THE ROLE OF LIGHT IN ALTERING COLOR PERCEPTION AND MOOD IN INTERIOR DESIGN SPACES

Abstract

The importance of lighting in interior design is not limited to illumination but also extends to its ability to impact on the perception of color, space and the psychological state of a space's user. In interior environments, the relationship between light and colour is an essential one, influencing visual comfort, the aesthetic value of the environment and sentiments. Light colours, materials and textures can have very different effects depending on lighting conditions—intensity, correlated colour temperature (CCT), colour rendering, and direction—and significantly affect the feelings the user has about space and atmosphere (Boyce, 2014; Mahnke, 1996). In addition, previous studies have shown that the lighting environment can have an impact on the mood, behavior, productivity and satisfaction of occupants with warm lighting environments generally inducing a sense of relaxation and comfort, while cooler lighting environments stimulate occupants to be alert and improve task performance (Flynn et al., 1973; Wei et al., 2023). Drawing from a thorough review of the literature and by exploring interior environments, this study examines the impact and effect of natural and artificial lighting on color perception and its effects on design moods within interior space. It seeks to establish the correlation of the lighting parameters with the human psyche responses and find out the lighting design strategies that increase the light quality and users' experience. The results underscore the importance of planning lighting in harmony with interior color schemes to produce an interior environment that is functional, aesthetically pleasing and supportive of the psychology of the occupants. The findings from the study offer valuable evidence-based findings that can help interior architects and interior designers design and create lighting that enhances spatial perception, ease, and emotional response