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??

Another big NOOOO to the big light here. Side lamps and fairy lights.

I love atmospheric lighting but it drives me bonkers as I can't see anything (eyesight not great as on borderline of needing bifocals and dim lighting is a sod to see anything)

Only time the big light goes off is if I am watching TV and doing nothing else - usually I will be sewing or doing crochet so I want the light :)

We don't have lamps (toys stored at either end of the sofa so no room) so we have the main light on in the evening, until it gets to about 9pm and then we're turn it off and curl up on the sofa. We have a through-lounge so the light in the other room is on.

I do hope the crochet hook is put in a safe place...

With you on the sidelights all the way.
No need to light up the ceiling cobwebs unless I need to interrogate DH...

YADNBU. However, I'm 45 and embarrassed to say that I don't know how to do little lamps. Where do you put them? What voltage? To they match the big light? Are they perceived as a seduction tool?do you only have them on after the children's bedtime?
It all just seems so grown up!
And I know that DPs opinion on the matter would only relate to the extortionate price of lamps and putting extra lights on merely for decoration.

I like the main light on at all times. I hate sitting in the dark or dimness of the evening. I like to be able to see what I'm doing.
It doesn't have to be on REALLY bright, but if I'm at my parents' or a friends and they're sat in close enough pitch black it makes me fee nervousl and depressed!

I use the big light 90% of the time. It isn't particularly bright, and sometimes it feels too dark. Sometimes I'll put the lamps on instead, but rarely if I'm on my own. I like things to be clear and sharp, not slightly shadowy. Having said that, I absolutely hate bright white lights.

I have always had trouble understanding why American houses/apartments on tv only ever have lamps to light a room. Do they not like being able to see properly?

Hate the big light on, it's only on to see the way to the wee light, or when I'm ironing.

Big lights only go on when I need the brightness for a particular reason. This is partly because when I fell in love with them, I foolishly forgot how much 16 lightbulbs cost to run

But they are sooo beautiful even when they're off.

WTF would you want to sit in the dark? TURN ALL THE LIGHTS ON.

But seriously. I can't focus properly in the dark because of having weird eyes, so to be able to watch TV I have to be surrounded by light.

I hate it when people are sitting around in the dark. Do you not all get depressed from sitting in the dark? What do you do in the summer, close all the curtains at 2pm?

YANBU.

The big light is only ever for things such as rummaging for your purse when the takeaway arrives. No-one ever relaxes and watches TV with the big light on.

Why do people think that lamps = darkness?

Our lounge is perfectly well lit, just not glaring and harsh, which the big light is.

what wattage do people have in their lamps ?

we have 2 large table lamps either end of the sitting room with 40W bulbs and candles sitting on the fireplace

that would be too dark for the light lovers

The lovely table light was banished upstairs to safety when ds started crawling - he was into everything. It took me ages to get used to big light in the evening. Now we could probably bring the lamp back down, and I'll probably find it dingy. Can't win.

Another big light hater. Dh thinks I'm odd wanting ambient light though so maybe I Am . Pil always have bright lights on and they give me such a headache.

Hate the big light. Far too unrelaxing

Is it age-related? Do older people prefer 'the big light'? Certainly I think in terms of style/fashion there's been a shift to more subtle lighting, going for smaller pools/areas of light rather than a sort of uniform dazzle.

I'm not sitting in the dark, it's plenty bright in here with four wall lights and the aquarium. It's just that the light is spread around and more gentle, not glaring out from the middle of the room.

I hate the big light (because you can see the dust!)

And of course I dont draw the curtains when it's daylight outside, why would I do that? I love daylight! It's artificial light I can't stand too much of.

haha funny thread - who would have thought it would be such a contentious issue.

Hate the 'big light' here - fortunately DH agrees and we have trained the DC.

We only use table lamps and/or fairly lights.

In our last house we also had our table lamps wired into plugs which operated from a wall switch - which meant easy to turn on 2 or 3 room lamps with the flick of a switch when you entered a room.

In our current rented house, we have taken out the main ceiling light in the living room as it was about to fall anyway - so now have small hole to roof space!

Kitchen/diner has nasty fluorescent tube - NEVER going to put that on!

Who mentioned 200w bulbs - where can I get them?

I have this lovely image now in my head of all you mumsnetters sitting cosily on your sofas in the evening with low level lighting and candles and holding hands with your DH/DP .

I like the main light on, I want to see to read/watch tv/iron/drink or whatever. How can you see what you are doing, or isn't that an issue . Totally agree with the comment about the book club, I wouldn't have a clue what we were talking about if the big light wasn't on.

Frau perhaps it is age related

I am with the big light haters.

My house is well lit, just not from above. All my beautiful lamps work off one circuit too, no individual switches.