LED lights come with many advantages. One of the great things about them is the fact that they can emit any colour without the need for any filters, unlike older halogen or fluorescent lights.
This gives you a lot of choices when picking a colour – but how much does your character influence which colour you choose?
How Can LEDs Emit So Many Colours?
The reason why LEDs can emit pretty much any colour is because it uses a semiconductor material, and the chemical composition of the material used determines its colour.
An example of this is Aluminium, Gallium, and Indium, Phosphide (AiGaInP) that can emit red, orange and yellow colours. Then you have Indium, Gallium and Nitride (InGaN), which allows for green, blue and white colours.
Different combinations result in different colour possibilities – explaining why some LEDs are only available in a single colour, whereas others offer a full RGB range.
Here at Wholesale LED Lights, we generally offer warm white (3000K), cool white (6000K), day light (4000K) and RGB colours. With the exception of RGB, they all constitute part of the colour temperature chart.
Let’s go a little deeper and explore each one and what it might say about those who pick it!
Warm White (3000K)
Warm white measures up at 3,000 Kelvins on the colour temperature scale. It’s a very popular choice too, and the main reason for this is that is closely replicates the shade of light emitted by traditional halogen bulbs.
The slightly yellowy hue is ideal for creating a cosy environment – perfect for relaxing at the end of a long day. As such, it’s great for places like the living room or bedroom.
Because of this, it compliments traditional decor really well, matching a wide range of colours. It’s really good for general purpose illumination because of its soft shade.
It’s probably fair to say that this is a colour suited for the traditionalists among us – those who prefer conventional styling and want to feel comfortable.
Although due to this colours immense popularity, it’s also just as fair to say that probably everyone likes warm white!
Cool White (6000K)
Cool white comes in at 6,000 Kelvins on the colour temperature scale, and instantly you can tell the difference from warm white – cool white is far brighter and icier, creating a more well lit and clinical atmosphere.
The light emitted is closer to true white in all honesty, though it has a slightly blue tinge to it. Because of this, it’s better suited to areas like the kitchen or bathroom, as it helps you to concentrate and stay alert.
This is why you’ll often see cool white being used in office environments too.
That’s not to say it couldn’t be used elsewhere – it could easily be used in a living room, but it would have to be used alongside modern, minimalist decors with bright colours.
As a result, it’s perhaps more versatile then warm white, as it can be used for general illumination as well as feature and accent lighting because of its bright, direct light.
People who pick cool white would probably be slightly younger, favouring modern styling over more traditional looks. This is even more so the case, given that minimalist decors tend to be popular nowadays.
Those who like light colours will get on well with cool white.
Day Light (4000K)
Day light slots in between warm and cool white at 4,000 Kelvins on the colour temperature scale. Naturally, it combines the cosiness of warm white with the bright, clean look of cool white.
As a result, it’s suitable to use pretty much anywhere, as it isn’t too extreme one way or the other.
People who tend like changing a lot will like day light because of the flexibility it offers – it’ll match pretty much any kind of colour scheme and decor.
Maybe it’s one for people who don’t like to sit still!
Our 3.3W 80 SMD GU10 LED Spotlight is a great example of a product that can emit all 3 of these colour temperatures, making it a really popular choice, no matter what look you’re going for.
RGB Colour
As the name suggests, RGB colour LED products are capable of emitting red, green and blue at will. Depending on the product, they can even shine with anything in between those too!
We think we speak for everyone when we say that no one will be using RGB colour to illuminate their living room, unless they were planning on converting into some kind of disco. So where would you use RGB LED products?
This in itself is part of the beauty – you can be as creative as you want with them because of the sheer range of choice!
They’d look great in a games room or even a child’s bedroom too, to create various kinds of mood lighting.
Better yet, we stock both RGB GU10 spotlights and RGB Colour Changing LED Strip Lights – so you’ve got choices as to what type of RGB lighting you want too!
With this in mind, RGB LED products are best suited for young, fun-loving creative individuals who want to be different from the rest, and those who like to work hard and play harder!
It’s important to know that we’re not trying to create a gold standard set of rules for colour use in the home. Nor are we trying to make assumptions about the kind of people that use particular colours.
If anything, the use of colour is one of the fun parts of furnishing your home – creating different moods and effects that reflect you as a person is part of the enjoyment.
Have you been redecorating recently? Let us know what choices you made in the comments below! You can also post on our Facebook page, and even tweet us too @omailighting, using the hashtag #OmaiLighting.
If you have any questions about using colour in your home lighting, please don’t hesitate to get in touch by emailing us at mike@omailighting.com.