Design School

An Easy Guide on How to Select the Perfect Color Lightbulb

December 8, 2023

I don’t know about you, but for me, walking into the store to determine which light bulb is correct can be like physics. Each brand has a different name for the same thing. You don’t want a super yellow light for your bathroom and you definitely don’t want a fluorescent light that makes you look like you’re in a bad cafeteria.

Before I started tackling the lighting in our house I did a lot of research. So, I thought I would save you the time and put together a quick cheat sheet for both you and me to reference now and in the future.

Finding the Correct Light Bulb

Now that you’ve found the perfect light fixture, filling it with the right color bulb is crucial to capture your goal mood for the space and avoid having your entire lighting plan turn into a blinding nightmare.

If you haven’t chosen your light fixtures yet – I encourage you to check out this post here!

So what are they talking about on lightbulb boxes anyway?

First take note of the max wattage your light fixture takes and what type of socket the bulb needs to be. Nothing worse than coming back from the store with a bulb that doesn’t fit.

Understanding the Different Light Bulb Colors

The best way to find the right bulb color is to search for the color temperature on the packaging, or the degrees in kelvin, ranging from 1K-10K. This is the standard form of measurement that is used to measure light brightness so you can compare and find the same or different colors across brands without getting confused by their marketing description.

Warm and soft lighting usually ranges from 2700 kelvin to 3000 kelvin. This is your standard light that leans more yellow and is great for a cozy vibe.

Cool white/bright white has a kelvin temperature of 3500 kelvin to 4100 kelvin. This is very versatile and is great in work spaces and kitchens.

Natural light and day light gives off a brighter almost bluer hue. These have a kelvin temperature of 5000 kelvin – 6500 kelvin

Any kelvin higher than these I would not use in your home. In fact, my favorite temperature to use around the home is 3000K. It’s warm in tone but not so warm everything is turning yellow. It provides ample light in most spaces.