Source: Life’s A Sketch

My New Studio

Whoopie!!!! I’ve just completed moving all my art supplies from our dining room, living room, and spare bed room into my newly renovated basement. The first photo is the finished painted concrete floor. I chose to go this route because having had wall to wall in the past it seemed to be the best choice per reference articles on basement studios. Note the reflective quality which aids in keeping the space bright. I’ve opted instead to lay down smaller area rugs for warmth.

The task lighting is using full spectrum light bulbs and the walls are very light grey so as to not cast any colors onto my work.

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Comments: We love reading about people’s lighting design plans. In this case, as an artist, the writer had quite specialised lighting needs. We’re pleased to see that full-spectrum lighting was able to give them what they needed.

Related articles

• Choose the Perfect Lighting (potterybarn.com)
• Developing a Lighting Plan (smallspacestyle.wordpress.com)
• Bedside Illumination: A Case for Task Lamps (apartmenttherapy.com)

Source: Trans World Network

What Makes Us Happy

This premise, that humanity has evolved for million of years to live in, thrive in, and enjoy a specific environment (notably the warm, sunny climate of sub-Saharan Africa), logically assumes that when people begin to replicate their instinctive behavior in things like diet (Mostly meat, nuts, and some vegetables) and lifestyle (Active and sun drenched), their happiness should rise as their genetic makeup begins to resonate with their lifestyle.

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Comments: Many of the articles discussing light and how you feel, come at the topic from the point of view of treating sadness or seasonal affective disorder. This article however is about how light is one of the elements that take us from regular living to happiness. Worth a read to get their insight into the conditions required for happiness.

Related articles

• 9 Things That Happy People Do Regularly (dangerouslee.biz)
• The Rules of Happiness (jenhall86.wordpress.com)

Source: Seaholm Highlander

How to: Have a Happier Winter

With the holidays over and Spring break months away, the winter may seem like a long unnecessary cycle of overcast skies and frigid temperatures.

A combination of shorter days, less sunlight, and cold temperatures may cause heightened feelings of depression and sadness during the winter months. However there are several things you can do to improve your mood and make the winter more bearable.

Get Some (fake) Sun: While there may seem to be a shortage of sunny days during Michigan winters, take advantage of them and get outdoors. Sunlight releases neurotransmitters in the brain that improve mood. Enjoy the benefits of sunlight even on overcast days by using full spectrum light bulbs, which have been shown to ‘mimic natural sunlight.’

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Comments: For those living in the Northern hemisphere we are starting to see the peak of published material on how to deal with Seasonal Affective Disorder. This article (from a secondary school paper) has a good down-to-earth list of solutions for those suffering from SAD this year.

Related articles

• What darkness does to our health (bbc.co.uk)
• Singing the Winter Blues (drklemmnd.com)
• I’ve Got Sunshine on a Cloudy Day (brandievo.wordpress.com)

Source: Central States Education Group

How important are light fixtures in schools

Anecdotal evidence still suggests that “warmer” light (associated with incandescent and fire-light) is easier on the eyes, and full-spectrum products can make black print easier to see on white paper.

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Comments: This article refers to a recent decision by a local school to invest in lighting that while more expensive in the short-term, has long-term energy savings and cost savings. The lights chosen are also rated by teachers as being “warmer” and better for reading. We applaud any organisation that is prepared to look after their people in this manner and trust that more schools start thinking in this manner.

Source: those3chicks

Stop Flirting & Commit : Rules of Engagement With Colour

Just as with any budding attraction, should you bring it home with you, you might be surprised how it looks like in a different light. Colours which look great on the colour chart under fluorescent lighting in the paint store will look much different at home in a sunny room or lit by incandescent lighting. Tungsten bulbs give a slightly yellow light; halogen gives white light, while some fluorescent bulbs can give flat, cold light. All these lights can all affect how the colour looks. Your best bet is full spectrum lighting, which mimics daylight, to show a colour at its’ best.

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Comments: In this long(ish) post, the authors advise on ways in to include colour in your home design choices. In terms of making your colour decisions, the best piece of advice they give, is to make sure you’re looking at it under the right light.

Source: Business Exchange

Aiming for an employee-friendly office environment

To begin with try to go for an office with decent windows and light-coloured paint – as being stuck for hours in dark, drab surroundings will lower anyone’s morale. There is also the option of full-spectrum light bulbs, which effectively simulate the feel of natural light – ideal for brightening offices during the dreary winter months.

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Comments: When looking after our health, the time we spend in office work each day is often forgotten time. We applaud the writers of this article for thinking of the role that light plays in looking after workers health and well-being.