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 like the big light. I hate sitting in semi darkness, I find it really depressing, especially in winter when it's dark all the time anyway.

I hate the very thought of having the big light on in the evening. Side table lamps and candles for me.

My bedroom lamp works by touch, it has 3 levels. Wake up, tap once, snooze alarm, tap twice, by the third tap my eyes are nicely accustomed to the light.

I have fairy lights and lamps in my kitchen too.

. I can't believe it was omitted in the first place.

Lamps or just candles here. I have a Big Light (chandelier, so always a soft light) on a dimmer in the sitting room and it goes on low at dusk but the lamps very soon take over.

I also have lamps in the kitchen - so much nicer in the morning, when I can't yet open my eyes evening.

My perfect evening light is lamps on in the bedrooms (2 bed flat) with the doors open and about 10 different candles in the sitting room. Heaven.

Oh yes, definitely lamps in the kitchen.

We hardly ever have the big light on, just two lamps. Before I met DH I used to have a big light on but he hates it so we just have the lamps now - I prefer it this way actually.

My parents religiously told us off if we watched tv in the dark or in low light because it will make your eyesight worse. Now I know it doesn't :O I feel betrayed. I have a dimmer switch on my lounge lights and I have the lights on medium for TV watching and really low for move nights.

Jesus Tootles, I NEED that remote control thingy. Fab!
It's a bit ugly though. I not only need lots of lamps, but need them to be pretty. We had a lot of work done on our house recently and I got the electricians to replace all the nasty white flexes with thicker more stylish bronze ones.

YYY to Serena's end of week malaise induced by Big Light.
I know exactly what she means.
Reminds me of light being snapped on in the garage to pack my trunk to go back to boarding school. That, and the smell of damp washing as machine was down there too.

in the kitchen we have those downlighter under-the-cupboards thing (plus a humongous overhead spotlight thing-horrid)

I hate it being dingy. Big light.

Dimmers just make everywhere look...dim.
Tis mood lighting wot is needed.
The idea of a candl lit bath is foul though.
I plump for a hot brisk shower in unforgiving bathroom gleam.

I rent and have 2 fluorescent tube lights in the kitchen, I don't think I've ever switched them on, they're bloody awful.

Main lights make me look my age 6are harsh

dh has the big light off and the side lamps on.
Id prefer to have the big light on

Dh can sleep in a bedroom with 12 little dot lights- chargers, phone plugs etc his alarm clock that is as bright as a lamp, but complains that my pad is too bright.

I use a sleep mask to get it dark enough

This thread's just reminding me of Peter Kay's sketch - "put big light on!"
No? Just me?!

MEDC, that's funny as I thought this seemed a bit PKish.
What was the jist of it?

I hate, with a passion, dim lighting. I like it bright and 'awake' :)

It's actually making me feel quite antsy reading about all these homes where you sit in the gloom It's not ambient, it's gloomy & miserable!

Put the bloody lights ON!!

My Dad used to say 'It's like Blackpool-sodding-illuminations-in-here-turn-the-bloody-lights-off - it'll be different when it's your house and you have to pay the bloody bill!!' It was - he then started saying 'It's like an operating theatre in here!!'

I would love to post a pic of my dim and dark corners but I don't have the first clue how

Ack, big lights! Can't stand 'em, ripped mine out practically as soon as we bought the house.

When it's day time I have all the curtains open and sun streaming in, but in the evening I love just switching on our small lamps and lighting a few candles. I'm such a homebody, it's my favorite thing...a chilly evening, us in our little warm house with the candles lit, DC scrubbed up and in their PJs,having tea and reading or watching something with DH. Sounds a bit boring I know!

Yes, I like to look around and see the colors in the rug and on the walls and the bookshelves glowing from the lamps .. then glance into next room and there's a lamp glowing through from there too ... makes the house feel so cozy. Right now am on couch watching tv on laptop and folding laundry, dog snoring on top of folded shirt, DH reading in lounge chair, lamps on at just the right levels, and it's really nice. Boring but happy

My BF will happily sit with the big light on all evening. I walk in and recoil then turn it off and put the three wall lights and floor lamp on.
I think light should cove from behind you so you can see what your reading / eating and then light the corners of the room so it pools the light rather than bleach the place.

However I do feel a bit bad as I know he does quite like the big light on (makes me feel like we aren't staying as I only switch it on when rushing in and out) so I've made a mental note to get a lower watt bulbs for it so it's less offensive

Interesting points you make about the birds, FanFuckingTastic .

I was genuinely open to having this thread make me question my preferences, whereas it has actually confirmed to me that softer (NOT gloomy) lighting in the evenings is normal, natural and in some ways healthier (sleep inducing)

All the same, it's so interesting to hear from the brightness evangelists even though you're wrong and the very thought of your homes is making my eyelid twitch

I only have the big light on until 7 in the evening and until 8 in the morning

My baby dd seems happier when it's lighter

I used to be a brightness evangelist and was constantly fighting my husband, who is a gloom bringer - light on light off light on light off light on light off ... until we went on holiday and the cottage we stayed in had 3 lamps placed around the room. It looked lovely.

So when we came home I went shopping.

And we now have a selection of lovely lights and the main light doesn't come on.

It is a totally different atmosphere. Really relaxing.

Big light on! Hate sitting in the glooming at friends' houses. Fortunately most have the big light on.