Atmosphere creation: the relation between atmosphere and light characteristics

The latest developments in lighting technology in the area of color and dynamics make it possible to create more appealing atmospheres. Hence, the focus of lighting research is changing from visual effects towards psychological effects, from white light towards colored light, and from static to dynamic designs. The goal of this study was twofold: First, we want to investigate what light characteristics lighting designers use to create certain atmospheres in the living room and second, what is the relation between these light characteristics and the atmosphere. The results show that typically used parameters such as brightness and color temperature in combination with parameters such as color, beam shaping, and dynamics provide the best opportunities for creating appealing atmospheres in the living room. The relation between all these light parameters and the atmospheres cosy, activating, relaxing, and exciting are described in detail in this paper