The way my neighbor set up her corner nook changed how I think about light

Last month I was helping my neighbor Diane move some boxes and she showed off her tiny reading corner. She had this old wooden chair with a single floor lamp angled at the wall instead of pointing down at the book. I asked why and she said it softens the light so it bounces around the room. That small tweak cost her nothing extra and made the whole corner feel warmer than my setup with three different lights. I tried it the next day in my own spot with a cheap thrift store lamp and it worked way better than I expected. Now I keep telling people at the bar to try bouncing light off a wall if they want a cozy feel without spending much. Has anyone else found a simple trick like that for getting better lighting on the cheap?

2 comments

2 Comments

josephmartin1mo ago

My old floor lamp came from a garage sale for three bucks and I just pointed it at the ceiling in my bedroom corner. The light spreads soft and even so I can read without that harsh glare in my eyes. It made the room feel bigger somehow without me buying anything new or fancy.

martinez.kim1mo ago

My apartment is basically a cave with a lamp graveyard. I have this one stupid IKEA lamp that I swear was designed by someone who hates people's eyes. I ended up duct taping a paper towel over it and pointing it at the ceiling just like you said. Now I can actually see what I'm reading without feeling like I'm getting interrogated by the light. It doesn't look great but hey, neither do I in the morning so we're even.