The invention relates to a method and to an apparatus that enables the ambience of e.g. hospital rooms to adapt according the scheduled or non-scheduled activities throughout the day. The ambience generated by lights, sound devices, image, movie displays and other devices is controlled by an ambience controller (100) in dependence of day phases defined by a patient's day schedule or in dependence of other non-scheduled phases which may have been initiated in dependence of a trigger signal (215, 216) generated in response to activities such as the entering of a caterer.