Big light on in the living room?

[ViviPru]

I've just had one of those peculiar moments whereby something that you thought you knew to be a universal truth is turned on its head.

I was commenting to some friends about how irksome and peculiar I find it that another friend only has one light source in their living room, the main ceiling light, which they have on all evening. It's really bright, not on a dimmer and I find it really hard to relax there. My two friends were baffled saying that's what they do too (never been to their houses in the evening so I wouldn't know) and made out like I was the peculiar one as we rarely use our main overhead ceiling light.

Now all these years I've never questioned it, as far as I was concerned, in the evenings one would have a couple of table lamps on, enough light to read by, that's how it was at home growing up, that's what my parents do and what DH's parents do. Obviously I know some people have the overhead light on as you can see through windows at dusk but I slways just assumed these folk were the peculiar minority.", or they'd just stuck it on to clean/find something/perform a task.

Another friend has impaired eyesight so she likes a lot of light at all times, which is completely understandable. But those whose eyesight is fine, I can't understand why anyone would want to sit in glaring bright light all evening... But according to my friends I'm the minority...

I don't care what anyone does in the comfort if their own home, I'm not saying no one should use the main light but that I genuinely thought that barely anyone did... According to my friends this is completely at odds with reality.... What say you??

I grew up in a house that only used big lights and hated it. The rest of the family used lamps and candles and I felt much more comfortable. At home now I use lamps, one big light has the bulb removed to take away the temptation for the children to turn it on. Only use the other big light when at the dining table, living room is L shaped. Now trying to work lamps into hall upstairs and downstairs but struggling due to lack of sockets.

I hate sitting in the dark. Our last house didn't have ceiling lights, just lamps and it was always so dark!

We are in the process of buying a house which needs rewiring, so it will have a big light in the middle of the living room and eight spot lights dotted around on a different switch. I think they will all be dimming lights, but I suspect I will have them all on full blast. Not all the time, but frequently.

DH may have other ideas. I'm not sure - it's the first time we will have options since living together!

My DH won't ever put the standard lamp on in the living room in the evening. Its big light all the way for him. Annoying as I much prefer lamps. I dream of a set up like a friend of mine has, all lamps on timers so they click on automatically but we have a lack of power sockets in our house. My fave lamps are the bedside ones which are touch activated and have three levels of brightness.

Bizzarely I had a strip light put in the kitchen when it was redone a couple of years ago. Dark corners in the kitchen annoy me. I do use the undercounter lights in the evening though.

i haven't got any other lights except the big light. It's a low wattage though

My husband and I have had actual rows about this - I like having a couple of lamps and my Cable and Cotton lights on in the sitting room in the evening but he huffs about this and insists on bursting in and switching the main light on while ranting about my (hitherto perfect) eyesight and ruining my cosy ambience. It drives me nuts.

I too row with DH over this. He leaves all big lights on throughout house whether or not he remains in the room and objects to lamps. We drives each other berserk.

Another one here who only turns on the big light when turning off the lamps/blowing out the fairy lights before going to bed.

I hate the big light on. I literally cannot relax in a room with the big light on. It makes me angsty and fidgety. Hate it!

I hate the big light too - OH thinks it's fine so we do occasionally fall out over me coming in & switching it off!! My parents in law look after our kids once a week & they are big light people too. The first thing I do when they go is go round & switch from all the big lights to my wall lights/ lamps!!

We have three table lamps and almost never use the big light.

I love having lamps on and candles lit. Unfortunately, the crazy person who wired our lounge only put in two plug sockets, and those in annoying places, so we only have one, small table-lamp, which isn't bright enough to light the room.

So we indulge in a dimly lit room on the very rare occasion I don't have something to do.

Alas, most of the time I need to work in the living room in the evenings; knitting, sewing badges on uniforms, mending tears, editing writing and so forth. It's not light enough to do that with just the table lamp, or indeed our low-wattage overhead light, so I (shock horror) have both on.

We do keep the overhead light on when we have guests though. Otherwise I fear I'm plunging them into semi-darkness, and the room takes on a strange, claustrophobic atmosphere. I fear we overshoot 'intimate' and hit 'brothel'.

Just thought I'd let you all know I am working my way through my house putting cosy lamps on and lighting candles in the sitting room.

I am disappointed when the lighter evenings come in.

It's making me twitch thinking of all these people sitting of an evening under glaring overhead lights.
Isn't that a form of torture in some countries?
Well placed lamps all the way for me with the glow from my electric fire, and sometimes scented candles too.

who in their right mind would sit and relax of an evening WITH THE BIG LIGHT ON?? It drives me mad when i come home at night sometimes to find dh sat in the dark with just the tv on. TURN THE LAMPS ON YOU PRAT, it's much cosier and therefore more comfortable...

I Would get all sleepy in a lamp lit room, also can't be bothered with the clutter of lamps and wee tables. Not to mention the fact that the kids would never bother to switch them off.

My MIL has wired in lamps and no overheadlight so I associate it with being a bit too fussy about houses and having to have everything just right ( they are very nice but have a long list of things that have to be a certain way or they can't relax ). I cultivate a more adaptable, laid back approach to life.

We have one small lamp and wall mounted double candle holders. We have 4 large candles on every night, which added to the small table lamp is just the right amount of light.

The only time the big light goes on is if df and I are eating off our laps (I can't stand eating in dim light) or, like you said, for an 'actual' reason - to find something maybe.

We had a local restaurant that had great food reasonable close by but went once never returned. Lights on full glare zero atmosphere. It was like eating in an operating theatre.

I do not like the main light on at all. I find it too bright. During the day I leave the curtains open and in the evening we put the lamp on.

I thought I was strange as when family visit they comment on the living room being too dim.

I like bright rooms but DH would have us live like mole people.

We sometimes follow each other around the house in an never-ending circle of clicking switches on and off. I will walk into a room and think 'it's dark in here' and switch some lights on, DH will then walk into the same room and think 'it's too bright' and turn something off again.

Now that I've realised, it's a wonderful way to annoy him when he's pissed me off.

Have to accept I am in a minority here then.

I am surprised though as I can't remember visiting many people in the evenings who don't have full overhead lighting on. All my family, plus DH's, have ceiling lights, although MIL also has a reading lamp as her eyes are getting dodgy.

I do remember visiting one friend for a book group session and was rather surprised at how low the lighting was. I couldn't even see to look at the books we were meant to be discussing. That's the only example I can recall.

Lamps all the way for me also, I have them in every room, bar the kitchen and bathroom. I cannot relax if it's too bright, I think it's just the way I was brought up; I also love lots of candles and I have an oil burner going at the moment too, to help relax and create a soothing atmosphere... :-D

Main light gives me a sicky headache. We've got some hideous uplighter things on the walls which actually give quite a decent light but without being glaring. As my 'spot' on the sofa is underneath a couple of them I can see very well if I want to do some knitting or sewing. We did have some nice lamps when we moved in but gave them away as there are no sockets on this side of the room and any extensions would have to go across the route between two doorways. The uplighters have grown on me though .

I hate dimly lit rooms...it drive me mad. I like to be able to see...
it is just like closing the blinds on a lovely sunny day. I don't even have blinds.

My MIL in always sitting half in the dark (day and night) and she suffers with depression. i reckon it is a lack of proper sunlight.

My husband always turns down the dimmer after dinner and i see it as my cue to put down my crochet...

'My husband always turns down the dimmer after dinner and i see it as my cue to put down my crochet.........'

Is that a delicate way of saying something?

how laydeelike