Why the Best Rooms Are Badly Lit

In praise of the dim

A well-lit room is an honest room, and honesty is not always what one wants of an evening. The best rooms are lit the way a face is lit by a single candle: enough to see, not enough to be seen.

Low ceilings, warm bulbs, a fire that does most of the work. Comfort is largely a question of lighting, and most rooms get it wrong by being far too bright.

The candle test

If a room feels better by candlelight, it was over-lit to begin with. Every room in the house has passed the test — or been quietly rewired until it did.