The Most Flattering Light Bulb Casts You in Lovely Pink

Looking around the main room ofmy apartmentthe other night, I realized something odd: no fewer than four lamps had red shades. This had happened gradually, but weird as it was, I couldn’t help but think how cozy and appealing the end result was.

It’s true, this isn’t exactly what you’d call “task lighting” — unless the task is being a madam in 19th-century New Orleans. Reading is tricky; any detail work — say, removing a splinter — is out of the question. But the effect isso flattering: You and your guests look like late-career Joan Crawford shot through a particularly Vaseline-y lens. If I’m completely honest, I think the fixation with rosy lighting design dates back to my childhood copy ofA Little Princess.In the Tasha Tudor illustration, Sara Crewe’s transformed garret features a red-shaded lamp; and as an adult, I’ve always kept my eyes open for well-priced red-silk shades. (I have usedthis oneon several lamps.)

If you’re not willing to go full bordello, an easy and time-honored trick for softening light is thepinklight bulb. I think I first read this tip in Dorothy Draper’sEntertaining is Fun,in which the grande dame recommends swapping out regular bulbs when you have guests over. The effect is quite similar to a red lamp shade, though slightly more muted (rosy rather than red). It gives me and anyone who happens to come over just a hint of warm color, like we’ve just come in from the cold. While pink bulbs can be a bit hard to find (my source just closed, and I’ve started ordering themby the boxonline), the inside-a-shell vibe is well worth seeking out.

A final warning: Don’t rely on the pink light while applying makeup. I’ve been fooled more than once by the glow of my living room into thinking I looked radiant, only to catch a glimpse of an ashen wraith in the cold light of day.