Lighting design in a home has replaced the typical overhead lighting of ages past — lighting is no longer implemented to evade the darkness, but is a crucial part in setting the ambiance of a space.
At Brighter Homes Lighting, we will help you craft the best lighting design with modern lighting and bedroom lighting — lighting ideas for all rooms! Navigate everything that warm lighting has to offer and how you can best use it!
The Color Spectrum
When it comes to indoor lighting, we have two different color temperatures including
- Warm light
- Cold light
The light gets their color temperatures from the light displayed in kelvins (K). Temperatures range from 2000K to 6500K. The higher the kelvins, the cooler the light. A cooler color is right around over a temperature of 1200K, where natural daylight is 5600K. Cold light gives off a bluish tone.
Warm light is around 1200K and emits a soft, yellowish red appearance. Sunset and sunrise are at 1800K.
Warm Lighting and Its Uses
Warm lighting is comforting, cozy, and relaxing — think of a room with a roaring fire and a few warm lit lamps scattered around — this is an atmosphere you can hunker down in. Contrary to this stress-reducing lighting, it is not great for productivity, thus using warm lighting in your workspace may dampen your production. Your eyes have to work to adapt to warm lighting which can be tiring, so if you need to get things done, you may have better luck with cooler light tones.
Warm light also creates a romantic ambiance because it mimics candlelight so it is great to use as bedroom and living room lighting, whereas cooler lighting is great for kitchens and offices. 
Why is there warm light to begin with?
Going back to the roaring fire, warm lighting tones resonate with us because it brings us back to simpler times, gathering around the hearth fire in the evening. It signals to our bodies that it is time to wind down and prepare for bed, whereas cool, blue light can energize us and cause sleep disturbances — which is why it is recommended to forego all electronics (blue light) an hour before bed! The warm light we experience in the morning as the sun is rising seems out of place, but it is the warm light that gently and calmly wakes us up and prepares us for the day as the light continues to get cooler.
What to Consider When Opting For Warm Indoor Lighting
If you are planning on implementing warm light as the main, ambient light there are a could things to consider when decorating the space.
Warm colors change how we see the room.
Our perceptions change in a warmly lit room so before choosing your furniture and paint colors, double check these features under warm light to avoid any unforeseen contrasts.
Mix warm and cool light.
Too much warm light can make it hard to focus on tasks, so make cool lighting available in accent or task lighting of a room. This way when you want the warm atmosphere you can have it in the overhead lighting but if you want to read or use the laptop, you have other options.
Warm lighting is a wonderful piece of lighting design and light layering in your home!