Intuitive Lighting

Most of the spaces I have known while growing up were over or under lit. In design school, they taught us this thumb rule of incorporating ambient, task and accent lights to each space. That always felt incomplete for some reason. Because there is this hint of fake-ness to it, that doesn't really sit well with me.

When I say light intuitively, I'm not referring to the latest technology in lighting control or automation. But the use of human intuition in planning the lighting around a home. Focusing mainly on how it makes us feel. Picking a lighting option for a space or a spot, because it feels right. If only it were easy to know what felt right. We tend to choose what is trending now on magazines or social media instead of simply listening to your gut. There is no one who knows what exactly you need but you.

Consider, for instance, you walk into your home after a long day at work. You want to curl up in an arm chair or lay splayed on your bed. You want to read for a bit or watch your favorite show. And relax doing whatever it is that you pick to do. You need an ambience that allows you to unwind and let the stresses of the day fade away. Lighting is one of the key elements that sets the tone for any space. Do you want a pool of light falling onto a surface? Or do you prefer lighting emanating from a point, like a blooming flower. Will it be better if it is diffused by an intermediate layer? Or fall unhindered.

As Ingo Maurer, the 'Poet of Light' said, "light is not a thing, but the spirit which catches you inside.” I guess it is this spirit that we need to work with. Lightly. Gently. So that it is just enough. So that there is some magic to how it interacts with the objects around and how we perceive it. It is the play of light and shadow that creates this magic. The important thing is to play around with it, until you have created your magic solution.

Here’s an example of a fun experiment to put together a table lamp with a simple bulb holder, some twigs and leaves picked up from the neighborhood and a bulb, of course! It almost has a sculptural quality, with all the textures and colors adding a bit of flair to an otherwise ordinary object. The light just brings out the beauty in all of these.

One thing to keep in mind is that if there are no visible shadows in a space, it is over lit. Too much light flattens everything out. So the kind of light and the respective fixtures should be selected accordingly.

Another concern that I have about modern lighting is regarding automation. I find it a bit dehumanizing, handing over the control to an Alexa or Google. We are beings that thrive on tactility and touch. The joy of flipping a switch, with that little noise and the lighting turning on or off as if by magic, are certainly things I would hold on to. This is not a comment on the use of modern technology at all. But yes, personally, I'm a little put off by the overuse of concealed lighting or spot lights and automation taking over the reigns.