The past week we have had several customers contact us because they have moved from one office space to another or have completed a remodel and the existing lighting doesn’t work for their needs.
We begin the process with them to determine what is not working with the lighting, it may be casting shadows now because of different furniture placement, in one case the previous tenant didn’t want much light and had removed fluorescent tubes from the fixtures. In another situation the lens was missing from the fixtures so there was glare and the light wasn’t focused where they needed it. Sometimes the lighting can be a relatively easy fix – replacement of lamps and tubes, or ballast, sometimes new fixtures are needed. In any case, lighting is not a one size fits everyone’s needs, each business and person is unique as to their goals and how the lighting can help to accomplish that.
The color of your walls, flooring and furniture can change your lighting. Dark colors on the walls, on the floor or in your furniture actually absorbs light. Light colored walls can reflect and intensify the light. If you have changed any of these things and you feel like your lighting is not the same you are correct, it’s not.
In any remodeling of space, lighting needs to be considered. How much lighting do you need? What is the space being used for? Do you want the space to be warm and cozy or bright and crisp? Do you need true color appearance- rendering?
As you are planning to make changes in your home or office be sure to consider how this will affect your light!
Most of us know how energized and happy we feel on a beautiful, bright sunny day. Our indoor lighting can have the same effect on us. Lights come in a spectrum of “colors”, some are more yellow like a cloudy day to the other extreme some give off a bluer hue. In between there is a light that more closely resembles “daylight”. Some people call these “happy lights”.
Last night I was at an event with a woman who had been at a meeting earlier in the day with me and I had talked about how lighting can affect our outlook and mood. She had been to a Dr.’s office midday and told me that she felt so good and calm and then looked at the wonderful lighting in the office and realized that it was the difference maker in how she was feeling. I was pleased to hear as this was an office that we take care of the lighting in.
As we enter the fall season and our days are getting shorter we have customers requesting these “happy lights”, we have many customers who comment on how much better they feel because of their new lighting. Lights can make you happy!
