For years I've watched people put more and more lighting into each of their rooms. Especially kitchens. Some of them are so bright I feel like I've just walked into an operating room. This past week I read a really interesting article that did research on the effects of lighting and losing weight. By simply changing your lighting (less of it) you can lose weight. Apparently a bright room (they were discussing kitchens and dining rooms) increases anxiety and ups your appetite. Hence the importance of dimmers over a dining room or kitchen table. But since most people who cook are also grazers a little less light there can also make a difference. When looking back at my last house and my current house I'm a perfect example of this research. My last house had a super bright (but cheery) kitchen compared to my current house. We've been in this house 7 years, I've lost 14 pounds without dieting. Don't get me wrong, my current house isn't a dungeon - there's even a skylite but it has half the lighting of the old and I rarely use more than three of the lights at once (over the island, the sink and the table). No lights during the day. Just keep this in mind when setting up your lighting.