Looking around the main room of my living room the other night, I realized something odd: no fewer than four lamps had red shades. This had happened gradually, but weird as it was, I couldn’t help but think how cozy and appealing the end result was.
It’s true, this isn’t exactly what you’d call “task lighting” — unless the task is being a madam in 19th-century New Orleans. Reading is tricky; any detail work — say, removing a splinter — is out of the question. But the effect is so flattering: You and your guests look like late-career Joan Crawford shot through a particularly Vaseline-y lens. If I’m completely honest, I think the fixation with rosy lighting started with my Aunt Regina. In entering her home, immediately you felt warm and inviting and could just stay forever. Soft pink lighting, then more in lamp shades, was the key. And always low wattage bulbs, soft lighting. Now things have obviously changed. Pink bulbs are the way to go to get that warm and inviting, peaceful feeling in your home.If you’re not willing to go full bordello, an easy and time-honored trick for softening light is the pink light bulb.I think I first read this tip in Dorothy Draper’s Entertaining is Fun, in which the grande dame recommends swapping out regular bulbs when you have guests over. The effect is quite similar to a red lamp shade, though slightly more muted (rosy rather than red). It gives me and anyone who happens to come over just a hint of warm color, like we’ve just come in from the cold. While pink bulbs can be a bit hard to find (my source just closed, and I’ve started ordering them on Amazon, the inside-a-shell vibe is well worth seeking out. in which the grande dame recommends swapping out regular bulbs when you have guests over. The effect is quite similar to a red lamp shade, though slightly more muted (rosy rather than red). It gives me and anyone who happens to come over just a hint of warm color, like we’ve just come in from the cold. While pink bulbs can be a bit hard to find (my source just closed, and I’ve started ordering them by the box online), the inside-a-shell vibe is well worth seeking out. To purchase “Entertaining is Fun”, https://amzn.to/2VJ2ZBE
Final warning: Don’t rely on the pink light while applying makeup. I’ve been fooled more than once by the glow of my living room into thinking I looked radiant, only to catch a glimpse of an ashen wraith in the cold light of day.GE Lighting 60w Soft Pink Light Bulb..https://amzn.to/2Ie6xDQ
