Glow State

Illuminations from Milan: Designing with light that calms, holds and restores.

If design has a nervous system, lighting is its breath.

At this year’s Salone del Mobile, I found myself paying less attention to the shapes and more to the shadows. The glow. The way a room changed simply because of the quality of light.

Lighting doesn’t just show us a space. It tells us how to be in it.

Light as a sensory tool

We often think of lighting as functional—something we need to see clearly. But soft, indirect, low, or layered lighting can do something more important: it can regulate the nervous system.

• Warm light supports melatonin production and relaxation

• Cool, blue-toned light can raise cortisol and alertness

• Dappled, diffused light mimics nature and encourages a parasympathetic (calm) response

As Susan Magsamen writes in Your Brain on Art, “The right light can help synchronize circadian rhythms, reduce anxiety, and improve emotional tone.”

Milan Moments That Lit Me Up

These hand-carved ceramics and blown glass don’t just hold light—they cradle it. Each piece glows from within, like something breathing. The effect is intimate, emotional, almost meditative.

The poetry of light and shadow itself. Glowing gradient discs—neither art nor lamp—wash walls in ethereal halos of color. It’s not about seeing better. It’s about feeling differently. These pieces shift the emotional temperature of a space in real time.

How to Light Like You Feel

If you want to create spaces that support your nervous system, not just your style:

• Layer your lighting. Use a mix of ambient, task, and accent light. Let it build, not blast.

• Use dimmers. Mood is not static. Neither is light.

• Soften the source. Look for fixtures with frosted glass, curved shapes, or indirect direction.

• Warm it up. Choose bulbs in the 2700K–3000K range to mimic late afternoon light.

• Leave room for shadow. Not everything needs to be lit to be felt.

Light is energy, not just visibility

The most luxurious lighting doesn’t scream.
It flickers. Glows. Hugs the edges of a room.
It lets you be seen without being exposed.

Light doesn’t just let us see beauty.
It shapes the way we feel inside of it.

Let it be intentional. Let it behold.
Let it be light.

💌

Elle

P.S. I pulled together a little R&D report on the trends we spotted at Milan Design Week—textures, tones, lighting moments, and materials that stayed with me. Leave a comment if you’d like a peek 👀