Choosing the Right Light Temperature

If you have ever found yourself searching the light bulb aisle at Home Depot or Lowe’s then you know there are an overwhelming amount of light bulb options... not just in terms of size and shape, wattage, LED vs Incandescent vs Halogen, but also in color temperature (Cool White, Bright White, Daylight, Soft White, Warm White, Amber, etc.).  

I’m going to keep this simple and give you my recommendations based on what I typically choose for my clients’ homes, as well as for my own home. Let’s just get a few bulb basics out of the way before we move onto color temperature. 

First, the light fixture you bought should specify the bulb shape, the bulb base, and the max wattage in the instruction manual/specifications. In most cases you need a standard A19 shape bulb with an E26 “medium base” for table/floor lamps and most ceiling fixtures (flush mount, semi-flush mount, pendants, chandeliers). Chandeliers will often use candelabra bulbs (they’re smaller than the standard light bulbs) which have an E12 base. Bulbs have two different codes...one for the bulb shape (the glass upper part of the bulb) and one for the base size (the metal bottom part of the bulb that screws into the light fixture). The most common bulb shapes for indoor residential light fixtures are A= Classic/Pear shape, B= Bullet/Torpedo, C/CA= Candle, E=Edison/Vintage, G=Globe, R/BR = Reflector/Bulged Reflector, and T=Tubular. 

Second, I recommend buying LED bulbs instead of incandescent or halogen. LED bulbs are energy-efficient, they don’t get hot to the touch and singe your fingertips off, and they will last many years.  

Third, I recommend buying dimmable bulbs for all ceiling light fixtures, and having dimmer switches installed, because it gives you a lot more control with mood lighting vs task lighting in each room. For instance, if you have 8 recessed lights in your kitchen or living room ceiling, and they each use a 60watt bulb, your room will always be at maximum brightness if you do not have a dimmer switch. But if you do have a dimmer switch, you have the option of softening that light at different times of day.  

Now onto color temperature.  Meet the Kelvins…

Image courtesy of Kylie M. Interiors blog

Always look for the following Kelvin rating on the packaging or in the online specs: 2700K, 3000K, 3500K, 5000K. Usually “Soft White” is 2700K (this is a warmer/golden color) and “Daylight” is 5000K (this is a cooler/bluer color). That can vary from brand to brand, which is why you should go by the Kelvin number and not the color name.

I recommend using 2700K for mood lighting in bedrooms, living rooms, and dining rooms... this includes table & floor lamps, chandeliers & pendants, and flush mount & semi-flush mount ceiling lights. I also recommend using 2700K for ceiling lights in hallways & foyers.  

In rooms where you need a combination of task lighting and mood lighting (kitchen, bathroom), I recommend 3000-3500K for task lighting and 2700K for mood lighting. For example, in the bathroom you could use 3000K bulbs for your lights around your mirror and in your shower, and 2700K for a ceiling light such as a chandelier, a semi-flush mount fixture, or recessed lighting. In a kitchen you would use 3000-3500K bulbs for the recessed lights or flush-mount ceiling light that provides your task lighting, and 2700K for the hanging pendants above your sink or island. 

In a dressing room/walk-in closet, I recommend using 3000-3500K bulbs. This is because 2700K bulbs are very yellow, and you want a “cleaner” color for properly viewing your clothing. Have you ever put on black pants, then got to your car and realized they were navy blue? That’s because the “Soft White” lighting in your home is more yellow than daylight (real daylight is more blue than the lighting inside your home).  

Exceptions: Coat & broom closets can have any bulb temp you want, because you just need to be able find things (mood vs task lighting doesn’t matter). Powder rooms should have 2700K bulbs because you primarily need mood lighting in there, not task lighting.

Do not use “Daylight” 5000K bulbs, ever. They are way too blue for the inside of your home, especially during the evening. They aren’t doing you any favors. That’s just my professional opinion.  

Fortunately, there are now standard bulbs and recessed lights that have a color selectable feature, where you can select which color temp you want, by simply sliding a little switch on the actual bulb. This gives you the opportunity to try a few different temperatures without having to buy several different bulbs. This is a smart move by the manufacturer, because it allows them to produce fewer skus. I use one of these bulbs in my office, so I can change the color temp according to the bulbs I’m planning to use in my client's room... this comes in handy when I’m looking at paint colors and materials.

HALO recessed light fixture (left), and Ecosmart A19 bulbs (center, right) with customizable color temperature settings

PRO TIP: Always look at paint swatches (also wallpaper, fabric, etc.) under the same lighting temperature that you will use in the room being painted. For example, if you view a paint swatch under 2700K lighting in your bedroom, but it’s going to be used for your walk-in closet which has 3000K lighting, you will be surprised to find the color does not look as you had anticipated. Viewing colors at night vs during the day will also affect the color, because of the color temperature coming from the sunlight. 

Have any questions? Leave a comment below.

Image courtesy of HALO at HomeDepot.com