LIGHTING: Know Your Color Choices

I am staying at a cozy, charming bed and breakfast, and the interior design is beautifully appointed. I'd like to feel like I am in a warm and welcoming space, but the lighting design is killing the vibe. The problem is an easy fix, so here are my lighting tips to the innkeeper, but really for you, so you can make the ideal lighting choices for your home decor.

Light does not just affect how much you can see; it also affects how you see it. Light comes in a broad range of color temperatures, measured in Kelvin, from very cold (think gray warehouse) to very warm (think of a room washed in bright, warm sunlight). In the "old days," we used incandescent light bulbs that emitted a warm glow that emulated a sunny day. The amount of light each bulb emitted was categorized by watts. The color temperature was a pleasant warm white tone, leaning a bit yellow. This color temperature showed colors, such as the blues and yellows on your sofa or wallpaper, in a true tone, that is warm and similar to sunlight. 

Now, most of us are switching to LED light bulbs. LEDs have become prominent in the lighting industry. They last much longer than incandescent bulbs, use far less electricity, and are not hot when touched. They may take years to burn out, but when they do, they may or may not be replaceable, depending on the fixture. The important thing to know about LED lighting is that they come in a wide variety of color temperatures, and you need to know how to choose effectively or your home will feel cold and unpleasant. This color temperature is known in the industry as Kelvin color temperature.

Appropriate Kelvin numbers for your home:

Kelvin is only a measure of color temperature, not of light output. It is a measure of how items appear (cold or warm color temperature), rather than a measure of how much illumination is provided. Kelvin color temperature ranges are on a scale, the lowest being 1000K and the highest being far over 7500K. The higher Kelvin numbers denote blue light, which is cold, and unattractive. The lower Kelvin numbers are a warmer color temperature (more yellow, much less blue). Remember, when discussing Kelvin color temperature, temperature refers to color, not to heat. LEDs are all cool to the touch.

Why does this matter to you in your home?

The ideal Kelvin temperature for a home is 2700, and 3000 is the absolute max you should use. Anything over 3000K does not provide more light; it just makes a space look “industrial” and unnecessarily cold. It also changes the color appearance of your fabrics, paint, and stones in a colder and unappealing way. In my B and B room, I am feeling like I am in a warehouse and not a pleasant, welcoming residential area, because the LED bulbs are probably about 5000K. Have you ever seen Christmas lights that vary from house to house? The ones that appear very white or blue-white have a higher Kelvin than the ones that look like a warmer, candlelit yellow tone. Outside, either might be appropriate, although I still prefer the warmer tones. Inside, the cooler lighting temperatures (higher than 3000) are never appropriate in a residential application.

People who are unaware of varying color temperatures frequently choose the light bulbs with the higher Kelvin numbers because they think there might be more light output, or because they just are completely unaware of the Kelvin numbers on the package. Over time, that can affect our moods. Lighting colors which are too cool can be stressful, and are definitely not relaxing. When you are choosing a light bulb or a light fixture for your home, look for 2700K to 3000K on the package. A bedroom with 3500K can cause nightmares, and a living room with too high a Kelvin number will feel unwelcoming. Conversely, a beautiful warm 2700K is soothing for a dining, living, or resting space. In a bathroom, 3000K is appropriate.

Recessed lighting:

Recessed lighting, or high hat lights, now comes in LED and has a color temperature setting in Kelvin. Little-known fact: often, there is a tiny switch inside these LED recessed lights so that the Kelvin temperature can be changed prior to installation. Just tell your electrician to set it to the Kelvin temperature you desire. It's not easy to change that setting once the light fixtures are installed, so it's important to have that conversation ahead of time with your electrician and make sure they set it according to your taste.