TL;DR
Get kitchen gear delivered free with Prime
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
- Member-only deals all year
A Livingetc report shares Norwegian designer Gudbjørg Simonsen’s approach to home lighting during dark winters: work with seasonal changes, use varied light rather than an even wash, and layer practical and atmospheric sources. The article offers design guidance, not new research or a formal lighting standard.
Norwegian designer Gudbjørg Simonsen has outlined how she approaches home lighting for short winter days, recommending that people design around seasonal changes rather than trying to eliminate every shadow. In a report for Livingetc, she describes using variation and layered lighting to make rooms practical while also creating a sense of warmth and welcome.
Simonsen says home design should account for changing daylight across the year. Rather than treating winter darkness as a problem to be defeated with uniform brightness, she argues that a room can change character with the seasons, as light, shadow, color and materials are experienced differently. Her work is based in Stavanger, Norway, and, according to Livingetc, considers both the environment around a home and the lifestyle of the person living in it.
One of her main recommendations is to avoid making every part of a room equally bright. Simonsen says she values variation in illumination, drawing on the way natural light creates brighter areas, gradual transitions and shadow. In her view, a fully even wash can make a room feel flat; darker areas do not always need to be erased.
She also recommends layering different kinds of light to meet different needs. Task lighting can provide precise illumination for a work surface, help people move through a space or highlight artwork. Simonsen says practical fittings should be discreet where possible, so the effect of the light takes precedence over the fixture itself. The report’s available source text begins this advice but does not provide the full list of lighting layers or further detailed specifications.
Designing for Winter’s Changing Light
The advice offers a practical alternative to treating winter lighting as a single problem of insufficient brightness. By distinguishing between light that helps people see and light that shapes how a room feels, Simonsen frames a home lighting scheme as both functional and atmospheric. Different areas can serve different purposes: a work surface may need focused light, while a corner intended for rest can remain softer.
That distinction may help readers make more deliberate choices about where they add lamps or fittings, rather than brightening a whole room indiscriminately. Simonsen also connects lighting to a feeling of human presence: a warmly lit window, she says, can suggest that someone is home. This is her design perspective, not a clinical claim about lighting’s effect on mood.
For people in places with limited winter daylight, the report’s central point is that a home need not look the same throughout the year. Seasonal adjustment—through the placement and character of light—can be part of how a room is used and experienced.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Norway’s Short Winter Days
Livingetc sets Simonsen’s advice against Norway’s winter daylight conditions. The report says that in December, some parts of the country may receive up to six hours of daylight a day, while the far north can have periods with no daylight. The article does not give a specific location, date range or data source for those figures, so they should be understood as broad context rather than a detailed daylight calendar.
Simonsen’s approach is shaped by those seasonal shifts and by her interest in traditional Norwegian architecture, according to the report. She says she does not think homes should be designed as if daylight stays constant throughout the year. Instead, she treats the changing seasons as part of a home’s atmosphere. Her recommendations are design guidance drawn from her practice, not a building-code requirement or a universal prescription.
“I don’t think we can design homes as though light remains constant throughout the year. Nor do I think the answer is to fight the darkness.”
— Gudbjørg Simonsen, Norwegian designer, quoted by Livingetc
dimmable task lamps for living room
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Details the Report Does Not Give
The available source material does not specify when the Livingetc report was published, provide a complete set of Simonsen’s recommended lighting layers, or list particular products, brightness levels or color temperatures. It also does not cite research measuring the effects of these design choices on mood or wellbeing. The comments about atmosphere and human presence are Simonsen’s professional perspective, not reported findings from a study.
The daylight figures are presented as a broad description of Norwegian winters, without a cited dataset or a breakdown by region and date. The account also does not explain how the recommendations might change for homes with different layouts, budgets or existing lighting. Readers should treat the advice as a design approach rather than a one-size-fits-all plan.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Applying the Advice at Home
The source report presents design principles rather than a scheduled next development. For readers applying them, a practical next step is to identify which areas need focused light for tasks and which are better served by softer, decorative sources. Simonsen’s guidance suggests looking at how daylight moves through a room, then adding light where it serves a clear purpose instead of trying to illuminate every corner equally.
Any specific installation needs will depend on the room and fittings; the report does not provide technical instructions. Further detail on the complete layering approach or measurable lighting guidance was not included in the source material. What remains available here is the core design advice: plan for seasonal change, combine functional and atmospheric light, and allow some contrast and shadow.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Key Questions
What is Gudbjørg Simonsen’s main lighting recommendation?
She recommends designing for seasonal changes and using variation rather than uniform brightness. In her view, rooms can benefit from brighter areas, softer transitions and shadow.
What does layered lighting mean in this report?
It means using different sources of light for different purposes. The report specifically discusses task lighting for work surfaces, movement through a room and highlighting artwork, alongside lighting that contributes to atmosphere.
Does Simonsen recommend brightening every dark corner?
No. She says she does not want rooms to be evenly illuminated and suggests that some darker areas can remain, reflecting the variation found in natural light.
How much daylight does Norway get in December?
Livingetc says some parts of Norway can receive up to six hours of daylight per day in December, while the far north can experience periods with no daylight. The report does not provide a detailed regional calendar or cite a data source for those figures.
Does the report provide technical lighting specifications?
No. The available material gives design principles but does not specify brightness levels, color temperatures, products or installation requirements.
Source: rss
Halloween Picks
halloween
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
