My neighbor Deb saw my desk lamp and laughed out loud last Tuesday

I was showing her a picture of my setup and she asked why I had a bare bulb pointing straight at my face. She said it looked like an interrogation room not a cozy workspace. I swapped it for a warm shaded lamp I found at a thrift store for $8 and now the whole room feels softer. Has anyone else had a friend call out something obvious about their lighting setup?

3 comments

3 Comments

taylor1222d ago

Hold on, I'm gonna go the other way on this one. A bare bulb pointed right at you is actually PERFECT for getting work done. That "harsh" light keeps you alert and awake, none of that cozy sleepy vibe that makes you want to take a nap at your desk. Your neighbor Deb probably has her whole house lit like a candle shop, which is fine for relaxing but TERRIBLE for actually seeing what you're doing. That warm shaded lamp from the thrift store just makes everything look fuzzy and soft, which is great if you're editing photos of kittens but not if you need to read tiny text or solder a circuit board. Sometimes you NEED that direct, harsh light to focus and not miss details.

kellyjones22d ago

Wait, has anyone else just accepted that their workspace looks like a police evidence room and leaned into it? I definitely have, my desk lamp is basically a floodlight that makes me look like I'm being interrogated for a crime I probably committed against good taste. But honestly, when you're trying to read the tiny print on a resistor or map out a wiring diagram, you don't want that warm fuzzy glow from a thrift store lamp. You want to see every single dust particle and coffee stain on your desk like it's a crime scene. Sure, my face looks like I'm about to confess to something, but at least I can see what I'm doing without squinting.

stellanelson22d ago

Is your desk in a converted interrogation room, or did you just really commit to the "no distractions" lifestyle? I guess if you're soldering stuff, you probably want to see every tiny wire, not get hypnotized by a cozy glow. But man, I'd still need sunglasses and a brimmed hat just to check my email.