How Lighting Can Change The Look Of Your Home
Are you looking to upgrade the lighting in your home but don’t know where to begin? Lighting may seem like a small aspect of a room, but when chosen correctly, it can bring a feeling of comfort to the space. You may not even be aware of how to use different color temperature light bulbs to your advantage in your home. Learning what lights make your home look fresh and bright can also help attract buyers if you are deciding to sell your home. Whether you are trying to style your current home or improve your home before selling, choosing different types of lighting and light bulbs can be a fun and simple way to customize your home!
Common Color Temperature Light Bulbs
If you have ever gotten a new lamp for your home and then went to pick light bulbs for it, you may have noticed how many options there are to choose from. It can be important to understand the differences between them so that you know which one will be best for the style of your home. Figuring out which ones you already have in your home can also be helpful in order to keep the lighting consistent throughout your home. The four common types of color temperature light bulbs are:
Soft White: 2500K-3000K - Warm yellow tint
Warm White: 3000K-4000K - Neutral yellow/white tint
Bright White: 4000K-5000K - Neutral white/cool tint
Daylight: 5000K-6500K - Natural light cool/blue tint
The cooler color temperature light bulbs promote energy, alertness, and best represent natural light. The warmer light bulbs have a more relaxing presence that may feel comfortable, especially during the evening hours. The pictures featured below give a visual representation that different temperature light bulbs give in a space.
DIY Lighting in Your Home
If you are looking to replace light bulbs in your home, but don’t know what color to go with, you should first look at the style of your home. You can decide if you are wanting a bright/well-lit space or if you desire a deep/warmer feel. Depending on the home it may even be a good idea to choose different color temperatures for different areas of your home. Commonly, in bedrooms people opt for a warmer and more relaxing light rather than in the kitchen where the cooler and brighter lights are more popular. The cooler lights are often more popular in the kitchen because it can give a more clean and organized look to the center of your home. Depending on the room may determine whether you want a softer light or an advanced, bright light.
It may not always be convenient to add new lighting to your home. So, if you don’t want to wire for new light fixtures, a few good alternatives are puck lights, string lights, and floor/table lamps. However, if you are already committed to hanging a new light fixture and find yourself struggling, check out our tutorial on How to Replace a Chandelier.
Puck lights are commonly used under cabinets and can be battery operated with a remote control. If you are wanting to avoid cords in the middle of the room, battery powered lamps are a great alternative. Choosing certain fixtures can also allow you to add unique features to your home. For example, adding a simple accent lamp can really tie a room together or if you are looking to bring a fun accent detail into your kitchen, installing under cabinet lights are a popular way to showcase different features.
Best Lighting for Selling
Although you may have lighting preferences for your own home, when deciding to sell your home it may help to consider changing the lighting to appeal to buyers. Typical staging and listing photo light enhances the unique features of a seller’s home by resembling bright natural light that you may not currently use in your home. When getting the light in your home ready to sell you will want to keep it consistent throughout every room in the house as opposed to being able to choose the lighting based on each room’s style. It is best to take listing photos using the natural light from the windows so you can showcase the colors of the room accurately. If you find yourself needing more light, the cooler, neutral color temperature bulbs can help create the same affect.
For showings, the neutral “warm white” and “cool white” temperature light bulbs are the most popular for a comforting and inviting look in your home. Choosing a color temperature light bulb that appears more yellow than these options can cause the buyers to perceive the house as older and out-of-date. Due to most showings taking place during the day, choosing a natural looking temperature light bulb and opening all the blinds and curtains can be a great way of creating an inviting cohesive look into your home. The “daylight” bulb is the most resembling of the natural light from outside if you do not want to go with one of the more neutral options. Check out the pictures below to see the comparisons of how different color temperature light bulbs will appear in different areas of your home.
