TABLE SHOWING ABSORPTION OF LIGHT

ColorPercentage
of Light
Absorbed
White30
Chrome yellow38
Orange50
Clean pine wood55
Yellow paper60
Yellow paint (clean)60
Light pink paper64
Dirty pine wood80
Dirty yellow paint80
Emerald green paper82
Dark brown paper87
Vermilion paper88
Blue green paper88
Cobalt green paper88
Deep chocolate paper96

93. Distribution of Light. Light in rooms for general use should be distributed as evenly as possible thruout the entire room. Avoid excessive contrasts of brightness and darkness. Have the lamps shaded to diffuse the light so that no one need look directly at the filament. When working by a light, do not put the lamp very close to the material, as this produces too strong contrasts of light and dark, or, when reading, it produces too much reflection from the white parts of the paper, which is trying on the eyes.

Direct lighting means that the rays from the lamp go directly into the room (Fig. 45). Indirect lighting means that the rays are all directed toward a reflecting surface such as the ceiling (Fig. 46). From here they are reflected, giving an even amount of light to other parts of the room. When directed toward the ceiling, they make it the brightest part of the room.

A semi-indirect light avoids this difficulty (Fig. 47).

In diffused lighting, the lamp is covered, as by frosting, so that the rays of light are broken up and so scattered that no direct ray shines into the eyes, and there is no bright spot of light in the room.

Fig. 46. Indirect light.

When costs must be limited, certain decorative effects must be weighed for their value, some being more expensive than others.