Week Four | October 24 | Lighting
I am taking on the room where I spend more time than any other: my Workroom. Part library, part sewing room, part home office, and part art studio, my Workroom has to do it all. This week : lighting. Well, there is going to be some… I hope.
Friends, Romans, Countrymen… Let’s start with the good news! Last week I wrote about the arrival of the 2019 edition of The Nice List. I had cases of books that arrived, ready to be shipped out. If you are just joining me, The Nice List is my Christmas planner/organizer which will get you through the holidays with panache and ease, helping you plan your time and your giving.
Anyway, cases of The Nice List arrived, and my Workroom got its first REAL test! I had to set up and ship out all of my orders. And friends: it worked beautifully! Last year, frankly, the shipping was a bit of a nightmare. This year: So. Much. Easier. It was nice, too, to have a real event in the middle of it all to test the room’s layout and design features. I don’t have massive shipments to do daily or weekly — that is a seasonal event. But I do ship out books, clothes that I sell online, and The Nice List orders.
The assembly line served me well!
Lots of orders ready to be shipped!
Using the floating table as my staging area, the vintage teacher’s desk, and my 16’ long work space, I was able to create an assembly line which moved orders from my computer to the post office quickly and efficiently.
In fact, I was able to get all of the retail and pre-orders shipped out in less than a week!
So, hooray for good layout and planning!
Lighting for a Home Office and Workroom
But here’s where the good news dwindles.
I scheduled an update on Lighting today. And while I can tell you what good lighting in a Workroom SHOULD look like, I can’t show you yet.
Let’s talk theory first: good lighting in a multipurpose room like the Workroom should be layered. My Workroom functions primarily as my writing space, but it is also a library, an art studio, a craft room, and a sewing room — all crammed into an 11’ x 14’ space in our Mid Century Modern home. Additionally, I often take photographs and video of projects for Mid Modern Mama, so I need to have lighting that accommodates those functions, too.
I have two large windows which provide some natural light, but my Workroom is at garden level which means the windows are at ground level. I get great morning light, but it fades quickly in the afternoon — particularly in the late fall and winter.
I started with two overhead light fixtures in the Workroom: an LED boob light that was, frankly, worthless, and a spotlight in the alcove area — also worthless.
The “boob light”
The “boob light” over the desk area is absolutely worthless.
The spotlight
The spotlight in the alcove is very direct light in a place that needs fewer shadows.
Indirect/Direct Lighting
Given that I need to have lighting for so many different tasks and functions, I am taking a layered approach to the lighting in my Workroom.
But I have some constraints:
I can’t install can lights.
I have to work with the two junction boxes already installed in the room.
I have a limited budget.
I want everything to be as green and energy efficient as possible.
My husband, an architect, suggested, too, that I want to maximize the indirect light. Indirect light fixtures bounce light off a light-colored ceiling — in my case a white ceiling.
Indirect Light: fixtures point light toward a ceiling or walls to bounce the light back into the room
Direct Light: fixtures point the light down toward the room, at a closer range toward a task
Indirect light offers some big advantages including a big reduction in shadows — a huge advantage when taking photographs and video as I often do.
So I ordered two direct/Indirect lights to install. And we put one of them up.
Light temporarily hooked up
Current overhead lighting situation
Utilitarian? Yes.
Bright? Yes.
Missing all kinds of pieces and hardware? Also, yes.
But do you see how the fixture shines light UP to create indirect light? This fixture can even operate on two switches, so you could just turn on the indirect lighting or the direct light — or both. And it is dimmable. In theory it should have been a great solution.
But we ordered two, and BOTH were missing pieces and parts. Not helpful. So they are going back.
And I am without a central light in the Workroom. More updates to come… hopefully soon. I'm rather in the dark!
Alcove Lighting
I did find a West Elm fixture for the alcove area on the Facebook Marketplace for just $15. I have installed it for now, and it is a vast improvement over the spotlight! But I’ll have to wait to see what I find for the main light, before I decide if this is a keeper. Notice, too, this also provides some indirect light. While the light isn’t pointed up, the nature of the fixture means that some light hits the ceiling and bounces which helps make this previously-dark corner much brighter.
Before: see how dark and shadowy the alcove is?
After: so much brighter!
How to Layer Light with lamps
Layering light is the same as layering bedding or clothing or accessories. Different kinds of light — indirect and direct — coming from different light sources to fill in a lighting picture. As in a theater, light sources can even be different colors for added depth or functionality depending on the room. In rooms with multiple functions like the Workroom, consider including:
Indirect light sources
Overhead lighting
Lamps for light pools and ambiance
Task lighting for specific functions
Remember: it is rare that all of these lights will be on at the same time. But including multiple light sources with different functions allows you to light the room differently for different “scenes” or uses.
In the Workroom, in addition to the overhead ambient lighting, I will also layer in lamps for pools of light as well as targeted task lighting for specific work areas.
I started the ORC with several lamps, pictured below. I sold the two silver lamps on the Facebook Marketplace. They are cute, but their heads didn’t move enough to be truly functional for my needs. I originally bought the two vintage lamps for the ORC Guest Room Refresh, but I didn’t end up using them. I love them, but the lamp shades are all wrong! And that Ott Lamp was a gift from my grandmother the quilter. It is functional but not attractive. I keep it tucked away and pull it out for specific task lighting like sewing projects.
The lamps are sitting on the horrid and bizarre countertop that used to span the alcove. It was tiled in a strangely ugly floor tile. I think it was for a TV at some point… but I don’t know. Thankfully, it is gone now!
As for those pools of ambient light, I have three table lamps. And here’s another frustration: I can’t find the right shades for the pair of vintage lamps. I found something that is just ok — but not amazing. I may need to learn to make lampshades!
This is the Merie Table Lamp from Crate and Barrel. I’ve had it for years and love it. It used to be in our living room, but it needed a new home — and found one!
These are better… but not perfect. A little too Modern Farmhouse for this room. I really just want the same lampshade that’s on the big table lamp, but I can’t find one that matches!
Task lighting is particularly important as I often work on small, detailed projects — especially sewing projects — at night. So I have task lighting options which can be used and moved as needed around the room. I’m still undecided about which of these will work better. The tall lamp is the wrong color, so I need to find it in a better shade if I am going to keep it. The smaller lamp just may not be tall enough. I’m still thinking about them both.
If that seems like a lot of lights and lamps in one room: well, it is. But as I have said before, the Workroom is a hard-working room with multiple uses. And I am not always the only person working in this room, either. So it is important that the room be both flexible and truly functional.
I will keep you updated on how it all comes out! Be sure to follow along on Instagram as the Scintillating Saga of the Light Fixtures continues!
I do have one little lamp shade tip for you: How to Make a Ring Lamp Shade Fit!
I have a lot more to do! But I feel like things are really coming together, and I am excited about where this is headed. If you are interested in ordering a copy of my Christmas organizer and planner, The Nice List, there are some available in my store! I’d love to ship a copy to you this week while I am filling orders! The Nice List is a fabulous way to give yourself a peaceful, organized, and more joyful Christmas season.
Over the next two weeks I’ll be working my tail off to finish this creative space — and finish up a Halloween costume and ship out book orders… phew!
Here’s my schedule for the coming weeks:
Week 5 | Oct 31 | Storage & Organization
Week 6 | Nov 7 | Before & After
I’ll be sharing the how-to for all of my projects as well as my favorite shopping sources for all things vintage and new.
You can follow along on Instagram or like Mid Modern Mama on Facebook for tips, tricks, and sneak peeks along the way, too.
Thanks to Linda of The One Room Challenge for organizing the whole shebang! Thanks also to Better Homes and Gardens, the ORC media sponsor.
Ok. Gotta get back to work!
Ciao!
Angela
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@MidModernMama
