We know what you may be thinking. “What do I need to know? Aren’t lightbulbs just lightbulbs?” However, when designing your home, lighting is actually one of the most important elements to consider. The entire tone and style of a room can completely change based on the lighting choices, so it’s important to make the right ones!
Looking up information on lighting can quickly become overwhelming and is often very confusing. Never fear! We’ve created this simple guide to quickly become an expert in-home lighting. Look no further for the answers to all of your home lighting questions!
The way that we distinguish between different lightbulbs has changed a bit over the years. You might be familiar with wattage, which is how we used it to measure the strength of a lightbulb. However, we don’t use that method anymore.
Lightbulbs are now measured by lumens and color temperature!
While it is easy to estimate how bright a bulb might be based on wattage, lumens is a much more accurate measuring device, which is why it is now the preferred method.
How Many Lumens Should My Bulbs Be?
This question is tricky because it changes based on your space and the kind of home lighting. However, our go-to range is:
Try to keep in mind that the more space you need to light, the more lumens you will need. For example, if you have can light in very tall ceilings, you will probably need 1,000+ lumens to sufficiently light the room. In our homes, we often use lights that can emit a lot of light, when needed, and add a dimmer switch.
Color Temperature
Now that we’ve figured out how bright your light needs to be, let’s discuss the second most important factor when choosing a bulb: color temperature.
Used to describe the tone a light emits. This is typically personal preference and is measured in Kelvin (K) from 1000K to 10000K.
As mentioned above, color temperature is mainly based on personal preference, but here are some tips and tricks that can help you figure out which color temperature is perfect for your home.
The typical Kelvin range for residential lighting is 2000K – 6500K. The higher the Kelvin, the cooler the light.
2700K
This is a warm white and can appear yellowy to some people. This is typically used for cozy, relaxing spaces in the home like a bedroom or living room. This light will give your whole room that “golden hour” effect. Accent lights are often a warmer color temperature, as well.
5000K
This is considered “daylight” and is extremely cool. 5000K can often be perceived as harsh to some and is most typically used in offices, hospitals, and other commercial spaces. However, this light can be useful in areas of your home that require you to be alert and focused such as a home office or kitchen.
We prefer to use 3000K-3500K. It is not too warm or too cool and won’t change the tone or coloring of your design, as a very warm or very cool light could.
When buying bulbs for globe lights, be sure that the size you buy will fit in the globe, we learned this
the hard way!
Hopefully, you’re now feeling prepared and excited to choose the lighting for your home! Not the case? Give us a call to schedule a time to talk about your remodel. We’re more than happy to help!
Shop our lighting options at S. Flynn Home!