The two levels of light Whether you are using incandescent or fluorescent light, the balance of light between the immediate work area and the general lighting in the room is important. Worse than that, too big a contrast can be very tiring since you regularly look up from what you're doing thus repeatedly forcing your eyes to adjust from the concentrated light of the work area to the lower level of lighting in the surrounding area. The experts will advise you not to work under a lamp while the rest of the room is in complete darkness. Good advice, generally, though some of us prefer to ignore it. White walls reflect light while dark walls absorb it.
Most people function much more comfortably in rooms whose walls are light coloured.
The closer a light source the more intense it is. Light-coloured, translucent lamp shades that do concentrate light, for reading for instance, but also diffuse light into the surrounding area, are generally preferred. Many LVAO members told us they much preferred the light to come on the same side as the eye they use for reading. The important thing is that you position the light so that it falls directly on what you are viewing without causing glare. Hanging window plants, curtains even flimsy ones, suspended window ornaments and so on, can greatly reduce the light available to you.