A Piece about Lighting

When selecting any fabrics, carpeting, wall coverings or paint, you must take them home and view them in the room you will be using that particular product.  View them in daylight and at night with the lighting that you will be using in that room.  Colors change in different light.  Remember, light is the source of color: no light, no color.

There are many different types of lighting today, cool white, warm white, pink light, daylight, halogen lighting, amber filament bulbs ( when dimmed they look like candlelight and create a romantic or warm feeling, even battery operated candles for a very romantic mood, fluorescent lighting and others today.  Each of them gives color a different appearance.  Let me use daylight as an example of color change.  Take any given day, preferably a sunny day, and watch the light in a certain room. Take notes on the amount of light in the early morning, late morning, noon, early afternoon and late afternoon just before dusk.  Then do the same when you turn the light on.  Note where it is strongest and darkest.  Check the ceiling all day to see what type of light is hitting there.  Note that your colors will change in value, depending on the time of day.  EXAMPLE:
In the morning the sun rises in the east, if you have a room with a window or windows facing east, the room will be very bright and warm.  If it faces west, it will be a lot dimmer and cooler.  Midday there may be little sun in any room unless you have skylights.  IMPORTANT: The sun fades everything, carpet, fabrics, furniture and especially wood, if it is in direct contact with it.  Even if you close draperies and blinds, you will see it faded close to the window or wall.

Experiment with different kinds of light.  The stores have again lighting experts that can guide you to the type of lighting best for your use.  If you purchase ones that just don't do want you want take them back and get what works.  Try pink lighting for a very soft look to your room.  Remember, use plenty of light as light is cheerful, and the new energy efficient ones, even though they are slow to reach peak brightness will save on electricity and are supposed to be long lasting.  People get depressed in dreary rooms, so keep on lighting.

Tomorrow, I will talk more on light and paintings.