Method for controlling a luminaire which is arranged in a room and is designed to emit light with different light colors, a light color of the natural daylight being determined as a function of the time of day, and the light color of the light to be emitted by the luminaire being set as a function of the determined light color of the natural daylight, wherein a progression curve of a light temperature as a function of the time of day is stored in a controller, wherein during an operating phase at each time of day the light color to be emitted by the luminaire is set as a function of the light color determined as the light color of the natural daylight at the respective time of day, if the respective time of day lies within a time interval set as day, two concrete times of day being set as the beginning and end of the time interval set as a day, wherein in dependence on a light temperature value of the natural daylight determined at the beginning of the time interval set as day, a day start light temperature value is set as a light color to be emitted by the luminaire at the beginning of the time interval set as day, and in dependence on a light temperature value of the natural daylight determined at the end of the time interval set as day, a day end light temperature value is set as a light color to be emitted by the luminaire at the end of the time interval set as a day, wherein outside the time interval set as day, the light color to be emitted by the luminaire is determined as a function of the stored progression curve, wherein the dependence on the stored progression curve is adapted to the day start light temperature value and to the day end light temperature value in such a way that the light temperature of the light color in dependence on the progression curve immediately before the start of the time interval set as day and to be emitted by the luminaire differs from the day start light temperature value by less than 1000 K, in particular by less than 700 K, in particular by less than 500 K, and in that the light temperature of the light color set in dependence on the progression curve immediately after the end of the time interval set as day and to be emitted by the luminaire differs from the day end light temperature value by less than 1000 K, in particular by less than 700 K, in particular by less than 500 K, characterized in that when determining the light color of the natural daylight as a function of the time of day, for a specific time of day, in each case, a specific light color of the natural daylight associated with this specific time of day is determined, and in that the light temperature of the light color set to be emitted by the luminaire has, outside the time interval determined to be day, a progression curve as a function of the time of day, the gradient of which averaged over a first time interval, which is set by one hour lying immediately before the beginning of the time interval set as day, and/or the gradient of which averaged over a second time interval, which is set by one hour lying immediately after the end of the time interval set as day, is more than twice, in particular more than three times, in particular more than five times, the gradient averaged over a period of time which extends from the end of the time interval set as day to the beginning of the subsequent time interval set as day. when determining the light color of the natural daylight as a function of the time of day, for a specific time of day, in each case, a specific light color of the natural daylight associated with this specific time of day is determined, and in that the light temperature of the light color set to be emitted by the luminaire has, outside the time interval determined to be day, a progression curve as a function of the time of day, the gradient of which averaged over a first time interval, which is set by one hour lying immediately before the beginning of the time interval set as day, and/or the gradient of which averaged over a second time interval, which is set by one hour lying immediately after the end of the time interval set as day, is more than twice, in particular more than three times, in particular more than five times, the gradient averaged over a period of time which extends from the end of the time interval set as day to the beginning of the subsequent time interval set as day.