Better for sight, better for eyes, better for health, and better for moods, natural light is understandably the majority?s favored method of illumination, but it?s an uncontrollable resource. It can be increased with larger windows, open-plan interiors, and reflective or light-hued surfaces, but ultimately, when those cold winter nights draw in, the majority of our time is spent fumbling around in the dark.

The Cumberland Entertainment Center by Barefoot Design is a private screening room for CGI studio The Scope in Berlin, Germany, and features bold indirect lighting. Image © Michael Tewes

Better for sight, better for eyes, better for health, and better for moods, natural light is understandably the majority?s favored method of illumination, but it?s an uncontrollable resource. It can be increased with larger windows, open-plan interiors, and reflective or light-hued surfaces, but ultimately, when those cold winter nights draw in, the majority of our time is spent fumbling around in the dark.It?s not all doom and gloom, however. Well-thought-out lighting concepts can entirely transform an interior environment. This home in Japan, for example, highlights its architectural features with hidden lighting, bringing them to life at night, while this small-scale showroom cinema also uses indirect lighting strips to graphically define its interior. Read more »

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