david k warfel
“Using CCT as a proxy for the biological potency of light cannot be justified.” -Esposito, T., Houser, K. Click HERE for full article. A few weeks ago I revisited the promise that light can help us feel better and drew parallels between taste and sight. Food, when prepared creatively, can deliver momentary pleasure on our tastebuds but it takes... Continue Reading →
Light for our bodies can help us feel better, and this may be the most important promise of them all. Throughout human history, discovery and invention have joined together to deliver turning points of epic proportions, moments at which all of humanity advanced into new eras. We discovered countless galaxies and nebulae and expanded our... Continue Reading →
Of all the moments of discovery, connection, and understanding provided at LightFair this year, none stirred my emotions or challenged my thinking as deeply as the fifty minutes allotted to the Light + Justice conference session. Led by Edward Bartholomew, Mark Loeffler, and Lya S. Osborn, the presentation shook up my thinking and clarified my focus.... Continue Reading →
I have fallen into the habit of stating that while I personally celebrate Christmas, professionally I celebrate Winter Solstice. Winter Solstice, which for me in Wisconsin, USA, is December 21st, marks the point in the Earth's annual orbit around the sun where we "tip" back towards longer days. As a lighting designer, that means that... Continue Reading →
My 1THING: New Build series title is a bit awkward when it comes to the great outdoors. Seldom are trees and shrubs and lawns built...rather, they are grown. Oh well, I never promised literary quality, just lighting ideas. If it makes you feel better, call this my 1THING: When-you-hire-professionals-to-do-the-work series. Wow, that has a nice... Continue Reading →
What happens when you get a couple of opinionated lighting geeks into an unscripted conversation about light? I never know where the Get a Grip on Lighting podcast will go, but each time it is good rollicking fun. Wow. I just used rollicking in a sentence. It's all downhill from here, friends! Check out my... Continue Reading →
I could make this my shortest blog post yet: the 1THING I recommend for home office lighting that does not require an electrician is to simply add a pair of table lamps to your work surface. The end. Explaining my reasoning might take a few more words and conceptually mirrors my recommendation for hard-wired new... Continue Reading →
Ouch. This post, more than others, paints me as a rather entitled and spoiled person. I'll work on that, but for now let's just assume the best- that the lessons I learned can help others live better lives. That is what lighting design - and this blog - is all about. A few years ago... Continue Reading →
A few years ago I wrote a pulp piece for Houzz.com on how to choose the "right" color temperature of light. At the time there were just a few choices homeowners faced with lighting: choose 2700°K warm white, 3000°K not-quite-as-warm light, or perhaps 3500°K "neutral" white or 4000°K cool light. I recommended 2700°K for traditional... Continue Reading →
What is the best color temperature for electric light? My answer is "all of them." In this Gear Talk post I share photographs from a single business trip to Dallas, Texas. Call it a Lightseeing post...and I saw warm-dim everywhere. I think warm-dim should be a minimum standard, not an add-on. To explain, I’m going... Continue Reading →
the language of light 