Color Temperature in the Houses: Light Color Suggestions for Personal Areas
By: Ec Lighting Design Studio
Tags: Lighting, Design, Lighting Design, Color Temperature, Led Lighting For Home

After the LED technology became more popular in the world of lighting, we can easily interfere and personalize even our own light. Therefore, we started to get know some lighting terms more closely such as types of light sources, electrical power, lighting values, energy efficiency and etc. However, we are sometimes irresolute between the light colors or we are not satisfied with our decisions. So, how do we decided the color of light?

The most important question is what kind of light color should we use in our homes. If you search these questions on the internet you can find lots of results. For example, for the living rooms, you should use 3000 Kelvin, for the working rooms 5000 Kelvin will be suitable, for the kitchens and bathrooms usually 6500 Kelvin was be used. Under these explanations, there are usually a “buy now” button and the websites transfer you to the e-commerce page for buying. Fortunately, there is no “buy now” button under the page so we can consider this topic with an objective perspective.

When choosing the light colors that you will use at home, you have to pay attention to two main things. First of all, what purpose will the light serve, secondly, what will be the effects of the light color? For a long time, scientists have been working on the psychological and physiological effects of light color temperatures on human health and have achieved serious results. You can reach the results of the research at Harvard Medical School and the article in Blue Light Has a Dark Side (by clicking the link: https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/blue-light-has-a-dark-side) If we shortly summarize the physiological effect; In the physiological circadian period of people, while we continue our lives with artificial light, in the evening times, there are some changes in our hormonal levels. If the blue ratio of light increased the hormonal changes will be decreased. So the circadian period will be collapsed. This situation triggers many problems, especially early aging. For this reason, cell phone or computer manufacturers add night mode to their screens. Furthermore, the psychological effects of light colors can also be summarized as follows as if the light color gets warmer, it means; the yellow ratio of light increases, you will feel more relaxed, friendly and peaceful. If the blue ratio of light started to increase you tend to more effective and energetic mood. If the blue ratio of light more increased, it means; the cold white light colors, you will face stimulant, overdose, and restless conditions.

Suppose that it is evening and you return to your home. There is a general area or living room that you relaxing, watching tv, socializing with your family/friends. A working room that you searching or reading something, a bedroom that you go to sleep, a kitchen for cooking something and a bathroom for your self-care. The light colors you need to use for your rooms are a personal choice. Your home is your own comfort zone and should be completely personal in the choice of that area. However, you can direct your choices according to the above descriptions. For instance, you have already known you shouldn’t use cold white light colors for your special areas. If the general areas and living room serves to your relaxing and socializing the warm white light colors will be suitable. At your working room, if you just listen to jazz and read something you can keep with the warm white colors. If you use your working room as your office then you might choose the natural white light colors. ( 4000 Kelvin, not more) In the kitchen area, contrary to the general belief, the choice of warm white light color would be a good option; especially if you like spending time in the kitchen. In addition to the last trends in the housing industry, the houses have an American kitchen or semi-open kitchen designs. If your kitchen is not separated from the general area, the same color light sources should be selected. Because the lights of different colors reflected in the same area will create confusion. Therefore, an undesirable situation will occur. Warm white light should be used in the bedrooms for the same reasons. (It is also a choice to personalize your bedroom with warmer colors according to the Feng Shui philosophy.) Bathrooms are usually independent areas separated from other parts of the house. For this reason, natural white color can be preferred for bathrooms. The choice of natural white will have an advantage as well; When you wake up in the morning if your bathroom does not allow to the daylight or if you need to wake up, in the winter especially, before the sun rises, it will help you to awake more quickly and start your day more vigorously. We could only provide illumination with warm white (2700–3000 Kelvin) and natural white (4000 Kelvin) light colors for a typically designed house. If you are able to get warmer colors, I suggest you should not to choose. Because warmer colors than the 2700 Kelvin give you a light color that approaches orange, and this will cause you to perceive objects in red-orange tones. This is a situation that we do not prefer.

The above are just a few suggestions to improve the quality of your time at your home. But the final decision is, of course, yours because this is, probably, your most personal space. If you feel exhausted in a room illuminated with warm white tones and change your light colors to cool tones for being more vigorous, you should not take all the blame to the lighting. Yes, the warm white color will make you feel more relaxed. But if you feel sleepy under the warm white light, perhaps you are really tired. Sleep early rather than forcing your body more.

Also published on: