Lighting Sets The Mood

Photo by Brooks Rice

Different techniques have been used over time to create a certain mood. Lighting has a huge impact.

Candles or a crackling fire used to set the mood of a home. Fast forward to incandescent lights that emitted "warm" light, and with an added dimmer switch, we could set the room's atmosphere. Along came CFL bulbs which did save energy but gave-off somewhat harsh lighting. Now we have LEDs which enable us to save energy and still choose the mood.

When shopping for LED light bulbs, you’ve likely notice that there are different types of LEDs "warm white/soft white," "bright white/cool white” and “daylight”. Warm/soft white bulbs produce a more yellowish hue, closer to the light of an incandescent bulb, while bulbs labelled as bright white will produce a “whiter” or “bluer” light.

From a technical perspective, light colour, also described as colour temperature, is measured in degrees Kelvin. The lower the number, the warmer (yellower) the light. A typical incandescent bulb has a light temperature of about 2,700K. Warm/Soft White (2700K – 3000K), Bright /Cool White (3500K – 4100K), and Daylight (5000K – 6500K).

Although the whiter lights will appear brighter than those of a lower Kelvin temperature, the amount of Lumens (measurement for brightness) does not actively change, and true brightness is not affected.

You may want to consider Smart Bulbs like the Philips Hue, Wyze or LIFX bulbs. They’re a bit more expensive than regular LED bulbs but brightness, temperature and colour can be changed using a SmartPhone. Plus, they can connect to other SmartHome devices to turn on and off by a routine, so they’re great for giving a home a lived-in look while you’re away.

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Call Lynne Blott at 416-540-7307 or e-mail at lynne@lynneblott.com