the first thing i do in almost every paris flat i walk into: turn off…

the first thing i do in almost every paris flat i walk into: turn off the ceiling light.

that one bulb in the middle of the room, usually cold white, usually in a little glass bowl from the 90s. it flattens everything. the moulding, the parquet, the nice linen sofa, all of it looks like a photo taken with flash.

and now it's dark before 7 and people spend the whole evening under it 😅

what works instead is boring and cheap. three or four small lights at different heights. one low in a corner, one on a shelf or side table, one next to where you actually sit and read. warm bulbs, 2700k or lower. nothing above eye level when you're sitting down.

the room gets smaller in a good way. like it finally pulls the shutters closed around you.