reflected light from the sand. Objects that
are lighted by the sun, such as sandcastles,
people, bright beach blankets, and bathing
suits, become the focus. The glistening of
the sun on the agitated water or on wet
stones at the water’s edge is the sparkle.
Indoors, the proportions of these same
elements—ambient light, focal glow, and
sparkle—always and everywhere determine
the emotional setting.
Subjective Impressions
The late professor John Flynn documents
that as patterns of brightness contrast
change, the strength of visual stimuli also
changes, altering our impressions of space.
While looking for evidence that lighting
changes alone elicit significantly different
reactions, Flynn tested six lighting schemes
without making other changes in the room
(figures 2.9 to 2.14). These changes in light-
ing condition evoke consistent responses in
three areas of impression: spaciousness,
perceptual clarity, and pleasantness.Impressions of spaciousness
The impression of a room’s largeness or
smallness is affected by the intensity and
uniformity of the lighting at the room perime-Figure 2.8Sparkle.