the biggest mistake you’re making with lighting – and how to fix it

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Tell me if you can relate to this. You buy a new light, hang it over your dining table, and the room now looks…..meh.

Or that sofa that was a beautiful shade of blue-gray at the store turns purple when you take it home. Gross.

Or that paint color that you looooved in your bedroom looks awful in your kitchen.

Or why your skin looks amazing in your master bathroom but nasty in your kid's bathroom?

My friend, it’s not witchcraft or bad luck or your eyeballs that are failing you. It’s color temperature. It is the somewhat invisible cause of many of your design frustrations and you don’t even know it. It could even be the source of why you like spending time in some rooms but feel uncomfortable in others.

It’s the secret villain behind so many of your design problems. It’s a sneaky thing because when it’s done right you don’t notice it, but when it’s done wrong….

When color temperature goes WRONG

YOWZA. These are a couple of photos from one of our real client projects before we got our hands on those light bulbs.

The image on the left is just off the entryway. The color is super yellow and makes everything in the room look orangey. But just beyond that (you can see the doorway in the left of the photo) is a kitchen that looks practically Antarctic because it is so blue. It looks like the OR of a hospital.

Walking through these two rooms made me do this:

Lighting can be confusing. There are lots of numbers happening on the box, so most people just grab the right bulb shape and move on. I’m going to teach you what all those numbers mean, and then I’m going to change your whole life by helping you understand color temperature, then I’ll share our favorite light bulbs and a really neat bonus feature that you’re going to love. Strap in, and get your Amazon cart ready because you’re about to want to order a bunch of new lightbulbs.

What's in the box? Understanding lightbulb terms and how to shop for them

We need a little terminology lesson here, because most people have heard these words but don't know what they mean, so interchange them. Then they end up in the yellow/blue nightmare shown above.

The important lighting terms, explained.

WATTS – technically, this is how much power the bulb uses. Most of the time you’ll see numbers like 40w, 60w, and 100w. These numbers are actually based on how they compare to the old pre-LED bulbs (called incandescent) because that’s what most of us grew up with. The smaller number below that says LED beside it is how much energy this bulb actually uses.

Most people go WAY OVERBOARD on brightness; only do this if you have your lights on dimmers. Otherwise, use these rules of thumb:

• 20w – 40w – great for bedrooms, chandeliers, and table lamps; anywhere you want a soft glow

• 40w – 60w – great for recessed lights

• 80w - 100w – use this for task lighting only or where you only have a single light source in a room

LUMENS – this is the technical measure for how bright a light bulb is. The higher the lumen output, the brighter the fixture. As designers, we will sometimes run calculations for how many lumens a room needs to be lit properly, but regular Joe’s don’t need to worry about this. Just look at the watts, and you’ll be good to go.

COLOR TEMPERATURE – this one is tricky because it’s never actually labeled as "color temperature." It’s called “light appearance” or other wishy-washy terms, but this is the single most important piece of info on the box, and it’s buried on the back.

Color temperature is the X factor in whether your space is going to look good or gross. It’s measured in Kelvin, which is abbreviated K.

There are lots of other things on the box, like CRI (color rendering index) and lifespan and on and on, but that’s for another day. And honestly maybe not even another day because this is really all you need to know. It’s all about Color Temperature.

Warm White vs. Soft White vs. Amber vs. Daylight: what's the difference?

This image says it all. The same white wall, the same hanging light fixture, but a full array of bulbs in varying color temperatures, or Kelvin. Pin this image, save this to your phone, tattoo it on your arm, because you’re going to want to come back to this again and again.

Temperature	What it looks like	Best for	TLD verdict
2000K - 2600K	Very amber/orange	Decorative mood lighting only	Use sparingly, for mood, with caution
2700K (aka warm white)	Warm and inviting	Traditional and transitional homes	TLD go-to
3000K (aka soft white)	Cleaner, crisper white	Contemporary homes	TLD go-to
3500K (aka true white)	Cooler and more clinical	Cannot think of a good reason to use this bulb	Skip it
4000K+ (aka daylight)	Bright, blue-white	Garages and utility spaces	God awful. Not for living areas. Just don't.

2000K – 2600K – this is what you see mostly in vintage-style Edison bulbs. They create a really orangey, amber light. Fine for the occasional decorative fixture, but it’s REALLY orange, guys. Use with caution.

2700K – this is warm white and is probably the most standard. This is used most often in homes in recessed lighting, decorative lighting, and table lamps. It gives a warm white glow and is closest to the old incandescent light bulbs most of us knew before LED became a thing. Great for most homes.

3000K – this is a soft white, and is great if you want a crisper white and don’t want things to feel yellowed. We use this often in our more contemporary projects.

3500K – this will often be labeled as “true white”, but do not be fooled. This color will look blue inside your house. Just say no.

4000K+ - I’m going to save you some time. DO NOT BUY THESE FOR INSIDE YOUR HOUSE. This is acceptable at best for garage lighting, but it is blue and gross and makes your skin look terrible. Do you know when you walk into a Target bathroom and look like death?! THIS IS WHY.

Choosing the right color temperature for your house

Okay, so now you understand what color temperature is. The glass is shattered and now you’re thinking “oh my gosh how do I fix this?!” Don’t worry, dear one, let me show you. Visually. Prepare for lighting trauma.

Allow me to show you what not to do, and how to fix it.

All lights of the same type must be the same color

This living room has an uplighting feature that could be amaaaaazing at night, but it can never be used, and this is why. LOOK AT THOSE LAMPS. These are old bulbs that have been replaced willy-nilly over time. There are 5000k cool ones and 2700k warm ones, and it makes me want to die.

Lesson – all the lights of the same type in a room need to be the same color temperature. All of your can lights (aka recessed lights or pot lights, depending on what part of the world you live in) must be the same color temperature. There are zero exceptions to this.

Create lighting harmony: recessed and decorative light fixtures must have matching or nearly-matching color temperatures

Gross. In the image above, the shower recessed light is at 3500K and the vanity sconces are at 2700K. So much dissonance, it's not inviting or comfortable. Don't do this.

Do this:

There are exactly two approved ways to achieve lighting harmony in your home. Either:

1. All light bulbs match in color temperature. Your recessed lights, and your decorative lights (chandeliers, pendants, sconces, and table lamps) - all matching at either 2700k or 3000K.

or,

2. Recessed lights at 3000K, and decorative lights at 2700K. This gives "evening glow" and mood in warm white while your overhead lights render slightly more soft white. The temperatures are close enough to not hurt your soul.

There are no other allowed combinations for fixtures built into your house. Sorry to be harsh. Sometimes the truth hurts.

The right lighting color temperature for every room in your home

Let's break down, room by room, what is the best light bulb for each room in your house. Spoiler alert, it's going to match my advice above because consistency with your color temperature is key.

Best Color Temperature for Kitchen

2700K for a warmer kitchen. Use if you have wood cabinets, vintage style, more traditional interiors, or in general want your kitchen to feel warm and inviting.

3000K is great for more contemporary kitchens, where you want a truer color rendering without any yellow or warm cast. Also a good choice for older residents who tend to feel like 3000K is "brighter" than 2700K (which it isn't scientifically true, but people report this nonetheless).

Best Color Temperature for Living Rooms

2700K gives you the warm soft hug that you want for your living room, especially your decorative lighting and lamps. You can use 3000K soft white for your recessed lights. Ideal for more traditional, cottage, transitional, or cozy homes.

3000K works well for contemporary living rooms, or rooms with massive amounts of daylight because the sun is going to cast more blue through the day. You can still add in table and floor lamps at 2700K for evening warmth.

Best Color Temperature for Bathrooms

2700K is perfect to create a warmer feeling bathroom. If you have used all white and gray marble, for example, it can feel quite harsh with a cooler blue bulb, so test out a warm white to soften it. Also the best bulb if you have warmer bathroom finishes in tan/beige tones, or lots of wood, greens, etc. This will also be the most flattering for your skin tone, so use warm white bulbs in your sconces and you will look better in the mirror.

3000K is the choice for a large bathroom that you want to feel spacious, or contemporary and modern bathrooms. Be aware that if you have cooler bathroom finishes (grays, blues) this will make them feel even bluer. You may want to test out 2700K bulbs if your bathroom is feeling like a mausoleum..

Best Color Temperature for Bedrooms

2700K is our top recommendation for a bedroom, as people generally want a sleeping space to feel soft, easy, and cozy. This is a great place to add a dimmer (but every room is a great place to add a dimmer) and/or a lower wattage lightbulb. Think soft, soft, soft.

3000K is acceptable for bedrooms, but only if your whole house is going to be 3000K. It feels a bit less warm and fuzzy. Or if you're after a more modern, clean look, then use 3000K all day with my blessing. Just be sure you have dimmers, and consider making your bedside lamps 2700K.

Best Color Temperature for Laundry Rooms

2700K for a warmer laundry space. If you're going to spend gobs of time folding in here, make it more inviting with warm white lighting.

3000K works for cooler or more contemporary laundry rooms, or if you don't have any natural light available and you really just need to "pump up" the perceived brightness.

Best Color Temperature for Garages

2700K or 3000K is what we typically recommend. But this is the ONLY space I will allow for a 5000K bulb. It will be harsh and un-inviting, and that may be fine for you. But if you plan on having buddies over and having beers in the garage while you fix up your 1980 Grand Wagoneer (no, just me?), then stick to 3000K.

The right lighting color temperature for every type of light fixture

Best Color Temperature for Recessed Lighting

2700K or 3000K. Always install your recessed lights on dimmers to be able to control the brightness and keep rooms from feeling too harsh. You almost never need your lights on at full blast.

Best Color Temperature for Sconces, Pendants, and Chandeliers

2700K or 3000K. We lean towards 2700 for warmer glow and mood, but as a rule, match these fixtures to your recessed/overhead lights. Again, always put your decorative lights on dimmers to control for brightness and to increase mood and vibes.

Best Color Temperature for Table and Floor lamps

2700K is ideal, 3000K is acceptable, but not my tried and true advice. Use lower wattage bulbs in table and floor lamps, since they are typically not as easy to dim. Some smart bulbs will allow you to dim; more on that below.

Every room possible should layer in table or floor lamps to not rely solely on recessed lighting. Not always possible (or desirable) in a kitchen or bathroom, but should always be done in living rooms, dining rooms, and bedrooms.

TL;DR - If you read nothing else, PICK ONE COLOR TEMPERATURE FOR YOUR HOUSE (EITHER 2700K OR 3000K) AND STICK WITH IT.

I know that was many, many words about color temperature, but wasn’t it fun to go on this journey together?!

The lightbulbs we buy on repeat

Here are some of our go-to bulbs in 2700K and 3000K that we use on our design projects to take the guesswork out of this for you (and don’t you worry; all of these are dimmable):

basic | recessed light | Edison style | candelabra | candelabra globe

basic | recessed light | Edison style | candelabra | candelabra globe

And finally, the world of smart bulbs. These things are pretty neat for a couple of specific reasons.

1. You can choose your color temperature. Before you buy a whole house worth of new bulbs, you can buy a couple of these and test them out in your house.

2. You can set them on timers. My bedside lamp pops on when it's time for me to get ready for the day, at 100% brightness. Then at night around bedtime, it pops on again at 5% brightness, to start to get me sleepy.

3. They are dimmable. Table and floor lamps generally don't dim, so this will allow you to fine-tune the brightness you desire.

color changing bulbs

Sneaky helpful real life application: if you’re going to be going to an office building or hospital or retail store type of space all day, you can set your bulb to cool white and then put on your makeup. Then you can make sure you're going to look good under those "less than ideal" lighting conditions!

If you’re going to be at home, set it to warm white. You are welcome.

You can also set it to blue or purple or pink or green, which my kids think is awesome and makes for fun family dance parties.

Want more designer advice you can actually use?

The right light bulb is a small detail, but as you now know, small details can completely change how a home feels.

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