PUT SOME RESPECT ON YOUR HOME’S LIGHTING

I promise your bedtime routine will thank me.

Your home has a clock, and your lighting should respect it.

For most of human history, we woke with the sun, spent our days in bright natural light, and ended our evenings by firelight. Our bodies still recognize that rhythm, even if our homes no longer follow it.

Now, we spend our days inside under relatively weak artificial light, then turn on bright lights and stare at screens after sunset. Guilty, literally as I write these words.

But I really do believe there is something to returning to what our bodies already understand.

Light is one of the main signals our bodies use to know what time it is. Bright light earlier in the day tells us it is time to be alert, while dimmer light in the evening helps prepare us for rest.

Brightness, color, timing, and duration all matter. Research supports what humans have experienced for generations: bright natural light during the day and darkness at night help keep our internal clocks aligned.

This does not mean blue light is bad. We need the bright, cooler light found outdoors during the day. The goal is to receive the right light at the right time.

You know how amazing it feels to crawl into bed after sitting around a campfire or spending a cozy winter night by the fireplace? Firelight is warm, low, and dim, which feels completely different from filling the house with overhead light.

You do not need to live by candlelight, but your home can follow the same basic rhythm: bright natural light during the day and warmer, dimmer light at night.

Becoming a mom made me notice this in a different way. Recently, I started using a dim red light in Seb’s nursery as a cue that we are beginning his bedtime routine. He has seemed calmer and easier to put down since we added it.

Before you comment to tell me it will all change again soon, I know. I can’t say whether it is the red light itself or the consistency of the cue, but the transition has felt much smoother... for now!

It is making my transition better too. I was nottttt an evening routine person before motherhood, but shoot, I’m ready for bed at 7:00 p.m. now too.

Our homes can so easily be designed to support these natural transitions instead of working against them.

MY TOP FOUR WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR HOME’S LIGHTING

1. Get outside light in the morning

Open your window shades and drapes when you wake up. Even better, actually step outside.

Have your coffee outdoors. Take a short walk. Stand on the porch with your dog, your baby, or shoot, both!

Even on a gray Seattle morning, outdoor light is generally much brighter than indoor light. The simple version: get brighter light earlier in the day.

2. Stop using that dang big light

A ceiling full of recessed lights should not be doing all the work.

The homiest and hardest working spaces combine overhead lighting with task lighting, lamps, sconces, and accent lighting. Candlelight and fireplaces can be part of that layering too.

We’re big under cabinet lighting people. When we’re home from work and finished cooking, we generally turn off the overhead lights and use the under cabinet lighting instead. It makes our entire home feel calmer instantly. I swear, even our dogs are like, “Oh, okay, now we’re supposed to chill out.”

3. Choose warmer light

For most residential spaces, we specify 2700K or 3000K lighting.

Lower Kelvin numbers feel warmer and more golden, while higher numbers look cooler and bluer. Below 2700K can begin to feel more yellow or orange.

I prefer 2700K for bedrooms, living rooms, lamps, and spaces used at night. A clean 3000K works beautifully in kitchens, bathrooms, and task focused areas, especially when it is layered and dimmable.

Kelvin is not the entire wellness conversation, but warmer, dimmer evening light is a practical place to begin.

4. Use dimmers and separate your lighting layers

Your kitchen needs one level of light while you are chopping vegetables and another when you are sitting down for dinner.

One of the best things you can do during electrical planning is place different lighting layers on separate switches. This gives you more options than having everything fully on or sitting in the dark.

The bulb, fixture, driver, and dimmer also need to be compatible. It is so frustrating when you assume you just have to live with an annoying flicker, buzzing sound, or light that will not dim properly. Most of the time, it is an easy fix.

Lighting life hack: Put the fixture specifications and manufacturer’s compatibility list into ChatGPT or Claude and ask it to compare them. Then have your electrician confirm everything before installation.

Wellness at home is not limited to clean paint, organic mattresses, air purifiers, and natural fabrics. It is also the windows, electrical plans, lighting, controls, and materials surrounding us every day.

This is the gap we fill at Common Formme. As a full service interior design studio and showroom in Edmonds serving the greater Seattle area, we connect healthier building practices and technical planning with beautiful, personal design.

Even after years in the industry, I am always learning where we can go deeper. These small details are why we continue researching, asking better questions, and looking at the home as a complete system.

A holistic home is not about perfection. It is about making informed decisions where they matter while creating a home that still feels beautiful and completely yours.

And trust me, I’m preaching to myself here. I’m writing this on a blue light computer screen after dark with candles burning on my desk, as if the candles somehow cancel it out.

They don’t. But it’s called balance!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What color temperature is best for a home?

We typically specify 2700K or 3000K lighting. I prefer 2700K in bedrooms, living rooms, lamps, and other spaces used in the evening. A clean 3000K works well in kitchens, bathrooms, and task focused areas. The best choice depends on how you use the room, but consistency matters. Mixing noticeably different color temperatures within one space can make the lighting feel disjointed.

Is blue light always bad for sleep?

No. Bright, cooler light is useful during the day because it helps support alertness and tells your body it is daytime. The issue is receiving too much bright or cool light late in the evening, when your body should be preparing for rest. It is less about avoiding blue light entirely and more about getting the right light at the right time.

Are recessed lights bad for you?

Recessed lights are not inherently bad, but they should not be responsible for lighting your entire home. A room filled only with overhead lighting can feel flat, harsh, and overly bright, especially at night. We prefer to layer recessed lighting with lamps, sconces, under cabinet lighting, pendants, and other lower sources of light.

Does red light help with sleep?

Dim red or amber light is less likely to feel stimulating than bright, cool light, which can make it a helpful option during an evening or bedtime routine. It is not a magic sleep solution, though. Brightness, consistency, timing, and the rest of your routine still matter. In our home, the red nursery light works as both a gentler source of evening light and a consistent cue that bedtime is beginning.

Is opening the shades enough in the morning?

Opening your shades is a great start, especially if your home receives plenty of natural light. However, outdoor light is generally much brighter than indoor light, even on a cloudy Seattle morning. If you can, spend a few minutes outside soon after waking. Have your coffee on the porch, take a short walk, or simply step outside while the dogs investigate the yard.

Do all light fixtures work with dimmers?

No. The bulb, fixture, driver, and dimmer need to be compatible. When they are not, you may experience flickering, buzzing, limited dimming, or lights that suddenly switch off. Check the manufacturer’s specifications and compatibility list, then have your electrician confirm the combination before installation.

When should lighting be planned during a renovation or new build?

Lighting should be considered early, alongside the floor plan, cabinetry, furniture placement, and electrical design. Waiting until construction is underway can limit your options and lead to fixtures or switches being placed wherever they are easiest to install rather than where they work best for daily life. Early planning also makes it easier to separate lighting layers, add dimmers, and create different settings for daytime tasks and evening routines.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Emily Ellstrom is the Owner and Creative Director of Common Formme, a full service interior design studio and showroom in Edmonds, Washington. Common Formme designs expressive, holistic homes throughout the greater Seattle area with an emphasis on natural materials, healthier building practices, and everyday life.