Our first lighting recommendation is easy though. Find natural light, whenever and wherever you can. Step outside in the morning light, even if only for a minute or two. Place your desk near a window if possible. Build in breaks outside throughout the day, taking a moment to touch the sunlight before returning to your work.

Why? Because the first purpose of lighting is health. As we learn more about circadian rhythms, we understand in a deep way how intimately we are tied to that ebb and flow of body activity. In 2017, three researchers received the Nobel Prize for discovering the inner workings of our daily clock. Our wellness depends on how well external cues match up with that internal clock. On the flip side, when they don’t match up, we feel it. Either in short term discomfort (“jet lag”), all the way to chronic health problems (anxiety, depression and more).

They’re trying to achieve another purpose of lighting, related to the first: reduce energy use (in both people and systems) and reduce strain. Since we’re also trying to be successful in our work, the third purpose of lighting: optimize your productivity and elevate your game. This includes setting the right mood, creating a space for conference calls, illuminating specific areas with focused light (task lighting).

Health, energy, productivity...what are we missing? Feeling! The fourth purpose of lighting is to make a space feel and look good, viscerally, intuitively, immediately.

If you’re able to dive deep on lighting, Luma-Lighting style, for your home office, go for it! But if you would just like basic principles to go by, with some elegant lighting options laid out in front of you, we gathered some guideposts for you here.

As a general rule, blue-er, cooler light, which our bodies associate with day time, helps us to be more alert, focused, attentive. Red, yellow and orange warm light sends a message of sunset and nighttime, inducing a more relaxed, gentle state. A fine-tuned lighting setup takes these color cues into account. You might have a cool-color bulb in your task lamp, for example, and a warm-color bulb in your overhead light that you turn on to take conference calls. This setup could facilitate alertness as you’re, say, analyzing and forecasting, and then create an inviting, friendly environment for when you’re on a collaborative strategy call with your colleagues.

Caveat: This is a rough approximation approach to lighting your home office. Some lighting experts point out that, if we really want to dial it in and achieve a real biological effect using lighting, we need to go a step beyond CCT and look at a number called Spectral Power Distribution (SPD). This measures the actual energy released by light.

Recommendation One: A desk near a window, preferably alongside it rather than facing away from or toward it.

But what if your office is in a basement, or a closet, or under the stairs? You can still incorporate daytime light, just artificially. Natural light lamps are designed to imitate sunlight, lifting your mood, sharpening your focus and keeping you alert. Very Well Mind rounded up a list of their favorite light therapy lamps here, including their favorites broken down by category.

If you’re trying to save space on your desk, there are wall-mount lights that let you adjust the angle of light, like this Bernard-Albin Gras sconce lamp or the Rejuvenation Cylinder Task Wall Light. Alternatively you could put an adjustable floor lamp next to your desk, like the IKEA Ypperlig.

Recommendation Two: Find a task light you love. Choose your color temperature based on when you’ll be using your light the most. If that’s during the day, consider a cooler CCT. If at night, try a warmer one.

If your space has a lower ceiling, recessed, or can, lights have lower light distribution but free up vertical space. Low-profile ceiling fixtures, or flush-mount lights, hit a middle ground. Plus they offer a little more spunk, like this Bromi gold and white fixture.

On the subject of LED lights: They cost more up front, but last longer than other light bulb types and are more energy-efficient, decreasing electricity costs in the long run. They also come in a variety of color temperatures. Some studies have shown that long-term exposure to LEDS, particularly high-intensity blue light, could increase risk for vision defects and other health challenges, and some health and research professionals have concerns. In general, the “colder” and bluer the light, the more harmful it’s considered to be. We’re hardly experts, and this is just one source, but if you’re worried about it and yet still want LED lights, opt for a warmer color temperature (and hope for the best...).

Do you like a long line? Check out this LED light rod. There are farmhouse style sconces, candelabra style sconces, barn light sconces, and Italian blown glass sconces. A sconce for every style.

In a recent art studio makeover, influencer Matthew Encina—a creative director, content creator, and friend of Grovemade’s—uses lighting to create a mood in the artist’s space. In the workspace tour video, Matthew calls out their lighting choice, noting that they chose it for a usage at a specific time of day, and for a specific effect.

A good accessory light offers this kind of targeted use. It won’t distract you, but it can be a retreat in those moments you need to look away from your desk or screen. Something that adds dimension to a flat plane, that sparks inspiration, or draws up a happy feeling. Or something that anchors you and keeps you at ease in your space. All in addition to being another source of light.

This is true for all your lights though: they are sources. Of light, of joy, of ease, of inspiration. Whether it’s a ceiling light, a task light, or a floor light. A custom RGB setup for your gaming center, twinkle lights, or any kind of light you can think of. The important thing is to find which ones are Sources for you.

Which brings us back to the beginning, to the ultimate source, the sun. And to the first purpose, health, in a broad sense, encompassing physical, emotional, mental and creative threads. Let your lighting keep you in touch with the rhythm of the day. Let it relax your stress and strain. Choose lights that speak to you, that illuminate your workspace and keep your eyes attentive to what matters. Find natural light and, when you can, step outside. So that in the end you have a home office space tailored to doing your best work and filled with inspiration.