LET THE LIGHT SHINE
Light fixtures, LRV, color temperature, OH MY!
Lighting can make a tremendous impact on your interior space, helping create a warm and cozy environment or a bright and cheery space. Without understanding a few basic principles of interior lighting, a potentially beautiful space could look great with the lights off and a little funky when the light switches on.
So how can we avoid some of the obvious pitfalls for interior lighting?
A few basics to consider with interior lighting is the Color Temperature, Type of Bulb, Direction of Light, and Light Reflectance Value of your paint. Let’s shine a light on the subject:
Color Temperature: Ever wonder why certain spaces feel more yellow and others are more white? Sometimes that is all because of the Color Temperature of your lighting. When selecting light bulbs for your space, keep in mind that a lower Color Temperature will give off a warmer, more yellow light while a higher Color Temperature will give off a cooler and more white/blue light. You can have a pure white paint on your walls, and select a light fixture in the 2500K range, and then when the lights are on, your walls will have a yellow tint all because they are reflecting that lower color temperature. Below is a little cheat sheet for Color Temperature. Daylight is approximately 5,200K for reference. There is no right or wrong in the color temperatures, it all depends on the design you are trying to achieve.
2000K-3000K: warm yellowish light
3100K-4500K: bright white light
4600K-6500K: bright blue-white light
6500K and up: bright bluish light
Type of Bulb: There are 4 typical types of light bulbs for residential design, including LED, incandescent, halogen, and fluorescent. Typically we deal with the first 2, LED being the most efficient and incandescent being a common existing bulb. If you are switching to LED, check with an electrician to see if you have the proper wiring for any locations with dimmer switches to prevent potential issues.
Direction of Light: In short, there are 3 typical directions of lighting which include: downlighting, uplighting, and accent lighting.
Downlighting is the most common, including any fixture that directs the majority of it’s output to the floor. While simple, downlighting is essential for basic tasks and the expected function of your space.
Uplighting can most commonly be found in pendants and wall scones. This directs your eye upward and can create a more grand feel to your room.
Accent lighting is great for artwork, bookshelves, or a feature wall that you would like to draw additional attention to. This accent lighting can easily be achieved with a directional can fixture, strip lighting, or additional methods.
Light Reflectance Value (LRV): This little acronym is gold when shopping for paint. Each color is assigned an LRV value which shows how much light is reflected off of the color. Darker colors have lower LRV values, and lighter colors have higher values as they reflect more light. A dark and moody accent wall can be just what you are looking for in a space, however try to balance that low LRV with some accent lighting or more overall lighting so the space can still function how you would like.
Whew! Hope you enjoyed learning about the tip of the iceberg when it comes to lighting. Have additional questions? We are always open to chat on our Instagram or email, just send us a note!
Cheers!
