Choosing the Right Color of Light for Your Property

By Tracy Grills

Light affects everything we do, including our moods, our sleep patterns, and how productive we are during the day. Our bodies respond to the natural changes in the light spectrum throughout the day. We need light towards the blue spectrum (5000K-7000K) during the morning hours for our bodies to produce the feel good chemical dopamine, which elevates our moods and gets us going for the day. Later in the day we need light towards the red spectrum, (2700K-3000K is ideal) to help our bodies convert dopamine to serotonin to relax and prepare ourselves for a restful night of sleep.

This is why it is so important to choose the right type of artificial light for our surroundings, and what we use them for. If you’re designing the lighting for an office, for example, it’s best to go to a site like CDM2lightworks.com where they have decades of experience in designing the most effective lighting for commercial space. Offices need to be bright enough to see your work, but not so bright that it’s painful to sit in for 8 hours a day. Offices also take a lot of energy to run, which is why a good design will incorporate LED lights and automatic switches to ensure energy is not wasted.

Fitting new lighting is, unfortunately, not something you can DIY. Electricals are subject to strict safety standards, so it’s improtant to get a professional, like someone from The Wirenut (https://thewirenut.com/services/electrical-services/), out to install the fixtures safely and ensure that that they will last for a good while. Whether you are lighting up a commerical office space or a rental property you must always take lighting into consideration.

Of course, there are always exceptions so please consult a lighting expert if you are unsure about what will look best, and work best for your situation. It’s often best to ask an electrician who is experienced with lighting your type of property, for example use S.E. Electrical Services for commercial electrical services and a residential electrician for home property consulations.

Here are very basic guidelines.

• Choose 2700-3000K for living rooms, bedrooms, most household interiors and anywhere you like to relax. Warm colors always look best with natural woods and earth tones. Adding a yellow neon sign as a centerpiece in the living room/bedroom could also elevate the mood and style. You can check out sites like www.neonfilter.com to find such customized lighting options.

• Choose 3000K for most multi-family, residential hallways, stairwells, lobbies, office waiting rooms etc.

• Choose 3500-4500K for commercial office space, work rooms, labs, hallways, medical examination rooms, stairwells etc. 4000K is the best overall color if color temperature changing lighting is not available.

• 4500-5500K is used for underground or above ground multi-level parking garages, parking area lighting, and outside commercial buildings.

• 5000K- 6000K is best for warehouses, shops, industrial buildings, etc., especially where detail work is needed