Turning out the big light

[Barney16]

I'm interested to know if I'm deluded or if my DP is quite mad. Every single evening at some point, whilst we are sitting in the living room watching TV, he will say mind if I turn the big light out? If he does we are plunged into virtual darkness except for a rather rubbish table lamp. It's like sitting in the dark more or less. He says he likes it because "it's like being in the pictures". It isn't, it's exactly like sitting in the dark. It's obviously a completely mundane problem but I honestly don't think the majority of people sit in the dark watching their TV do they?

Team Mood Lighting all the way here. We have 3 lamps with smart bulbs so we can adjust the brightness.

MIL’s house is always brightly lit in the evening and I hate it, feels so uncomfortable to me. I also hate brightly lit pubs and restaurants, and I think I’m not the only one as the ones near me always seem to be the emptiest!

When I moved to Hong Kong many years ago, I was amazed to discover that many people had bright white strip lighting in their homes. It must have been like living in a fish tank.
I do think lighting’s a cultural thing - when I moved back to the UK, I couldn’t believe how dark everywhere was in comparison.

I can’t relax with the big light on. Lamps and dimmed wall lights all the way.

I never turn on the big light - get more lamps, so much nice r

Couldn't you get a poseable reading light? You should be able to read okay with one of them. My 83 year old father uses one.

I was joking, btw, and def not offended. 😊

I'm in the US, and have never once lived in a home where the sitting room or family room had an overhead light. That's lighting for a dining room and kitchen. The sitting room or family room have always had lamps. The house I grew up in in Dublin (built in the 60s) had no overhead sitting room light either (there were sconces instead) but there was an overhead light in the dining room.

I prefer the dark, but need excellent light for tasks like knitting. I got this wonderful little pair of lights that hangs around my neck. It’s basically two tiny led flashlights and you can adjust the settings. They are made specifically for crafters and they are fantastic, especially if you have gotten to a certain age and your eyes aren’t as great as they once were.

we can be in the dark watching a movie and I can be knitting and the light is only shining on my hands.

“Alexa, set the light to 30%”. That’s how it’s done here.

Though, if we’re having a ‘tv dinner’, I set it to 80% while I’m eating as I like to see my food.

I dont remember the last time I turned on the big lights, much prefer lamps.
In fact even the kitchen doesnt have a big light! It broke years ago and Ive been using a little table lamp ever since.
Big overhead lights make me feel like Im in a hospital or office, not cosy at all.