years ago, the Hindu practice of Vastu Shastra set out rules for the science of designing buildings in harmony with five elements of nature – earth, fire, sky, water and wind.

While neuroarchitecture has potential for making buildings better on a grand scale – the Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture in California has highlighted its possibilities in designing schools that optimise learning or lighting that reduces the sleep disturbance that affects older people, for example – it’s not hard to apply the principles in our own homes.

A cornerstone of neuroarchitecture is lighting. It’s been well documented that light can have a profound influence on mood: one recent study by the US-based Lighting Research Center found that a healthy dose of morning light, from either daylight or electric light, eased stress and depression levels, and helped them to sleep better too.

But you don’t need to be a student of neuroarchitecture to create a home environment that you enjoy and look forward to returning to – that’s down to our personal taste and preferences, and the things that make us happy, rather than ticking the scientific boxes. Positive lighting vibes coming from well-designed lamps and light fittings, which not only illuminate your home effectively, but are objects of beauty in their own right and are sure to lift the spirits.

One of the joys of Christmas decorations is the festive lights and baubles. No matter what age you may be, it’s hard not to feel a childlike enthusiasm for twinkling lights and shimmery, shiny globes that look cheerful by day and acquire a new beauty after dark. But you can channel the feel-good factor of Christmas all year round through lighting.

You could opt for something that really channels the bauble theme, like a fitting featuring a mass of clear or coloured glass droppers for maximum impact or a more minimalist design with a cluster of glass or metal shades that can be individually adjusted to hang at different levels. This style looks great hung over a dining table while larger versions are striking above a stairwell.

A single statement piece with a large coloured glass globe shade could be exactly what you are looking for. Choose one that complements your decorating scheme or pick a contrasting hue for a real colour pop that draws the eye. This option would also work well in the form of a striking standard lamp or even a table lamp with a base that echoes the bauble shape.

Mirrors always create interest and movement to a room, so a mirrored glass shade – a subtle take on the disco ball – will more than pull its weight.

Finally, you could really go for broke with a showstopper starburst light – contemporary enough for an ultra-modern interior, with a timeless appeal that would be equally at home in a more traditional setting.


Extract from full article originally published in AGA Living magazine.