Cold, warm or neutral: how to choose comfortable lighting

Lighting sets the mood in your home. Properly chosen light sources and properly placed lighting accents are not only capable of transforming the space beyond recognition, but can also help to reduce home lighting costs by 2-3 times.

It is known that the sun gives the most natural light from the perspective of our visual receptors. Therefore, sunlight sets de facto standards for color rendition, and the closer artificial light is to the sun in terms of color rendering properties, the more natural it is. That is why lamp manufacturers are doing their best to bring the artificial light sources closer to ideal sunlight. However, this goal is unachievable at the moment – all fixtures have their own emission color, and you need to take this fact into consideration when choosing a light source.

So let’s try to get into the nuts and bolts of lighting design.

The first detail you should ask a salesperson when selecting a lamp is the color rendering index (designated as Ra or CRI on the lamp package). Color rendering index is a vital factor in ensuring adequate and pleasant visual appearance of interior colors under artificial lighting.

Color rendering index is designated as Ra, and in order to create normal lighting you need a lamp with a Ra of 80 to 90, and ideally 90-100.

The second important detail is the color temperature, which is responsible for the color tone of a light source. Color temperature is measured in degrees of Kelvin (designated as K). Color tones are most often divided into three main groups: warm (≈2700-3000 K), neutral or white (≈4100 K) and cold (≈6500 K).

Designers recommend choosing either warm or neutral light for those rooms where people relax after a hard day’s work – a place where family spends an evening, has a meal, etc.

The best solution for such kind of premises is to choose chandeliers that provide soft light of warm spectrum, since this light is capable of creating homely, relaxed and comfortable atmosphere.

Cold color substantially boosts concentration and creates a working climate, which is why cold light lamps are most often used in those places where it is necessary to get into a working mood. Cold light lamps are most commonly used in those premises where a combination of artificial and natural light is required - in various administrative buildings, offices, etc.

Today, it is easy to get lost in a wide choice of energy-efficient lamps. For that reason, we provide you with expert advice on optimal choice of lamps for each room type and explain how to save money and electricity.

Bathroom

It is quite a challenge to provide lighting for bathroom. Comfort and safety - is the most common combination of requirements when choosing lighting for this area. It is generally recommended to use neutral light that is close to sunlight. Recessed light fixture (or down light) for wet areas is also a perfect ready-made solution with waterproof properties.

Bedroom and children’s room

Relaxation and romance are key factors in lounge areas. It is advisable to use regulators of light intensity (i.e., dimmers) and warm light, which is why lamps with color temperature in the range of 2700 K to 3000 K would be a viable option. In the writing-table area of children’s room it is advisable to install warm-light or daylight lamps (2700-3000 K), which will help to avoid eye fatigue, while a neutral daylight will tune children into a working mood and get their act together. It is also important to choose lamps made by reliable manufacturers, such as LED lamps of German quality manufactured by Eurolamp^ТМ – a guarantee that lamps will produce high-quality light without flicker and without irritating your eyes. One more detail that should be taken into consideration is safety, especially when it comes to children’s room lighting. LED lamps made by Eurolamp^TM can be used even in children's rooms, since they don’t contain mercury and won’t cause any harm to health, if they get broken.

Living room

Installation of lighting in the living room can be a challenging task, since these are most often multipurpose rooms that can serve as working rooms, dining rooms, home theater space and a lounge area for the whole family. As a rule, it requires general background lighting. The central light source should be adjustable, if possible, while the color temperature should be harmonized with the predominant color of the room. If the furniture and walls are painted in cool colors, a warm-light lamp won’t bring a sense of comfort into the room, but will create dissonance instead. The table often serves as a family communication center in the living room.

Special cozy atmosphere for evening “get-togethers” around the table is created by retro-style light source: under a large fabric lampshade. Decorative sphere-shaped LED lamp is the optimal choice for these lampshades, while a “candle” lamp is ideally suited for Provence-style chandeliers. Well-known manufacturers, such as Eurolamp^TM, offer a wide variety of lamp choices to their customers in terms of lamp shape, size and power. In addition, Eurolamp^ТМ products are covered with a warranty period of up to 10 years - this will save you money and time that can be dedicated to family communication.

Kitchen and dining room

Centrally positioned ceiling chandeliers or recessed light fixtures usually provide general lighting, which is complemented by working light and additional fixtures that are built into wardrobes. Eurolamp “reflector” lamp is the best choice for recessed spotlights – it provides directional light, and as for workspace and wardrobe lighting, we can offer tubular linear LED lamps. A light fixture or wall lamp placed above the table allows for choosing between multiple lighting options, starting from working light (for cooking) and ending with festive lighting (for dinner party) – we recommend using warm-light LED lamps by Eurolamp^TM with a color temperature of 2700 K - 3000 K for creating a cozy atmosphere. It is important to keep in mind the color temperature of a light source when choosing lamps for kitchen lighting - cold light can distort color tones of food products and affect your appetite.