This is the third article of a special series all about whites which I hope will take the guesswork out of the process, and make paint selection easier, quicker, and stress-free.
As we’ve seen in a previous article, white (and all colors for that matter) needs light to come alive. Without it, a shade can feel clinical and stale, overwhelming and washed out. Lighting is THE most important thing to consider when it comes to white.
If you nailed down the undertone of your white (more on that in an upcoming article) but the color seems wrong on your walls, it is very likely that the problem has more to do with the light that it reflected – Whether it is natural or artificial. Today, I am discussing how the latter affects your white.
Artificial Lighting
I often write about the importance of layering textures and colors in a home, and there is also a lot to say about layering lighting sources. It is an essential part of a design scheme that is often an afterthought and yet, it has the power to transform the look and feel of a space. With the right light, you can create a cozy, inviting ambiance, lift spirits, make people more relaxed or energized, and be productive. With their long, dark winters, people from the Nordics have understood this a long time ago: When natural lighting is missing, add more lamps!
Every room should have multiple sources of light – Overhead, accent, and task lights. But choose your bulbs and light temperature carefully.
Light Temperature
Have you ever thought the white on your walls looked too blue or too yellow? The problem might simply have been the color of the light being reflected. Before you repaint the entire house, experimenting with Kelvins could very well fix the issue.
Kelvins (K) are used to measure the temperature of the light that is produced by a bulb, and the number can help predict the color of the light emitted from a lamp or fixture.
This can be a little confusing at first because we associate high temperatures with warmth and low temperatures with cold, but in lighting, it’s the other way around. High color temperatures are white and blue (cool), and lower color temperatures are red and orange (warm). To help you make sense of it all, think of a piece of metal being heated up: First, it is red and then brighter orange, followed by white, and it progressively turns darker shades of blue as it is getting hotter and hotter.
So here’s what you need to remember: The higher the temperature, the cooler the light, and the lower the Kelvins, the warmer the glow.
Warm color temperature – 2500K to 3200K
This is the standard used in most homes, especially in bedrooms, dining rooms, and living areas. The glow is golden, warm and easy on the eye, creating a comfortable and restful atmosphere.
Choose this range if the visual temperature of a room is more important than having a crisp, bright and neutral white.
If your color palette is warm, light fixtures with bulbs between 2500K and 3200K will enhance the look and tie everything together perfectly. Even a cool color scheme with blues and purples will look good because the warmth of the light will balance things out.
If you choose a warm white, expect it to look even warmer with this light, as it will crank the heat up a notch. The lower the Kelvins, the warmer the white will look. If you pick up a pink or reddish tint that isn’t what you envisioned, simply go for more Kelvins within this range.
Cool whites that usually appear fresh and bright will be muted by warm light, which can be to your advantage if you want a clean but soft backdrop. Be aware that the perceived undertones of your cool white might be distorted under a lower Kelvin range. For instance, white with a bit of blue in it might turn out greenish when reflecting a warm light.
Warm lighting is usually more suited for traditional design schemes and earthy tones.
For a crisp and clean look that still has a good amount of warmth, aim for bulbs with more Kelvins, but stay below 3200K.
Neutral white to cool color temperature – 3300K to 4200K
This type of light can be cool, but it isn’t cold, even at the higher end of this range. It simply doesn’t have that orange or yellow tint to it, compared to warm color temperatures.
Some people prefer cooler light because it tends to appear brighter to the human eye. However, it isn’t exactly the case; you do need more Lumens for more illumination after all. But because the light color is whiter, it seems “cleaner”, crisper. It also makes an interior slightly more modern, too.
Offices usually have an average of 4000K-5000K because it is said to help workers be alert, focused, and productive. It is therefore easy to see why this isn’t ideal for every room of the house.
Cool white light is recommended to apply makeup, for instance, because imperfections and color variations will be more apparent. That is also why you see this light a lot in environments where cleanliness is important, like in kitchens or bathrooms.
Warm whites can be dulled and a bit off with cool light, especially in the higher range, because you are not taking them in the direction they want to go. Sure, they will appear brighter than with low color temperatures, but it’s better to stay around 3500K for them to still have that soft, visual heat.
This range is great for homes with cooler color schemes, and it is where cool whites come alive because their undertones -usually green, blue or violet- are enhanced. They look a bit toned-down on the lower end of this range and get crisper as the Kelvins increase. Remember: The higher the number the cooler the light, and the bluer it will be.
I personally never go above 4100K, especially in a north-facing room, because I find that visual comfort is key. And if there is a need for more light, I simply get an additional lighting source.
Daylight / Full-Spectrum – 5000K to 6500K
“Full-spectrum” has a very high color temperature, and it is the closest thing to bright daylight. Although this sounds like a nice, desirable thing, in reality this range can wash out colors and be overwhelming. The light is quite blue and harsh, and quite frankly too intense and unflattering for most rooms. At home, this light can be used in a garage or workshop, but that’s about it.
But we’re talking personal preferences here… I’ve seen bloggers sharing how they transformed their homes simply by swapping their soft white light bulbs for daylight light bulbs – The result can look impressive, as if they knocked down a wall or added a large window in a matter of minutes without the costs. But to be honest, I do think it looks crude and cheap most of the time, and this bright, warehouse-inspired light isn’t something you are likely to enjoy living in on the daily.
By all means, if that’s your thing, enjoy the *brightness*. But please, for the sake of preserving a healthy circadian rhythm, do buy dimmer switches…
Full-spectrum is often used to keep people awake and boost alertness. Large commercial or industrial spaces, where ambiance and visual comfort is not important, will take advantage of more energy-efficient LED lighting options and go for higher color temperature. This is why you can’t choose a paint color from a paint swatch at the store, under those bright industrial fluorescent lights. It will completely skew your reading.
Forget warm whites in 5000K+ light. They will be completely distorted as there is no warmth to play up the undertones.
Cool whites will definitely thrive, but they will be quite cold and typically uninviting.
Light temperatures compared:
To sum it up, the key here is that different light temperatures can affect your perception of your wall paint color.
Experimenting with ranges of Kelvins can offset a problematic white. You need to understand what the room needs by asking yourself these questions:
- What is the purpose of the room?
- What is the mood you want to create?
- What sort of light is already available in the space?
- Is your overall color palette cool or warm?
- Do you prefer a bright, crisp light or is visual comfort more important?
- Is your style traditional or modern?
No matter what you go for -a warm, neutral or cool light- I always recommend to layer multiple lighting sources and to invest in dimmer switches in every room.
In the next article, I’ll dig deeper into the impact of natural light and what to keep in mind when choosing a white.
First photo: Malin Nilsson
Photo of dining room: Eurolighting