Feeling Festive at Irvine Spectrum

  Visiting the Irvine Spectrum this past weekend put me in the holiday spirit while also making me feel like I was at a town fair.  My town always decorates around the holidays by putting twinkling fairy lights around the trees, so whenever I see trees dressed this way, I think of Christmas (especially when it is right around the corner and I have been listening to Christmas music all day).  Once I moved past the trees and noticed the bright red, yellow, and green lights illuminating the Ferris wheel, I immediately felt as though I was at a fair.  It was exciting and inviting.  I noticed there were more people hanging out underneath these lights than there were inside the shops.  There was something magical and beautiful about the way they lit up the outside area, and I suddenly felt energized to shop after I spent time admiring them.  Therefore, I think these lighting designers were successful in making people excited about shopping and spending money, which is the point of a shopping center.

  Nordstrom was the first shop I popped into, as per usual, and I was immediately blinded by the light.  This shop was much brighter than the outdoor area and had overhead lighting, as well as lights highlighting jewelry, makeup, and perfume in the display cases scattered throughout the space.  They were all colorless, and although I did not particularly want to stay in the shop for too long because of their brightness, I did think they helped the space look large and clean.  When everything is white and bright, I tend to think it looks expensive and new.  This lighting was effective in making me want to go to every area in the store because I could see where all the different departments were such as the shoes, jewelry, clothes, etc.  However, it did not make me feel like I needed just one of these things, I felt I needed to see them all and that was a bit overwhelming.  I left telling myself I would need more time and would come back a different day.   

Anthropologie's lighting design stood out to me because it drew me in immediately.  It had pockets of darkness, unlike Nordstrom, with fewer overhead lights throughout the shop.  The one area I noticed where light was concentrated was the display for perfume, soap, and hair products.  Because it was highlighting a green wall decorated with plants, it really added to the earthy, calm vibe that Anthropologie's clothing reflects.  I immediately felt calm in this store, while wanting to buy everything because I liked how the store made me feel, and I admired the earthy, unique clothing.