Unless you come from the world of interior design, you might have little clue about just how vast the world of lighting is. There is essentially a type of lighting specifically for virtually any particular purpose. And I am not just talking about the basics like reading lighting and night lights. I am talking about the Nora Lighting you use for painting or even the perfect one for sipping tea.
Image adapted from https://buyriteelectric.com/
In the years I have spent designing interiors of houses that I have been in, nothing speaks to me more about the person I am making the interiors for than the interactions we have when deciding which lighting to use. You do not simply talk about which one is convenient, you can tell that their face brightens up, in both senses, when you turn on just the right kind of lighting. So, what does your preferred Nora lighting say about you?
Ambient Nora Lighting – The Neutral
We all have that one friend who seems to go with the popular vote each time. Ambient lighting is perhaps the most common kind of lighting and is the safest choice of lighting. When I show off lighting choices to my clients, I always begin with this choice just to see if they are interested or not. In some instances, I can tell that they are not into it so they simply agree with the first one I show them. In which case, I could just go with it if I am convinced that they would just about go with anything.
At the very least, I could give them a neutral lighting so they will not be disappointed later on. In some cases, I counter their nonchalance with an extreme choice at whatever direction. And when I get a reaction, then it gets interesting.
That ambient lighting friend of yours may not always be as exciting or even interesting at times, but they offer so much more and you probably know about that. Like a neutral country in a war, being in the middle gives you a unique perspective.
That is why most friendly arguments are settled with the neutral guy and his judgement is perceived to simply be accepted. Like in photography, where ambient light is also called natural light, your neutral friend likes to keep it real and not want to stand out too much.
If you have a neutral friend, make sure that you do not stress him out by trying hard to drag him into something he or she is not comfortable with. The example earlier where he or she is made to judge an argument is probably one of those things that you have to avoid. All in all, it is great to have a friend who does not lean too much either way.
Like ambient lighting that is used correctly, they can be perfect to be with when trying to relieve yourself of stress. Because they simply do not have a strong opinion about a lot of things, you can freely talk with them for hours without feeling a wrinkle on your forehead from ever forming.
Task Nora Lighting – The Driven
Every once in a while I come upon a bachelor or a bachelorette wanting an apartment makeover. They are young and are extremely focused on their careers. This one software developer I met has had offers from a lot of rich sounding tech companies. He, and a few others, had this in common, they wanted to have task lighting installed on certain spots in their home.
I call these types of people the driven. They do not mess around and have crosshairs on their goals like a sniper scope on the head of an enemy. Task lighting makes it easier for people to focus on an area, be it a computer station, an architecture plan, or a chef’s mini kitchen. And not unlike our driven friends, they have complete focus on the task at hand.
Having driven friends is both a curse and a boon. On one hand, you get a leader and every social circle or group tends to need one especially in the age of choice where there are so many things that have to be considered. On the other hand, it might be a bit difficult to voice out a contrasting opinion. All in all, being with a driven friend keeps you on your toes much like how task lighting stops you from falling asleep by forcing you to focus on a single area.
Chandelier Nora Lighting – The Poet
There are only so few things that allow humans to express their innermost thoughts without having to face the backlash of being too forward. This is my simpleton’s definition of art and no one understands it better than the poet.
The rare opportunities when I meet clients that try to engage me about my creative choices when designing their home, I just sparkle. Not only do I find it satisfying to have my work critiqued by my peers, I also love the challenge and learning a bit more about how others view my craft in an artistic way. These are my favorite kinds of clients and it really is not that difficult to understand why.
Chandeliers nowadays feel out of place in the modern home. I would not blame you if you thought that the only decor that goes with it goes with the renaissance fair as well. Rest assured, there are a lot of chandelier options that will not send your room back to the middle ages.
Personally, I associate with the poets. We may seem like we have our heads up on the clouds but only poets really understand what it is like to draw artistic energy from things that inspire us. Like the looking for the perfect chandelier to put in the interior, poets need to flip through images in their head to function as we are designed to. The best way to appreciate us is to try to feel what we feel.
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Interesting related article: “How facade lighting is responsible for business branding.”