Have you ever walked into a space and immediately felt relaxed, or walked into another and suddenly felt agitated? Often, the answer is simple, it was the lighting design that influenced your reaction.
Lighting is more than just a design element. It’s a powerful source that has the ability to change your mood, energy, and productivity levels. As more companies begin to understand how workplace set-ups affect employee productivity, the understanding of the role lighting plays in crafting purposeful spaces becomes more crucial.
The Science of Light and Mood
Light plays an important role in regulating our circadian rhythms, the internal body clock in charge of sleep, alertness, and hormonal activity. Exposure to bright, cool-toned light during the day helps us stay alert and focused, unlike exposure to warm, dim light in the evening, when it signals our bodies to wind down and prepare for rest.
Studies have shown that lighting can affect not just sleep, but also mental health, cognitive function, and emotional well-being. For example:
- Blue-enriched white light can improve alertness and performance in office and workplace environments.
- Poor lighting (overly dim or harsh) can cause eye strain, fatigue, and depressive symptoms.
- Natural daylight has been linked to higher satisfaction and productivity in workplaces.
Thanks to advances in technology, we now have lighting systems that can mimic the dynamic nature of sunlight. Brands like Ketra offer tunable lighting that adjusts in color temperature and intensity throughout the day, mimicking the body’s natural response to sunlight.
In office settings, this can mean higher energy levels and less employee burnout. At home, it can be utilized to design spaces that flow from productive and bright to relaxing and quiet, with just the touch of a button.
Finding the correct lighting balance in a space is more important than ever in the changing workforce environment, where more employees work from home or in hybrid positions. Defining the line between work and home is essential to creating focus and relaxation zones, even if they’re in the same room.
Design with Mood in Mind
Whether you’re a designer, at the workplace, or just passionate about wellness, here are a few lighting tips to remember:
- Layer Your Lighting: Use a mix of ambient, task, and accent lighting to create depth and flexibility in a space.
- Consider Color Temperature: Warmer tones (~2700K–3000K) evoke relaxation, while cooler tones (~4000K–5000K) support concentration.
- Prioritize Natural Light: Whenever possible, design spaces to maximize daylight and views to the outside.
- Embrace Tunable Lighting: Dynamic systems allow for personalized and responsive environments.
Light Is Emotional
Light has the power to comfort, energize, inspire, or calm. It can draw people in or push them away. In retail, lighting drives purchasing behavior. In healthcare, it aids recovery. In homes, it sets the tone for how we connect with others, or with ourselves.
When we design light intentionally, we design with emotion in mind. And when we get it right, people may not always know why they feel good in a space, but they’ll feel it all the same.
At Aterra Designs, we take this seriously. We thoughtfully set lighting levels in every project to support a peaceful, welcoming ambiance, whether it’s a home, hospitality space, or wellness center. Our goal is to enhance not just the look of a space, but how it makes people feel. Lighting isn’t just part of the design; it’s part of the experience.
