LIGHTING SELECTION GUIDE

Lighting is a must-have must-have element for every home, but most people despise the influence of lighting on the overall design and atmosphere at home. To understand the effect of light to people, we must first understand what color temperature is.

Different types of light have different colors due to different wavelengths. The color of a light source is expressed in terms of temperature. However, the relationship between temperature and color needs to be quantified in order to be recognized by everyone. The color temperature units used today are not ° F, nor ° C, but Kelvin temperature. Kelvin temperature scale is a thermometer used to indicate the color of the light source. Scientists developed the thermometer based on the color emitted when the metal was heated. When the metal is heated to 3000K, the visible light it emits is the same as that of a tungsten filament lamp. When heated to 5600K, the color of visible light changes from 3000K orange red to 5600K white, which is close to the brightness of the flashlight. In summary, the higher the temperature of the light source, the cooler the color tone (blue), and the lower the temperature of the light source, the warmer the color tone (yellow).

Natural color is actually the “cold white” color with a color temperature of about 4000-4200K. The natural color has a comfortable visual feel similar to sunlight, and has a color expressive power of 92 or more, which can restore the original color of the object. Therefore, many of these color temperature lights are named as “natural colors” to attract consumers.

It is undeniable that the natural color light best meets the visual physiological needs of the human eyes. The color temperature of around 4000K makes people feel warm yet awake. Studying and working under this color temperature is more efficient. However, it is not a good thing for the whole house to use this spectrum of lights. The homeowner still needs to set different color temperature lights for different space needs.

For example, it is suitable to use white light in the living room. White light keeps people focused and makes the whole space fresh and transparent. You can also create a warm feeling by having warm light floor lamp and table lamp. Since the living room is the core of the home and takes up a large area, it is best to match the lights to create an atmosphere to make the space more layered. In addition, since the dirt can hide in kitchen easily, having the bright white light can make the dirt more visible, allowing you to clean in an efficient way. Coupled with the need for high concentration of kitchen work, white light can make us more concentrated and reduce accidents at home.

Bedrooms and toilets are more suitable for warm lighting. The soft yellow lighting can help you relax after a busy day. On the contrary, because the color temperature of white light is high, it will affect the sleep quality and interfere with the biological clock. The bedroom is a place to rest and sleep. The overall atmosphere should be warm and comfortable, as well as the bathroom.

Regarding the choice of color temperature, we interviewed Simon, the instructor of the decoration class:

Many homeowners do not know the criticality of color temperature and underestimate the importance of lamp shade style. There are many color-changing lights on the market, but the effect is just average. The choice of lampshade will have a great impact to the effect. It is the area that we need to pay attention to.

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This article was originally published on HKDecoman.

HKDecoman, now going global as Deco-Man, is a Hong Kong-based renovation platform which provides professional consultancy services and pioneers in the development of A.I. homeowner-engineer matching. We aim at educating the public about the art of home renovation, and have our eyes on transforming the traditional renovation industry, bringing standardisation, transparency, convenience and automation to the business.