The Rural Voice, 2003-03, Page 43Home Decorating
Choosing lighting to give yourself an energy boost
Patti
Robertson
operates
Classic
Interiors in
Wingham.
By Patti Robertson
As we continue with our series on
"The Energy Anatomy of the Home"
this month we look at the energy
source of lighting.
Life on earth depends directly or
indirectly on the sun. Our bodies are
attuned to the daily cycles of light
and dark. We harness the sun's
energy, we imitate the sun with
artificial lighting sources and we
acknowledge the fact that we are
electrical energy beings ... so it
follows that as we utilize both natural
and artificial light sources within our
homes and working environments
there is naturally going to be an
interaction between ourselves and the
various sources used. In our
snowbound areas many of us spend
more time indoors and it is not
uncommon for one to develop
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
due to the lack of natural sunshine
and of course SAD relates directly to
our personal energy levels, and
energy is the vitality of life! So in
this column we look towards how we
interact with our home light levels
and investigate if it is working for our
psyche?
It is most important for you to
marry the correct type and level of
lighting to the activity being
performed. General or background
lighting for safe and easy movement
throughout a room, task lighting for
specific jobs as in homework,
sewing, grooming, cooking, etc. and
decorative or accent lighting for
adding interesting and warming
touches to dark corners and accent
pieces. We need to also address the
balance of lighting throughout any
room, so that there is never a corner
in total darkness or that there is all
bright Tight on one side of a room and
none on the opposite which gives a
disproportionate and very cold effect
to our room and therefore our
comfort level within that space.
What is of most interest is that no
matter how many rules we adhere to
we must look to ourselves for a lot of
the clues. Since lighting levels do
affect each of our energy fields, we
need to find the category which most
suits our innate nature and there are
three categories to assist us in finding
the key to how we relate to our
lighting sources.
There are three types of lighting
personalities:
First we have Sky People, who
love full sunshine, and use and enjoy
brighter general and task lighting not
only in the evening but often during
the day so that all is well illuminated.
Sky People often reach for the higher
wattage light bulbs. This empowers
them and charges them up. The
biggest lesson for a sky person is to
experiment with decorative and •
accent lighting allowing a little more
calm and charm into their not
uncommonly anxious lifestyle.
Next we look to the Ground
People. This category tends to use
light much as nature does itself, the
correct level of light for the purpose
at hand. They also tend to be very
regimented so lights are turned on
and off as necessary. Very rarely will
you find a Ground personality
playing with light and just enjoying
the effects and moods it creates —
they are so very practical.
And finally we have the Cave
People. This group is often army and
would use only decorative and accent
lighting if at all possible — even to
damaging their eyesight. They
understand exactly how warm a room
looks by using only interesting and
low levels of illumination. However,
this can also lead to a very
unbalanced level of energy. So being
aware of how we approach our
lighting situations and utilizing the
various sources and matching them to
the task at hand should assist with our
energy balance bringing a sense of
well-being into our lives, and the
energy field of our home and office
areas.
Setting the correct level of lighting
for the occasion can be most
important to our well-being, not
only for safety and health reasons
but to set relaxing atmospheres
where we can be at peace and feel
serenity with all the beautiful bounty
we have been blessed with. I often
think of Maxime's in Paris. Yes, it
boasts incredible food and the
utmost of attentive service, but its
true secret is in how it maintains the
incredible atmosphere. Their secret is
the lighting. The interior is lit with
pink lightbulbs. The decor looks
stunning as do the patrons and food,
making for a memorable occasion
each and every time. These are the
tricks we need to utilize within our
homes.
I encourage you to become aware
of how lighting is affecting you and
your energy levels. Be aware of what
happens to the light as it shines
through beautiful muslin semi -sheers
or as it filters through stained or satin
glass; what happens on an overcast
day and you either throw up the
sashes to let in every drop of light or
close the window treatments and rely
on artificial lighting to warm your
room and provide comfort. What is
your family's demeanor when you
dine under bright task or general
lighting compared to soft accent
lighting or candlelight?
If you are looking to decrease
stress and anxiety for even a brief
spell you will want to become more
familiar with lower level light
sources. Allow yourself time to
experiment with the various sources
available to us, be aware of how your
body is reacting to the various
situations and you will find what
works for you thereby adding to your
feelings of good health, vitality and
spiritual well-being. Have fun! Please
call at 357-2872 if you have any
questions.0
MARCH 2003 39