In Praise of Shadows in My Home

Inspired by Jun'ichiro Tanizaki's In Praise of Shadows

I just finished reading Jun’ichiro Tanizaki’s In Praise of Shadows and as an exercise in light and shadows I have decided to explore my home. From room to room, I am entering it as we have it arranged now. Our kitchen has a single window open with a fluorescent light illuminating the 10’x10’ area. I move a few feet over into the dining room where a chandelier with 5 small candelabras illuminates the 10’x10’ area (As well as the light spilling and bouncing around from the kitchen into the dining area). I move another few feet into our living room where a double set of open windows illuminate the area (the light from the kitchen and dining room fades as the light from the sun over powers it). I move a few feet into the hallway where all doors leading to other rooms are open and a cool light caresses the walls, floor and ceiling. I pass into our children’s bedroom where gentle, warm sunlight filtered by a tree lightly falls through the window to the center of the room. I retrace my steps, peer into the darkened cold bathroom, and move on toward our bedroom where the blinds are closed allowing a harshly filtered light to permeate the air.

Here is what I discovered about the quality, direction, and temperature of the light:

The kitchen is practical. We can see clearly what we are cooking, cleaning, and storing, but it lacks a warmth I enjoy when I think of the love that goes into those meals.

The dining room light is unnecessary even while eating, but at night it is a different story.

As I move into the living room, I wish for the filtered light through a tree, but at this time of day it is beaming into the room with all its warmth and power. It makes reading difficult and does not offer a comfortably cool feeling that one hopes for while resting.

As I move into the hallway, I quickly breeze through as it is not pleasant in its darkness.

Then walking into the children’s room I find myself the most at ease. I feel a strong sense of pleasure. The light is filtered through a tree, falling onto the ground, then bouncing up onto the white walls and ceiling. It is cool but not cold. Warm but not hot. I enjoy looking at the things in the room. This is my ideal room with a soft, filtered light falling onto the ground, then bouncing around the room.

As I walk back toward my bedroom I pass the bathroom and wish it was inviting.

My bedroom is quiet and almost as pleasant as our children’s room. The light being filtered through the white shades is creating a much colder and harsher light. It is also constantly changing from bright to dim to dark to bright again all within the matter of seconds. This is due to the shades moving in the breeze coming from outside. This does not make for a pleasant feeling and drives me out of the room.

My experiment has proven to be quite interesting, yet I wonder what it would be like to do the same thing in the morning or evening hours. I also wonder what I would think during the heat of summer or the cold of winter. What would my preferences be for the artificial light vs. the natural sunlight?