As the daylight hours shorten, and the stars shine brighter at night, it’s time to adjust our lighting scheme. We believe in illuminating the home in winter both to amplify its warmth and to bring out the beauty of our furnishings and any striking architectural features. We are spending more time at home at this chilly time of year, so we want to make sure our place is an especially soul-nurturing space, conducive to nesting and doing all the stay-at-home activities we love, such as reading, hosting close friends and snuggling with our significant others. The right lighting can also play to the drama inherent in this festive time of year, so we like to go bold. Here’s how we make the switch to the season of light.
Small wonders
For a warmer, gentler lighting effect we use multiple light sources. Suspending three small pendants to the same height—the length of a sofa or longer piece of furniture—creates symmetry and balance. (We also space the pendants equidistant from one another.) To maximize the impact of this little trio, we seek out seasonal objects that mirror their form—think minimalist decorative Christmas trees that share the conical shape of our winter pendants. When we’re working with smaller lights, we find their subtle glow to be calming and it sets the tone for a serene home retreat.
A touch of glass
We like glass lighting to add texture to our interior scheme. This material has an appealing sparkle, yet it’s not overly glitzy and distracting. We let clean-formed glass lighting shed diffused and flattering light on a natural wood coffee table with organic forms or any other statement piece—it’s all about contrasts.
Big deal
Sometimes the lighting is the statement piece. We tend to get theatrical in a room with high ceilings by suspending a show-stopping oversized lamp in a corner or against a wall, where it won’t become an obstacle to traffic flow or conversation.
In the limelight
We think of any larger, dramatic lamp as a sculptural piece and display it as judiciously as we would a work of art, so it really pops. Here, a sparkling, long-fringed lamp is centred between two armchairs with elegant, curved forms. The elements share a neutral and light palette, so they work together and stand out against the darker floors and wall.
Get intimate
Even if a room has perfectly functional overhead lighting, sometimes we want to get more cozy and romantic. A pierced metal table lamp creates instant atmosphere; it literally makes light dance, as it casts lace-like geometrical shadows on walls. This element becomes especially interesting when iced-up windows bear similar swirling patterns. We love to play on what’s naturally beautiful about the winter season.
Blurred lines
The closer a lamp is positioned to the wall, the more defined its patterns will be, so we experiment to find the sweet spot on the soft-to-sharp spectrum. To further soften the overall effect, we introduce soft lighting elsewhere in the room, perhaps with tealights or a simple trio of candles.
Eternal flames
We don’t wait till the power’s out or till the special dinner guests arrive to light candles. Their soft flames inject a little magic into the everyday—and by the time February rolls around, we’re more than grateful for any perks to the long, dark nights. We set our candles in holders with interesting textures and materials, such as hammered metal, which the flickering light will enhance. We organize your candles in identical holders, set at an equal distance from one another, to create a sense of order, symmetry and calm.
Clock out
Many work environments are lit with harsh fluorescent or overhead lights, which have been linked to eyestrain, headaches and feelings of anxiety. We like to let natural sunlight flood our homes in the mornings, then enjoy the soft glow of candles or low-voltage lamps after nightfall. We find this soothing to our systems and it helps us return to a more natural state of being.
It’s the simple changes that can have the most dramatic impact on our quality of life. We don’t feel the need to switch up everything about our home as we transition from one season to the next, but we feel it’s still important to notice, honour and keep in tune with nature’s phases. A switch to kinder and more impactful lighting is an easy place to start—we hope you found our suggestions illuminating!