This is the first installment in our Lighting Series, exploring how thoughtful lighting can transform your space and well-being.
How lighting impacts your mood, your health, and your space:
Tulip began with Lori asking one small question: Why does this room feel so bad when everything in it looks good?
The answer led to Tulip. And now it leads us here, to the Lighting Series, so you can learn what she did: that lighting changes everything.
There's magic in the humble light bulb. It's not just about seeing; it's about feeling. A thoughtfully lit room creates a sanctuary, wrapping you in a sense of ease that's as real as it is subtle. It's the difference between a space you exist in and a space that feels like an extension of yourself.
Why Does Light Matter So Much?
Most of us don't notice lighting until something feels off but we can't name why. We blame the furniture. The wall color. Even our mood.
"Lighting affects our nervous system and can help us feel relaxed and lower our stress if it's done correctly," Lori Smyth, founder of Tulip explains. For 25 years, Lori has watched beautiful homes fall flat because of one overlooked element: light quality. As a career residential builder and designer, she's seen the transformation countless times — the same furniture, same walls, a wildly different feeling — all from changing how light fills a space.
"Many builders don't consider how lighting affects the way we feel in a space. They often over-light with too many recessed cans and ceiling lights because they're cheap and easy to install. But for me, lighting has always been about creating mood and atmosphere, not just illumination," she notes, drawing from her extensive experience working with builders.
Your body reads light like a language. Harsh overhead glare tells your nervous system to stay alert (think fluorescent office lighting). Warm, diffused light signals safety and calm. This isn't just aesthetic preference, it's biology. Your circadian rhythms, hormone production, and mood all respond to the quality of light surrounding you.
"This beautifully designed and constructed sculptural piece completely transformed my entryway. I feel a calm joy every time I come home! It could not have been easier to install and the quality of light is just what I wanted."
— Brett, M, Tulip Customer
Beyond these biological effects, the quality of light in our spaces profoundly impacts our emotional state, creating environments that feel either inviting and intimate or institutional and stark. This subtle influence is why thoughtful lighting choices become such powerful tools for shaping how we feel in our homes.
The Key to Better Light: Diffusion
When overhead lighting is too harsh, it creates unflattering shadows and can contribute to eye strain and headaches over time. When light diffuses, shadows soften. Faces look more natural. Spaces feel more balanced.
Rather than replacing fixtures or rewiring your ceiling, diffusion transforms the light you already have. At Tulip, this is our obsession: helping you reclaim your space without rewiring your ceiling.
“Lovely color and texture and filters light nicely. Definitely adds intentionality and coziness to my room.” — H.S., Tulip Customer
“Tulip shade transformed my dining room beautifully. What had a harsh light is now a gentle ambiance.” — Callie B., Tulip Customer
Lighting Series Vol.1: The Mood-Altering Power of Light
This is the first installment in our Lighting Series, exploring how thoughtful lighting can transform your space and well-being.
How lighting impacts your mood, your health, and your space:
Tulip began with Lori asking one small question: Why does this room feel so bad when everything in it looks good?
The answer led to Tulip. And now it leads us here, to the Lighting Series, so you can learn what she did: that lighting changes everything.
There's magic in the humble light bulb. It's not just about seeing; it's about feeling. A thoughtfully lit room creates a sanctuary, wrapping you in a sense of ease that's as real as it is subtle. It's the difference between a space you exist in and a space that feels like an extension of yourself.
Why Does Light Matter So Much?
Most of us don't notice lighting until something feels off but we can't name why. We blame the furniture. The wall color. Even our mood.
"Lighting affects our nervous system and can help us feel relaxed and lower our stress if it's done correctly," Lori Smyth, founder of Tulip explains. For 25 years, Lori has watched beautiful homes fall flat because of one overlooked element: light quality. As a career residential builder and designer, she's seen the transformation countless times — the same furniture, same walls, a wildly different feeling — all from changing how light fills a space.
"Many builders don't consider how lighting affects the way we feel in a space. They often over-light with too many recessed cans and ceiling lights because they're cheap and easy to install. But for me, lighting has always been about creating mood and atmosphere, not just illumination," she notes, drawing from her extensive experience working with builders.
Your body reads light like a language. Harsh overhead glare tells your nervous system to stay alert (think fluorescent office lighting). Warm, diffused light signals safety and calm. This isn't just aesthetic preference, it's biology. Your circadian rhythms, hormone production, and mood all respond to the quality of light surrounding you.
Beyond these biological effects, the quality of light in our spaces profoundly impacts our emotional state, creating environments that feel either inviting and intimate or institutional and stark. This subtle influence is why thoughtful lighting choices become such powerful tools for shaping how we feel in our homes.
The Key to Better Light: Diffusion
When overhead lighting is too harsh, it creates unflattering shadows and can contribute to eye strain and headaches over time. When light diffuses, shadows soften. Faces look more natural. Spaces feel more balanced.
Rather than replacing fixtures or rewiring your ceiling, diffusion transforms the light you already have. At Tulip, this is our obsession: helping you reclaim your space without rewiring your ceiling.