Use LEDs for a Balanced Lighting Scheme
Knowing how to balance color and light temperature will help you create an ideal lighting scheme in your home. You can go from a home office or artists’ studio where you feel energized and focused in a softly lit dining room where you can unwind while enjoying the beautiful artwork on your walls. End the day in a bedroom perfectly lit for stress-free sleep. To get that ideal balance, you just need a basic understanding of how temperature and color work in lighting.
Why Light Temperature Matters
Lighting temperature is measured in Kelvins (Ks). Most LED lights register as around 6000K of cool, blue light that’s similar to the light you get from pure sunlight.
The Coloring Rendering Index (CRI) is used by designers, artists, and lighting engineers to signify how closely a light shows those same true colors. A CRI of 90 or higher indicates a light that shows colors in the same pure tones that sunlight does.
Lights that have high-temperature levels of 6000K or higher are ideal for workplaces or any room in your house where you’re doing focused, concentrated work. Research has found that this light makes reading easier and keeps energy levels high. That makes it ideal for any place where you want to accomplish work efficiently and safely.
Low-temperature lights, on the other hand, are better for relaxing, meditating, entertaining or for enjoying and appreciating the colors of your home. Where high-Kelvin lights can wash out colors, lights in the 2500K to 3200K range show off subtle shades of colors. If you want to enhance the wood grains, artists’ brushstrokes or other details of your home, you need lower-K lighting.
Decor and More
The temperature of your lighting can have a major effect on how things look in a room. A paint color, for example, can show up as five or six different shades depending on the light you direct at it.
The good news is that you don’t have to replace every bulb in your house. New LED bulbs are manufactured to emit different colors from the same bulb. You can control the temperature of the bulb simply by using a light switch. In some cases, you can control the light and temperature levels wirelessly.
These same bulbs let you change colors, adding a subtle shade or going all-out with full saturation for a party or special event. The choices are yours and the options are many.
See Better, Look Better
There are many situations where you want lighting that renders colors the way they look in sunlight.
True beauty. Many women are horrified to see that the makeup that looked perfect at home looks terrible in sunlight, or in any room that has high-CRI lighting. High-CRI lighting from LED lamps is perfect for home vanities and professional makeup studios. The same is true for hair color, which can look great in the salon and terrible once the woman steps outside. Those problems are easily corrected with color-correcting LED lights.
Wardrobe malfunctions. Have you ever gotten dressed and thought that your outfit made you look washed out and frumpy? If you have fluorescent or low-CRI lamps in your closet, you are not seeing your clothes or yourself at your best. Color-correcting LED lights will help you see yourself in a better light.
Feel at home. Studies have found that most people respond favorably to lighting that is in the 2500K to 2700K range. These lights produce a soft light which associates with a warm down-home feeling. If you want guests to feel comfortable, light the rooms where you entertain at this level.
The Right Lights
LED bulbs save you time, energy and money. Now they can also enhance the way you work, feel and live in your home. To find out more about how LED lights can bring out the best in your home and your life, or discover the exciting new features in wireless lighting, call SESCOS today.