Lighting in Murrieta Homes and Business
Most modern electric lighting is powered by centrally generated electric power, but lighting may also be powered by mobile or standby electric generators or battery systems. Due to the relatively high cost per watt, LED lighting is most useful at very low powers, typically for lamp assemblies of under 10 W. The light output of single LED is less than that of incandescent and compact fluorescent lamps; in most applications multiple LEDs are used to form a lamp, although high-power versions (see below) are becoming available.
In the long run LED, light are more economical than fluorescent tubes as they save electricity not only when the light is on but even during the trickle charging of the batteries. LED light are brighter, have a longer life, use less power and produce less heat.
Just like us, every room in your home is different, having a unique and individual personality based on the activities that take place in a given room. The lighting choices you make should be no different. Thanks to LED lighting technology, we can now make every room both comfortable and supportive of our biology.
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 nights sleep.
When it comes to bulb color, lower temperature bulbs produce warm-whites, similar to a fire, while medium temperature bulbs produce neutral-whites, and higher temperature bulbs produce cool-whites or mimic daylight.
It is also a common misconception that the brightness of a light bulb is measured in Watts. Watts actually measure energy usage, while Lumens measure brightness.
With that in mind, here’s a guide on how to optimize the lighting for each room in your home.
LED Lighting for Bedroom Use
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 color creates a high contrast with the page.
Suggested Total Brightness Level – 1,500 to 4,000 Lumens
Suggested Color Temperature: 2700-3000KLED Lighting for Home Office Use
When lighting a home office, we want to make sure that the lights are maximizing 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 energized. 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 color temperature on demand.
Suggested Total Brightness Level – 3,000 to 6,000 Lumens
Suggested Color Temperature: 4100-6500KLED Lighting for Living Room Use
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. New LED 3-Way lamps can be used in all three way table lamps you may have in your living room.
Suggested Total Brightness Level – 1,500 to 3,000 Lumens
Suggested Color Temperature: 2900-4100KLED Lighting for Dining Room Use
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, a dimmable overhead fixtures allow for that perfect brightness at any time of day. We recommend soft to neutral tones for the dining room that create the perfect ambiance. Also, consider LED bulbs for chandelier fixtures that are commonly used in a dining room, LED chandelier bulbs now offer beautiful color and light output.
Suggested Total Brightness Level – 3,000 to 6,000 Lumens
Suggested Color Temperature: 2900-4100KLED Lighting for Kitchen Use
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 color temperature can create a nice ambiance to balance out the brighter blue lights over the kitchen counters. Kitchens also can take advantage of recessed overhead lighting which can benefit from LED BR Bulbs or Recessed Retrofit Kits.
Suggested Total Brightness Level – 4,000 to 8,000 Lumens
Suggested Color Temperature: 2700-4100KLED Lighting for Bathroom Use
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. Since many of us start the day with a shower, putting a high output surface mount retrofit fixture in the shower fixture is a great way to start waking up before tackling the day ahead. Use larger globe style bulbs to illuminate common fixtures places above and or around the mirror.
Suggested Total Brightness Level – 4,000 to 8,000 Lumens
Suggested Color Temperature: 3000-6000K
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