IN THIS POST:
– Warm Bulbs
– White Bulbs
– Daylight Bulbs
There are a number of lighting fixtures that are used in Pakistani homes, but creating the right ambience requires more than just knowing which lighting is best for each room. Aside from the fixtures, you also need to know which lighting temperature is best for every room in the house. We’re here to end the debate between warm vs white bulbs for various rooms at home, giving you sufficient rationale to choose one colour temperature in favour of the other for each living space.
Warm vs White Bulbs – The Different Temperatures of Illumination
All types of light bulbs, including incandescent, halogen, LED, and fluorescent light bulbs, are available in two colours, warm and white. Recently, daylight bulbs have also brought a shade resembling natural daylight to homes in Pakistan.
Each of these hues is representative of the colour temperature of the bulb and the cosy ambience created by it. The hues are measured in Kelvins. The higher the Kelvin value, the whiter the illumination will be. However, once you choose the colour temperature of the bulb, the same bulb can be bought in several different wattages, which represent its energy consumption, and different lumens, which indicate the bulb’s brightness.
Thus, all bulbs can be categorised into three temperature-based colours:
- Yellow/Warm White
- White/Cool White
- Daylight/Natural White
Each of these hues can be easily used in home décor, but not every bulb is well suited to every room. You will have to choose the temperature-based colour of the bulb based on the purpose of the room. Let’s discuss each of the hues of light bulbs below, along with the best use of each lighting hue so that you can end the debate between warm vs white bulbs and head to the nearest hardware store to buy whichever colour temperature suits your needs.
Yellow/Warm White
Between 2,700 to 3,000 Kelvins
Often used for creating a cosy ambience due to its yellow to orange tones, warm white is a shade that is often preferred in living rooms, drawing rooms, dining rooms, and bedrooms.
Being tinged with yellow which creates an aura of warmth and cosiness in entertaining spaces, warm bulbs are also often used for parties and occasions because warm lighting makes the skin look flawless and reduces imperfections, becoming the perfect choice for homeowners who host frequent social gatherings at their residence. Consider these living room lighting ideas to brighten up your entertainment spaces.
Warm white bulbs are often dimmer than stark white bulbs and provide a better sense of privacy and intimacy in the bedroom. Yellow lights also create a calmer atmosphere which is a must in the bedroom for restful sleep. Moreover, warm lighting is easier on the eyes and is perfect for several different types of lamps in the house, including night lamps and reading lamps. Modern mobile phones also tend to have a night-mode or night-light feature which tinges the screen with a yellow hue that makes it easier to look at the screen in the dark without hurting your eyes.
What’s more, the soft glow of warm white bulbs also allows for the perfect dining atmosphere, because it is said that people naturally tend to eat more in dimmer lighting, which is why most restaurants also tend to prefer dim yellow lighting in their interiors. Most dining rooms have a focal chandelier above the dining table and here’s how to choose the right chandelier for your home.
White/Cool White
Between 5,000 to 8,000 Kelvins
Bright white lighting is often called cool white because the hue lacks all of the warmth and comfort provided by warm bulbs. While cool white lighting is often chosen for modern interiors to keep them bright, open, spacious, and formal, white bulbs also function well as task lighting and are preferred for both bathrooms and kitchens.
Ideal for places where it is important to distinctly identify the colour of objects and provide sufficient lighting for tasks that require precision, white light bulbs are often installed in hanging pendant lights over kitchen islands and in under-the-cabinet lighting strips to provide illumination for tasks performed on the kitchen countertops.
Similarly, cool white bulbs are also installed in bathrooms where you might require bright lighting to prevent cuts or to ensure that you do not miss a spot while shaving. Cool white lighting also acts as a harsh and bright wake-up call every morning for those who would love to sleep a little longer. It is recommended that you use bulbs of a higher wattage in the bathroom for sufficient lighting. Larger bathrooms will also need more than one light fixture to get rid of all the dark and dim corners.
Daylight/Natural White
Between 3,000 to 5,000 Kelvins
With the above, we come to the ultimate conclusion in our debate on warm vs white bulbs. We now know that warm bulbs are perfect in living spaces for entertaining guests, while white bulbs have more practical applications for specific tasks. So, where do daylight bulbs fit in this spectrum? Why are they a new addition to this industry and how are they used?
Well, it is a known fact that makeup looks best in natural daylight but if you’re attending a social event at night, the lack of daylight can be compensated by installing a natural white bulb that gives you a better idea of how your makeup would look in the day, allowing you to make adjustments accordingly. Thus, bathroom mirrors, vanity mirrors, and even wall sconces in bathrooms and bedrooms can be installed with daylight bulbs.
Moreover, people are generally more focused, more productive, and more creative in natural light. Thus, it makes perfect sense to install natural white bulbs in your home office or gym, where you need a comparatively brighter ambience than warm bulbs but would still like the space to be cosy and comfortable. Mimicking natural daylight, these bulbs are neither entirely yellow, nor entirely white, but a hue in the middle somewhere that fools the eye into believing that the sun is still up and shining its light on you, irrespective of the time on the clock.
People who love to read by the window during the day also choose natural white lighting for their libraries or reading corners as it allows them to dive into a book at all times of the day and night.
Now you know all about warm, white, and daylight bulbs, to end the debate between warm vs white bulbs and determine which one will be best suited to the room you are currently decorating. Modern light fixtures with LED bulbs even provide you with a colour-changing functionality. With the flip of a switch, you can change the hue of the bulbs from white to daylight or warm as per your needs.
Here are some lighting ideas to brighten up the apartment that might help you in your home décor project. You can also consider a range of outdoor light fixtures in Pakistan to make the most of landscape lighting. Don’t forget to avoid these common home lighting mistakes and to always design an energy-efficient home that is well illuminated while being lighter on your pocket in terms of utility bills.
Stay tuned to Zameen Blog for more home décor tips, tricks, and ideas. We would also love to hear your thoughts on our posts at blog@zameen.com.
