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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Big light on in the living room?

334 replies

ViviPru · 20/01/2014 21:17

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??

OP posts:
Bowlersarm · 20/01/2014 21:43

Another 'big light' hater here.

Although I do like a lamp or two on.

DH likes to turn all the lights off, and I almost hate that as much as having the big light on.

ViviPru · 20/01/2014 21:44

Me too MadBusLady I think working from home has made me even
Less tolerant. We should set up a dimly lit commune.

OP posts:
WhenWhyWhere · 20/01/2014 21:44

I can't relax with the big light on. Lighting is really important to me.

lottiegarbanzo · 20/01/2014 21:45

I remember first encoutering the phrase 'big light' at a friend's house, when I was eight. Until then it was just 'the light'.

Our main sitting room light is not very bright at all. The lamp is brighter. So I'd need the lamp in addition to read under but, if watching a film, might have just the lamp on, behind me, so there's no source of light between me and the screen.

Fairylea · 20/01/2014 21:45

We like the big light on. Both the same thankfully so no arguments :)

The only time we turn it off is if we have sex in the living room as we have no curtains at the back of our house and we wouldn't want the neighbours to see us.

:)

BingoWingsBeGone · 20/01/2014 21:45

We are big light less so no option here. 2 wall lights and 2 lamps plus the fire. Lovely Smile

ViviPru · 20/01/2014 21:46

I feel a sense of achievement I've prompted my first delurker!!! (But yes, quite quite wrong, RunTumMum ) Grin

OP posts:
MadBusLady · 20/01/2014 21:46

I'm all for it Vivi. So long as we can have individual little cubicles with full personalised lighting/sound/temperature/interaction controls in this commune, yes?

INeedSomeHelp · 20/01/2014 21:46

The big light only goes on if required for a specific task e.g. ironing. Any other time it's small table lamps only. STBXH always put the big light on - it's not why he's STBXH but it certainly didn't help Grin

growingolddicustingly · 20/01/2014 21:46

Two lamps here too and the big light only goes on when I turn the lamps off to go to bed. I have had the same bulbs in the big light since I moved in 16 years ago. I am not sure I know how to take the shade off when they do blow eventually!

OvO · 20/01/2014 21:47

The big light is only used here when I switch the lamps off before heading up to bed. I can't just switch the lamps off and exit the room in the dark as Pennywise/Chucky would get me. So the big light is an actual life saver. Wink

But the rest if the time it's lamps only.

teenagetantrums · 20/01/2014 21:47

My big light broke about 18 months ago, i finally got it fixed last week, I didn't miss it all, but was getting some sockets repaired so thought i should have it done.

RunTumMum · 20/01/2014 21:47

willowking You've just reminded me that FIL likes to sit in the dark. It makes me ragey- fortunately he's too polite to complain when I come home and flood the place in light. wonder if that's why he goes to bed by 8 when he stays with us though...

notso · 20/01/2014 21:48

I hate big light on. I have perfected a selection of lamps to create the right ambience Grin
Big light is only used in sporn emergencies and such like.

PIL have a huge sitting room but only put on on feeble wall light. I hate it, it's dingy. When they babysit at our house, they turn off all my lamps but one. It pisses me off.

DorotheaHomeAlone · 20/01/2014 21:49

I love the big light and hate sitting about in the gloom. DH is obsessed with switching it off in favour of lamps and we totally bicker about it. Us big light folk should probably marry within our 'own kind'!

moondog · 20/01/2014 21:49

Willow am chortling as your dh obviously wants to sit in the dark.
Used to live in turkey and once had a big party. All our guests were Turkish and kept on putting the bloody big lights on all night. Very stressful.

goldenlula · 20/01/2014 21:51

We have two down lights in the alcoves either side of the chimney breast that we use in general, only using the main light for specific things, like tonight it was on so I could see to deal with ds2's boil on his tummy and then later to sew his name tags in 2 shirts. I hate the main light on in the lounge and also only like the lamps on in the bedroom.

MadBusLady · 20/01/2014 21:51

sporn emergencies Grin Grin

ViviPru · 20/01/2014 21:51

Oh yes most definitely cubicles. And only communicate via the medium of MN

OP posts:
maillotjaune · 20/01/2014 21:51

The Big Light (a very good Elvis Costello song BTW) is only used here for DSs on late winter afternoons when they can't see each other properly to fight after school Hmm or ironing.

I like 2 lamps too.

Hulababy · 20/01/2014 21:52

We rarely have the big lights (we have two) on on the living room. We have a standing lampmnear the sofa, a table lamp at the far side and the Tv unit has greenish lights too. That is plenty for us :)

DH has a real thing about not having a big light on - he likes his "mood" lighting, lol! Our friends all know what he is like over it :)

ViviPru · 20/01/2014 21:52

My god this is a fast moving thread, trying desperately to keep up, this is truly fascinating

OP posts:
KeatsiePie · 20/01/2014 21:52

I get really overprecise about good lighting -- I don't like having the overhead light on as agree it is much too bright/glaring. But my parents like to sit in their cavernous living room with one tiny lamp on and frown if you turn another one on, and it drives me crazy, and as they've always been like that I am a little overenthusiastic about lighting. So I always have the overhead off but a bunch of lamps on.

bluesbaby · 20/01/2014 21:52

Why would you want to sit in a dark room? The lighter, the better... Even nicer if it's a sunroom with the sun overhead!

MadBusLady · 20/01/2014 21:53

I think you have hit on a new classic. Up there with heating, p&c parking spaces, bed-changing frequency etc.