Please enjoy part 2 of a this blog series from our in-house creative consultant, Raluca, on how to create a home this winter that serves your mind & soul.
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Lighting in a room is incredibly important, and in my consultations, I notice that most clients don’t give it much attention. With less natural light in the winter months, it’s important to make sure our homes are well catered to in this area.
First you need to make sure you have enough functional lighting. Lights that not only allow you to do practical tasks like cooking, for instance (so you can chop the vegetables, not your fingers!), or see inside your dressing room, but also to prolong the mental note that the day is not over yet. You don’t want to be turning the side lamp on at 5.30pm while you still have quite a lot of work to do at your desk, as that gives a wind down signal to your brain. What you need is your ceiling light to have a natural daylight / warm white light that you can turn on until you’re ready to shut down your laptop, and strip lights or downlights for the functional areas of your home such as the kitchen that you can use separately. Daylight / warm white bulbs will help best showcase the colours you have chosen for your walls too, without adding a layer that will make them appear different.
Once you’re ready to cosy up with a book, or on the sofa in front of the TV, this is when the warm, yellow light is needed. Side lamps, floor lamps, candle lights, the light from a fireplace… This will send the subconscious message that it’s now time to relax, slow down, and get your body and mind ready for rest. Of course, we all know that it’s best to avoid the blue light of screens before bedtime.
The quickest and easiest thing to do here is to check your current bulbs (if too bright and white change them for a warm white) and make sure you have enough warm, low-level lights dotted around the house.
If painting whole rooms is not an option, think of other ways you can bring warmer colours in: a door, a piece of furniture you can hand-paint, or through your soft furnishings. There's always unique ways to improve your space that will make such a difference to the overall essence of the room.
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To work with Raluca on making your space beautiful, please check out our colour consultancy and interior styling services or fill out our contact form.
