day and night lights by éléonore delisse rectify seasonal depression

day and night lights by éléonore delisse rectify seasonal depression
all images courtesy of éléonore delisse

seasonal affective disorder is a recurrent form of depression caused by changes in the circadian rhythm–human’s 24 hour daily cycle–and is often brought on when light changes or disappears in fall and winter. the ‘day’ and ‘night’ lamps, by veenhuizen-based designer éléonore delisse, project colors to rebalance rhythms gone awry. 

while daylight as a whole is beneficial, different hues affect the body in different ways. both pieces use dichroic glass to produce a range of colors as it rotates in coordination to a set day-night rhythm. in the mornings, a blue light lessens melatonin production and stimulates wakefulness. in the evenings, a warm amber glow encourages melatonin production and simultaneously makes users drowsy. 

the ‘day’ and ‘night’ lights

delisse created the lights as part of her graduation project at design academy eindhoven. lack of a considered, design-led response to the seasonal affective disorder influenced the work. the small lamps are a functional, cleverly designed solution to get rid of the winter blues. 

from dark to light blue, the ‘night’ light stops melatonin production and makes users feel more awake

‘day’ and ‘night’ lights

dichroic glass produces a range of colors

‘day’ light

from yellow to amber, the ‘night’ light encourages melatonin production

designboom has received this project through its ‘DIY submissions’ feature, which welcomes readers to submit their own work for publication. see more designboom readers submissions here.