Lighting in frum homes (discovery during house-hunting)

amother

Tue, Mar 12 2024, 11:12 pm

I've never lived in or visited a frum home without a light fixture in every room, sometimes spotlights or chandeliers or simple fluorescent bulbs (depending on the homeowner's budget).

Yet every home we looked at while house-hunting (nonJewish owners, mostly) had only lamps in most of the rooms and very little overhead lighting. Whatever did exist was very dim.

Is bright lighting a frum thing? A Jewish thing? A chassidish thing?

I'd appreciate any enlightenment on the topic (if you'll pardon the pun).

(anon because I've been asking IRL)

amother

Oak

Tue, Mar 12 2024, 11:14 pm

I've noticed this also. We're currently renting from a not Jewish owner and we had to add SO many lamps to make the house bright enough for us.

Writergirl

Tue, Mar 12 2024, 11:15 pm

This is well known. I think shabbos with our inability to turn off/on lights plays a role. Non jews also often use their main living space to watch TV which requires dim lighting

amother

Tue, Mar 12 2024, 11:17 pm

Writergirl wrote:

This is well known. I think shabbos with our inability to turn off/on lights plays a role. Non jews also often use their main living space to watch TV which requires dim lighting

Interesting. Does shabbos affect lighting in bedrooms?

amother

Dimgray

Tue, Mar 12 2024, 11:21 pm

Yes it’s a real thing.
We bought one house and rented another and neither had overhead lights in the dining room (!) or living room or some bedrooms. No overhead light in the dining room? How are you supposed to see your food ? Aaaah but they only use their dining room twice a year - thanksgiving and xmas.
We added wiring and overhead lights in the house we bought, before we even moved in.

amother

Mistyrose

Tue, Mar 12 2024, 11:25 pm

Most of the non Jews in our neighborhood have dim lighting, the house we bought too. I think it's because they go to sleep early, when it gets dark out. (They're not running to simchas every night.) We all had to add additional lighting.

amother

Molasses

Tue, Mar 12 2024, 11:28 pm

I never noticed a difference in lighting in Jewish vs non-Jewish homes (maybe cause I have had few occasions to visit any) but it's something I notice and go crazy over in most hotels. Lamps on every table plus standing lamp(s) but no real bright overhead lights. Drives me nuts.

amother

Lightcoral

Tue, Mar 12 2024, 11:32 pm

Maybe you are just looking at "older" houses that haven't been renovated yet' . Many "older" houses, and even those built, n the 60s 70s and 80s, at least for I live, were not built with recessed lighting or any kind of ceiling fixture. Mostly they have wall sconces for lighting.
According to google recessed lighting did not come into popular usage until the 1970s.... And even then it probably didn't catch on with everyone right away

amother

Ecru

Tue, Mar 12 2024, 11:45 pm

Its definitely a real thing. Even in non-jewish owned apartments, theres rarely any light fixtures but rather outlets connected to light switches meant for lamps. Sometimes its because of cost (like for apartment buildings or homes built to rent) but a very common reason is that many MANY people just dont like overhead lights. They prefer lamps because they feel it creates better light distribution around the room while also not being overly bright and creating shadows.

I personally cannot be in a dim room, it gives me anxiety. BH we were very lucky that the house we bought from non-jewish owners have multiple light fixtures in every single room. The original owners who renovated did it, and interestingly enough the recent owners who sold it to us mentioned how frustrating it is and they never used it, instead had lamps everywhere.

Also, this is primarily an american thing. And its definitely seen more in less affluent neigborhoods.

amother

DarkViolet

Tue, Mar 12 2024, 11:48 pm

Yes, and very frustrating!

We are renting a home and there aren't even enough outlets to put in enough lamps to properly light the living room. We got standing lamps with 5 bulbs each, and it's still dimmer than we'd like.

Interestingly the kitchen does have recessed lighting (but it was renovated more recently).

I really don't get how people like to live in the dark.

amother

Denim

Tue, Mar 12 2024, 11:49 pm

amother Lightcoral wrote:

I think this is true!

My childhood home built by yidden has no overhead lighting in the living room. It must have been an older style thing. I think a lot of the modern homes have pot lights and other overhead lighting fixtures.

amother

Almond

Tue, Mar 12 2024, 11:49 pm

amother Lightcoral wrote:

This makes sense. The non jewish owned houses we've looked at, are all old and most don't have lighting.

DrMom

Tue, Mar 12 2024, 11:53 pm

I have never noticed this before, but I know I find many hotels have dim/limited lighting, and it annoys me because it makes it difficult to read.

Perhaps our habit of frequent reading explains why Jewish-owned homes are always well-lit?

amother

Pumpkin

Wed, Mar 13 2024, 12:02 am

Definitely a thing. I’ve noticed that the popular decor style in American Frum rooms creates an atmosphere a bit like an operating theatre - all grey cold surfaces and bright overhead lighting. I’m not a fan, as you might have gathered!

amother

Firebrick

Wed, Mar 13 2024, 12:04 am

I did EI in many non Jews’ homes and this stood out to me so much. Many times when I would come the lights would not even be on, literally I would be playing on the floor with toddlers in the dark with only some light from the windows. Even when the lights were on it was very dim. My husband is obsessed with spotlights and my house is very well lit. I feel like these non Jews would be shocked if they came to my house. I also follow a popular interior designer on Instagram (not Jewish) and she hates recessed lighting and says that each room should have a bunch of lamps.

amother

Heather

Wed, Mar 13 2024, 12:07 am

I’m in my 40’s, grew up in the UK and now live in the US. This is something I remember clearly noticing as a young child. When I passed by non Jewish homes they looked so dark and dim. Whilst the Jewish homes in my neighborhood were all brightly lit..