What you need to know about the parameters of light

Light parameters - and all is clear!

Surely you realize how much the right interior lighting makes a difference. Light can be both cozy and unforgiving. It can soothe the nerves, as well as raze the eyes with an unpleasant, cold stream of. It can invite you in and help you relax or evoke unpleasant, hospital-like associations. When choosing a light bulb for the interior, as well as for the specific tasks it is to perform, it is worth checking its parameters, specified on the packaging of light bulbs or the product itself. See what to pay attention to so that the light in your home, is on your side.

CRI Color Rendering Index

The color rendering index (from. Colour Rendering Index) is expressed in "Ra" and tells the user how well a given light source renders the natural colors of surrounding objects. The higher this ratio is - its maximum value is 100 - the better the colors are reproduced and the more natural they appear. Accordingly - the lower the Ra coefficient, the more faded and "artificial" the surrounding colors will seem to us. How to choose CRI for the type and function of the rooms to be illuminated?

Very high CRI 90+ - it is recommended for rooms and works where it is most important to distinguish colors and reproduce them as well as possible - in art classrooms, art galleries or art studios, paint stores, textiles, cosmetic and dental offices, in the printing industry.

CRI 80 - 90 - recommended for office work, classrooms and universities, as well as most indoor work and places where people stay for long periods of time. This amount of CRI will also work well in store windows and in the presentation of products that, with a lower color rendering index than 80, will clearly lose in the eyes of customers.

Incandescent light sources such as incandescent lamps or halogens can have a maximum CRI value - that is, 100, while LED light sources have "gaps" in the spectrum, so their CRI does not have a maximum value, but a lower one - usually 75-90.

• In everyday life, in the lighting of a house or apartment, high CRI is important especially in places such as the dressing room, bathroom or dressing table - At mirrors where makeup is applied, as well as in the kitchen and dining room. Food looks healthier and more appetizing in natural, sunny light, so the higher the CRI of the bulb used in these rooms, the better.
• On the other hand, low CRI (less than 80 Ra) will make everything in the room appear dim, bland, gray. It will not have a good effect on the well-being of household members, and the eyesight will tire much faster in them. Remember that light brings out the colors, and even the best-chosen colors and accessories will not "resonate" if you do not illuminate them properly. Therefore, never choose a light with a CRI value lower than 80 Ra/CRI for your home.

However, it should be remembered that the impression and color perception of objects in the interior is also determined by another parameter related to light and that is its color temperature, which can vary and, like the sun at different times of the day, can impose different colors of light on a white sheet of paper.

Light color temperature

The color temperature of light determines the color of white light, and its temperature is expressed in Kelvin [K]. The temperature expressed in this way can be divided into three categories:

• warm light - color temperature below 3300 K (light has a warmer, more yellow tint)
• cold (cool) light - above 5000 K (in color approaching towards blue)
• neutral light - between 3300 and 5000 K (white, daylight color, is rather cool, stimulating)

The temperature of the light has a huge impact on the mood of the household members, their concentration, productivity, as well as on how we perceive a given interior.

How to choose the light temperature for the interior and functional area?

• cold light - stimulates action and promotes work, focus and concentration. For this reason, it is worth using them w office, desk, conference room, etc.
• warm light - facilitates relaxation and tranquility, promotes relaxation and intimate conversations, it is warm and calm and therefore will work best in the bedroom and in the relaxation area of the living room.

However, the choice of lighting in relation to the desired temperature is not so simple, because depending on the time of day and our daily needs, within the same room we often need both cold and warm light.

The morning light in the bathroom needed for painting or shaving will be different from the light conducive to a calming bath. If your living room is also your home office, you'll need a different light temperature for work and another for calming down with an evening episode of your favorite TV series. Similarly, in the kitchen - cool light is conducive to cutting ingredients and preparing food, but it is in warm light that food looks more appetizing and conversation "sticks" better.

The latest solutions and intelligent systems already allow automatic change of light temperature, controlled by remote control. But what if you do not have such a system, but would like to enjoy energizing, cool light in the morning and while working, and moody, atmospheric lighting in the evening?

This is where additional light points come to the rescue - wall lamps, table lamps and flooring, backlights, interior cabinet lighting, etc. Design lighting so that you have separate sets for day and evening, for work and for relaxation. In the living room, all you have to do is turn off the central light and turn on the table and floor lamps. In the bedroom, bedside lamps will make the atmosphere, and in the bathroom, candles, wall lamps and additional directional sconces will work well, which you will use in the morning to put on makeup and which you will not light in the evening, getting ready for sleep.

Interior styling and the magic of light

The temperature of the light can also enhance or spoil the style of the interior design. In interiors where maximum exposure to natural sunlight, spaciousness and cozy character are important (Scandinavian or French chic style) after dark, light with warm color will look best. On the other hand, in austere minimalist interiors, cool-colored lighting looks best, harmonizing well with the typical colors and materials of this style.

Color of light source must also be matched to the color of the walls, and the right combination of light temperature and wall color, can work wonders! Cold light flattens the warm colors of the walls and boosts the cool ones. It also looks bad when paired with walls of intense colors, as it makes them bluish. Warm light, in turn, suppresses cold colors and illuminates bright ones, so it is sensational for small rooms, optically enlarging them.

Color temperature and color rendering index are the basic parameters you need to pay attention to when choosing light for your interior. A separate topic is the selection of the right bulb to best fit the lamp - its shape, wattage, number of lumens, etc. If you do not know what parameters of the manufacturer of the light fixture to pay attention to and what they mean for the bulb, and therefore what to choose so that the lamp you buy will best fulfill its role, read our article, in which we explain how to choose a light bulb for the lamp to best meet the expectations of its user.