You likely have heard that sunlight gives us energy, but did you know that light bulbs work in a similar way? Bulbs that emit blue light waves produce serotonin, which makes us focused, awake, and alert. Bulbs that don’t emit blue light waves allow for our brain to produce melatonin, which makes us relaxed, drowsy, and ready for a good night's sleep.
Bedroom
In our bedrooms, most of us want the atmosphere to be relaxed, calm, and peaceful. Avoiding blue light waves in the bedroom will keep your circadian rhythm from confusing the light in your bedroom with the natural light outside. This allows your brain to produce the melatonin needed for a comfortable sleep. Are you a nighttime reader? If you have a bedside reading lamp or plan on buying one, soft blue or neutral tones are better for reading specific fixtures, since the cool-white colour creates a high contrast with the page.
Total Brightness Level - 1,500 to 4,000 Lumens
Colour Temperature: 2700-3000K
Home Office
When lighting a home office, we want to make sure that the lights are maximising our ability to be productive in the space provided. Putting cool-white lights in the office that mimic daylight will increase serotonin production keeping you focused, alert, and energised. Make sure to choose a place that won’t create unwanted glares on your computer screen. You may also want to consider LED Desk Lamps which offer great task lighting and the ability to switch colour temperature on demand.
Total Brightness Level - 3,000 to 6,000 Lumens
Colour Temperature: 3000-5000K
Living Room
The living room is a popular place to seat guests, entertain, or just kick back and relax. Whether you are watching a movie, or chatting with friends, it is important to have a mix of light sources in the living room in order to adapt to whatever the occasion may be. Like in the bedroom, it is good to avoid bright, blue-light emitting lamps that create serotonin and give us energy. Adjustable spotlight lamps can be pointed at the walls to illuminate artwork, family photos, or simply to reduce glare on the TV. Positioning spotlight lamps at walls or ceilings is also a great way to eliminate unwanted shadows.
Suggested Total Brightness Level - 1,500 to 3,000 Lumens
Suggested Colour Temperature: 2200-3000K
Dining Room
When eating a nice meal with the family or guests, we don’t want the lighting to be overly bright and obnoxious, and we certainly don’t want it to be so dim that we’re dozing off. Whether it’s an afternoon brunch or a late dinner, dimmable overhead fixtures allow for that perfect brightness at any time of day. Soft to neutral tones for the dining room create the perfect ambiance.
Total Brightness Level - 3,000 to 6,000 Lumens
Colour Temperature: 2200-3000K
Kitchen
The kitchen is in essence a workspace. Many of us start our mornings in the kitchen, so those blue-light emitting bulbs over the counters will help make us alert and awake while prepping breakfast. If you also have a table in your kitchen, a dimmable overhead fixture with a warmer colour temperature can create a nice ambiance to balance out the brighter blue lights over the kitchen counters.
Total Brightness Level - 4,000 to 8,000 Lumens
Colour Temperature: 2700-5000K
Bathroom
Before we go to school or work, most of us get ready by looking in the bathroom mirror. Ideally, we want the lighting to come from around the mirror rather than on the ceiling. Using bright lights will ensure we don’t miss a spot shaving or mess up our makeup.
Total Brightness Level - 4,000 to 8,000 Lumens
Colour Temperature: 3000-5000K