Sweetness and light
AFTER an Indian summer it’s time to get cosy for autumn. Lined curtains, thick rugs and luxurious throws are a simple fix but good lighting will also boost our mental health. “For some, the changing seasons can harm our emotional wellbeing,” says Michael Meiser, president of LED lighting specialists Lumilum ( lumilum. com).
“This is known as Seasonal Affective Disorder and is most common during autumn and winter.”
Meiser suggests those suffering badly use a lightbox, which replicates sunlight, but tailoring lights for work or relaxation will help everybody.
Choose light bulbs with the correct Kelvin measurement for each room: kitchens, bathrooms and home offices need a cooler, blueish, glow – he suggests 3,000K to 4,500K bulbs – while bedrooms and lounges need warmer, yellowish, light – around 2,000K to 3,000K.
“Always avoid brighter, blue, lights in the bedroom,” he says. “These disrupt your circadian rhythm, as they give off a similar brightness to daylight, making you feel awake and alert.”
Meanwhile, LED lighting firm Nanoleaf makes hexagon unified light panels that fit together to make a shape of your choice for walls that can change colour to suit your mood.
And lighting expert Niki Wright has just launched an online hub for designer lighting after 15 years developing best- sellers for high street stores.
Wright emphasises the need for layering light with floor lamps, table lamps, hanging pendants and wall lamps, as well as a central overhead light, and her four inaugural collections includes the Ridotti range featuring raffia and brass – a very on- trend nod to the 1970s.