Warm and cold light of LED lamps: how many in kelvins

Lighting design is an important component of every modern design development. Errors in the location, power and color reproduction of light sources can spoil even the most chic idea. And vice versa, well-placed light accents will help you to “play along” and appear in any interior. Today, a combination of warm and cold light from LED lamps provides tangible help in decorating the premises. These devices, despite the relative high cost, actively displace the remaining lighting elements, as they are the most environmentally friendly, durable and energy-saving.

The LED used in such a lamp is an artificially created semiconductor crystal that glows when connected to electricity.

Color temperature of LED lamps

When choosing lighting devices, they are guided by the value color temperature, which is measured in Kelvin (K) and is indicated on the package. This value shows how the LED crystal shines. The higher the value, the colder and white the light coming from it will be. More often in the interior of an apartment, three primary colors are used, which are in the following temperature ranges:

1. 2700–3500 K - warm white.
2. 3500–5000 K - neutral (natural) white.
3. 5000–6400 K - cold white.

Other options for choosing lamps for the interior

To choose the right device, you need to know what other parameters, in addition to color temperature, can differ. All designations will be indicated on the marking.

• Operating principle. On this basis, they are divided into LED, fluorescent, halogen and incandescent lamps.

• The shape of the flask. Based on the design solution, the bulb is made spherical (marking G45), pear-shaped (A55), in the form of a candle (C35), as well as a mushroom-shaped, tubular, in the form of a spot.

• Type of cap. It can be standard with a thread (E27 and E14), two-pin (GU10 and GU5.3), with tube-shaped lamp pins (G13).
• Energy efficiency class. It has the designation A +, A ++, A +++. The more pluses, the lower the power consumption of the device at the same light intensity.
• Light flow. In other words, this is the brightness of the light source. Measured in Lumens (Lm). The table below will help you understand what luminous flux the selected LED bulb will give.

• Color Rendering Index Ra. The color of objects illuminated by the device depends on it. For sun light, this index is 100, for incandescent lamps - from 90, for LEDs - 80–89. If Ra is less than 80, the colors of the objects in the room will be distorted.

The principle of choosing lighting in the interior

Each device with a warm or cold glow should be in its place and provide the best and most comfortable solution, depending on the purpose of the room. Understanding the difference and determining which lamps are best suited for a particular room will help you become familiar with their properties and view photos.

Warm light

Warm radiation resembles the morning or pre-setting sun and is the most comfortable for the human eye. This light is easily distinguished by a yellow tint. It promotes relaxation, helps create an atmosphere of comfort and relaxation.

A light bulb of this color temperature will be appropriate in the bedroom and living room as the main source lighting (for example, in central chandeliers with diffused warm light). It can also be used in spot lighting in cozy corners, for example, in reading lamps or bedside lamps, as in the following photo.

Important! When designing the interior, it is necessary to take into account that “warm” lighting, in addition to reducing concentration and attention, distorts the color perception: the colors of the warm palette are enhanced, and the colors of the cold - muffled. Also, the absence of blue and violet rays in the warm spectrum leads to a visual change in the corresponding shades (green, blue and violet).

Cold light

Cold white is perceived by the human eye as the light of the winter sun, streaming from behind the clouds. Such lighting increases attention and concentration, creates a working mood. But at the same time it keeps a person in suspense and, accordingly, cannot be used in large quantities, as it quickly causes fatigue.

It is advisable to use radiation from the cold temperature range in point directional sources or in illumination in places requiring increased efficiency, attention, and accuracy. For example, in the working area of ​​the kitchen, the washbasin in the bathroom and the desk in the office.

Cold white light distorts the color perception of a warm spectrum of shades. In this glow, yellow, red and orange will change to greenish, purple and brown, respectively, and blue and green will become saturated.

Neutral light

The light emitted by the LED crystal in the middle temperature range is as close as possible to the natural daylight and pleasant to the human eye. Lighting of such a spectrum is advisable to make the main (basic) in the room, and cold or warm light fit well into the design as accent elements, emphasizing the corresponding zones and areas apartments. Also, the advantage of such a lighting solution is the absence of distortion when the eye perceives the surrounding colors of the decor.

In modern conditions, specialists sometimes prefer to deviate from the rules for the sake of design exclusivity. And then a cold lamp in black and white interiors or high-tech living rooms made of chrome and glass become appropriate, a warm one in the office, for an atmosphere of comfort and trust.

Devices appeared on the lighting products market that made it possible to independently regulate the intensity and even the temperature of the light flux. It is manageable led lighting systemsequipped with a built-in special regulator - dimmer, which allows you to vary the lighting depending on the need and time of day.

Thus, thanks to high-tech developments, it is LED lamps that occupy a leading position and are the “favorites” of designers. In addition, the video will tell about the choice of color temperature of LED lamps.