Have you ever walked into a room with yellowish lighting and felt warm and cozy? Now, think of walking into a room with a bluish tone of lighting. Do you think the same? It is proof that there is a correlation between lighting & mood. There is a lot of research that had been conducted regarding this area. Check it out!
A Senior Lecturer in Translational Sleep and Circadian Physiology, Dr. Victoria Revell[1], stated that lights are important for humans’ health and wellbeing. Furthermore, she mentioned that adequate light could maintain our mood, productivity, sleep cycle, and other physiological aspects.
It does not only apply to natural lights but also artificial lights. As much as natural lights can shower you with additional health benefits, artificial light is essential. That is why room lighting and mood are two inseparable things.
Let’s take a look at an example of how lighting affects mood and the way lighting and mood are correlated in specific spaces:
Besides access to natural light, the artificial lighting at home has to be sufficient without being excessively bright. In the bedroom, it is better to have a moderate-bright warm light with an additional night lamp to help you sleep better and maintain circadian rhythm.
Then, it is also shown that lighting can affect your appetite. It shows that your eating speed and perception of the food taste can vary depending on how bright the light is.
Studies show that office workers can work more efficiently and be more productive when given the right amount of lighting brightness.
Dim lighting tends to make the workers more laid back and unproductive. On the other hand, excessive brightness can make it difficult to focus and tend to trigger migraines.
Regarding choosing the right lighting setting to set the mood, professionals must understand lighting psychology, which digs deeper into how the human body responds to lighting stimuli, especially artificial lighting. Accordingly, John Flynn mentioned four lighting attributes: brightness, uniformity, positioning, and hue.
That is why lighting specialists commonly consider those four aspects in setting up a lighting installation in clients’ rooms. Based on how each aspect is adjusted, the mood in the room can drastically change.
Here are what you have to know about the aspects of lighting to set the mood:
The level of brightness can affect your perception of a space. Bright light makes an environment more pleasant-looking than dimmer light since you can stay alert to what is around.
Therefore, bright lighting to improve mood is suitable for places like grocery stores, retail spaces, dining rooms, etc.
On the contrary, dim light might be suitable for spaces that require less alert level, such as bedrooms. Usually, the lighting in a bedroom is dimmer than in other rooms to create a relaxed mood.
Uniformity in lighting is just as important. If the lighting at certain places is uniform, it will result in better overall experiences for the visitors or occupants.
For instance, if the office lighting is uniform, the chance of fatigue experienced by the workers is less likely to happen. It will promote a more comfortable mood and eventually result in a higher level of productivity.
Similarly, lighting uniformity in commercial places such as retail spaces is also important to promote higher sales. This happens because the customers will be able to see the whole store’s products more clearly and their mood will increase positively.
You have to be aware that the position of your lighting can affect the overall room impression and mood.
Two ways to put lighting are central and perimeter. Central lighting can reduce the energy but promote a more strained mood in the room.
Meanwhile, even though perimeter lighting tends to consume more energy, it can make the room seem more spacious and evoke a positive mood and atmosphere.
A light’s hue also affects the overall room’s mood and atmosphere. Each can emit a different mood, from cool-tone to the warm tones of light. In lighting, there is a specific term to address this area, which is DUV. What is DUV?
DUV is the quantifier of the distance between the chromaticity of a given light source and a blackbody radiator of equal Correlated Color Temperature (in Kelvin).
There are two types of DUV, namely negative DUV, which emits purplish tint, and positive DUV, which emits greenish tint.
Are you interested in setting the lighting & mood at your place? Let Elca help you. With Elca, you will find limitless options of outstanding quality lighting products. Everything you need from indoor lighting, magnetic track lighting, outdoor lighting, and underwater lighting is provided. Contact the team and make your choices now!
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