We have tips to prevent Winter blahs and make your home more comfortable. Does your paint color look different than the sample you chose? Change may be as simple as changing your light bulbs. This is because of an effect called metamerism. Illumination can affect one’s perception of color. Depending on the kind of light you’re using in a particular room, the effect it will have on paint color and your mood will vary. Interior residential lighting is usually from a combination of incandescent, fluorescent, and sometimes, halogen bulbs.
Lighting is essential to any interior design scheme. When you choose soft white, bright white, or daylight for the primary background lighting, you can change the entire mood of a room. Brighter light tends to make a room feel more open, while softer tones often make it feel a bit smaller. For example, if a room faces to the north, it’ll appear dark. When it looks toward the south, more brightness will be present – even in the winter. Rooms to the east catch the morning sun, while those to the west get the sunset and more light in the evening.
Color temperature is the terminology and measurement used to describe how light appears when generated from a bulb. It’s measured in Kelvin, using a scale that ranges from 1000 to 10000. Most color temperatures for LED lighting in the soft white vs. bright white vs. daylight debate fall in a range between 2000K to 6500K. Some options might be slightly lower or higher. The light bulb type selected for a room directly impacts its atmosphere. When you combine the proper light fixtures and bulbs to create illumination, you’ll receive flattering results.
Before selecting the color temperature and tone you prefer, it helps to know a little bit more about the science of interior lighting.
Color. Soft white bulbs are in the yellowish range because of the Kelvin rating. Bright White is between the white and blue color spectrum, while daylight is at the top of the chart.
Lumens. This measurement refers to the amount of light that comes from the bulb. A higher number equates to a brighter experience. A standard 100W bulb produces approximately 1,600 lumens.
Watts. The energy a light bulb uses is measured in this way. When you have less wattage associated with a product, it’ll use less electricity. LEDs have a lower rating than incandescent bulbs while providing the same overall light output.
Bright white bulbs often work better in bathrooms or kitchens, especially when chrome fixtures are present. If you need to do a lot of reading, daylight bulbs are an excellent choice. For everything else, soft white does an excellent job of highlighting darker woods and tones without overwhelming the senses.
Swapping out an old, outdated light fixture adds instant appeal. And if you like to keep up with the latest technologies, several new lighting features are available in today’s bulbs. Three high tech options are now available.
Voice Recognition. Some brands have created light bulbs that turn on and off by listening to vocal commands.
Smartphone Compatibility. If you want to turn your lights on before you get home, this feature allows you to control illumination through a companion app. You can even use it as a remote control so that you can dim the lights while watching a movie or a favorite TV show. Some products even let you schedule when to turn them on or off.
Music. Some LED light bulbs come with a Bluetooth® speaker today. This feature allows you to stream your playlists wirelessly with a compatible system. Some models offer color-changing tech that syncs with the rhythm to create a unique mood.
In winter, we spend more time indoors so choose the correct light bulbs for your circumstances and the cold months will be more enjoyable.