When it comes to interior light fixtures, the abundance of options can overwhelm homeowners. But as much as you need to know the types of lighting products for your rooms, it’s also important to ensure the right’ temperature.’

The color temperature of your indoor lighting can transform both the aesthetics and functionality of your living space. But this is an often overlooked aspect of home décor or remodel.

At Maven Lighting, we provide high-quality residential and commercial lighting solutions in Fort Worth, TX. Click here to get a free estimate.

In today’s blog, we go over the basics of color temperature and how you can select the correct temperature to brighten your home.

Color Temperature 101

Lights aren’t just bright or dim. They can be cool and warm as well. And this is what color temperature is all about. 

The technical term is ‘correlated color temperature’ (CCT), measured in Kelvin (K) units from 1,000 to 10,000. CCT denotes the warmth or coolness of a light emitted from a fixture. But unlike the weather temperature, a lower CCT indicates warmer lights and vice versa. 

So a ‘warm’ light would typically be 3000K or lower, while ‘cool’ lights would have a temperature of 4000K or higher.

You may also find ‘neutral’ lights with a 3500K temperature, which can look cool or warm depending on the surrounding fixtures and furnishings. The average color temperatures for residential lighting applications fall between 2500K to 4000K.

Selecting Color Temperature For Your Home

CCT not only helps you choose the bulb type but also guides you in determining the best home lighting fixtures. Here are the recommended Kelvin ranges for different areas of your house:

• 2000-2700K (Ambient Lighting)

Lights in this Kelvin range are warm and ideal for low-light areas. They provide ambient lighting similar to incandescent bulbs. 

Where to use: bedroom, living room, den, dining room, or kitchen.

• 3000-3500K (Alternatives To Halogen Lamps)

Halogen lamps offer bright lights but are dangerous for indoor use. But you can always use warm or neutral LEDs as a safer alternative. LED bulbs in this range give a ‘crisper’ yet soft white light and are ideal for direct lighting and work lighting.

Where to use: bedroom, bathroom, living room, den, dining room, kitchen, or home office. 

• 4000-4500K (Task Lighting)

Color temperatures in this ranger are typically used for commercial applications. That said, the bluish hue can be used for task lighting in a kitchen, basement workspace, or a home office—basically any place when you need to perform detail-oriented tasks. 

Where to use: kitchen, basement workshop, or home office. 

Color Temperature And Aesthetics

Now that we have considered the functional aspects of CCT, it also helps to understand how different Kelvin ranges augment your home’s design and colors. As a rule of thumb, warmer lights go well with:

• Hardwood floors
• Tongue and groove ceilings
• Wood furniture and cabinets
• Woven rugs (brown, tan, red, orange, etc.)

Warm lights also work best with traditional architectures, as 2500-3000K lights glow similar to candlelight, gaslight, and incandescent lights. 

Likewise, cool lights go well with colors like grays, blues, blacks, and greens. 3500-4000K lighting products also work well for minimalist interiors. 

That’s about it! If you need help choosing the best color temperatures for your home, our experts are just a call/click away. At Maven Lighting, we offer high-quality residential and commercial lighting solutions in Fort Worth, TX. Click here to get a free estimate.