In search of light
Light boxes designed by PITH for Opuntia Cafe to simulate windows, photograph of branches by Janet Russek
Ideas for dim rooms
Science has proven the effects of natural light on our overall sense of well being. Experiencing light changing throughout the day helps with your body’s circadian rhythm, your internal process that helps you sleep at night and wake in the morning. Shadows of moving branches projected on the walls can heighten long term focus. Our ancestors were outdoors most of their lives and we are not designed well to exist in these still, artificially lit boxes. So what do you do if you’re working in an office with one tiny window or living in a building with other structures blocking the sunshine?
I want to share a few ideas with you
If you are lucky enough to have one window the best way to have another window is placing a mirror directly across from it. This could be anything from a framed mirror that hangs on the wall to a floor mirror that leans. It’s a great way to double the natural light in a room and it works great for your plants that are asking for more light.
Painting the walls lighter colors can bounce natural light and make the room seem brighter, darker colors absorb light. This certainly does not mean that all rooms should be sterile-white but rather choose colors that mimic the sky. The blush tones of the morning light or the warm grey of clouds rolling in before the rain.
Think about the artificial lighting that you have in a room, is it full spectrum or warm? Cool? Our bodies are very sensitive to the light and we release chemicals that tell our brain to wake up in the bluish-light or slow down in warmer, amber-light. This is a part of the natural circadian rhythms we have developed inherently but they get thrown off by the blue tones of screen time and modern day task lighting. Bulbs have recently been developed to simulate the changes in natural light throughout the day, these help with the tapering of melatonin in the morning and the build up of this sleep hormone at night; research TUO bulbs for more information. Or more simply, use full-spectrum lighting during the daytime and move to floor and table lamps with warmer lightbulbs at night.
Emphasize shadows with the use of low spotlights. It just takes one lowlight plant and one spotlight on the floor to create a gorgeous stretched shadow on the wall behind it. When outdoors we have dramatic shadows and reflections all around us, it can make the indoors seem really flat. Speaking of plants, you may want to research grow lights to help your green friend be healthier. Our favorite, Mother.life lights are simple and can be used vertically as a floor lamp, they make a very big difference for the growth of plants in a darker room.
If you find yourself in a space with absolutely no windows, (so sorry) a large landscape painting or photograph can go a very long way! Even adding your favorite landscape to your screen saver on the ever-present computer, just as a place to briefly escape to in your mind. The natural colors, the reflection of water, the reminder of sky is so good for the soul.