Buying a light bulb nowadays is not so straight forward.
Not only do we need to understand the whole lumens and watts thing to know how bright we want it (click here to find out more) we also have to decide on the colour of the light we want too.
Let’s take a look at a few things which will help you out when making this decision:
How is the colour of light measured?
First of all we need to know some of the terminology that’s used and what it means.
When we talk about the white colour of a light bulb we generally use five terms:
- Very warm white
- Warm white
- White
- Cool white
- Daylight (white)
These colours fall in to a range on a temperature scale which is measured in Kelvin (K)
The odd thing is that the lower the Kelvin temperature the warmer the colour of the light giving an orange/yellow glow, while at the higher end of the scale the light is cooler, with a blueish tint.
I’m not going to bore you with the details as to why that is but if you’d like to know then drop a comment in the box below and I’ll cover it in a future article. The temperatures on this scale bear no resemblance to the physical temperature of the lamp and the Kelvin temperature measurement of LEDs is a correlated colour temperature or CCT.
Now we know the choices, what colour do we choose?
Well there’s no real set rule as to what colour of light should be used where, it’s just down to personal choice.
For me I prefer to see warm white lights (2700-3000K) in reception areas and living rooms because these give a much more homely, welcoming and relaxed feel to a room or area.
Using a white (4000K) light in rooms like kitchens and offices, where you might be carrying out a lot of tasks, would be certainly beneficial as it’s a brighter “clearer” colour which is ideal for working in.
This white (4000K) is also good for showing fairly accurate colours too making it ideal for around makeup mirrors or in dressing/bathrooms.
Daylight (6500K) is a good choice for a garage or basement where the brighter light gives the appearance and feel of natural light.
However this is the colour we often refer to as having a “clinical” look and it can be a little harsh for general areas or working spaces where it can cause eyestrain during long working periods.
On the plus side though; daylight lamps can be useful for treating those who suffer from seasonal affective disorder (SAD) where the darker nights of the winter months can cause some people to suffer from depression and lethargy amongst other symptoms.
Spending time in rooms lit with daylight lamps often helps to reduce these symptoms and is a recommended therapy.
Thats not the colour seat I choose!
Your choice of light colour will have a dramatic effect to look and feel of a room and will change the colour of walls and furniture quite significantly.
We often recommend using white (4000K) if you want to achieve a more modern look to a room but it’s worth having some secondary lighting with a warmer coloured light for creating a more relaxed atmosphere and, for example, to watch TV by.
The trend for bars and restaurants at the moment is for very warm lighting with colour temperatures as low as 1700K which is almost the colour of candle light. This is used to create a warm, relaxed and welcoming atmosphere.
It’s your choice…
Remember you can choose what colour you want – there are no rules to break.
If you buy your LED lamps from us and decide that you don’t like the colour you can bring them back to exchange them for a different colour, but please remember to save the packaging.
Also look out for “tuneable” light fittings and lamps – these allow you to select the light colour at the time of installation or sometimes via a remote control or app, that means you will always get the right look and feel. Check out our Wizz range of smart lamps…
