How to Choose Light Bulbs for Each Area of Your Home

The atmosphere and the mood of a room depends on its lighting system. There are so many varieties of light bulbs available in the market that deciding the best one becomes quite tricky. And since the lighting needs of each room is different, the task can become overwhelming. This is why after hours electricians  have come up with this article to help you choose the best light bulbs for your home. 

In this article, we will take you through everything you need to know about selecting light bulbs for your home. Whether it is for the kitchen or the living room, bedroom, or the bathroom, by the end of this blog, you will be able to choose the light bulbs for each area of your home. Now, first of all, let’s get us familiar with the significant lighting terms used these days.  

Frequently Used Lighting Terms 

Incandescent bulb 

 These bulbs are one of the most commonly used bulbs and have been in the market for more than a century. These bulbs usually give off ambient light, but they are not energy efficient at all. They are the expensive bulbs, and when they are lit, they produce heat, so you should not touch these bulbs while they are working.  

Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs)  

CFLs are one of the most commonly used light bulbs in the world that are famous for saving energy as they save more than 70% energy when compared with the conventional incandescent bulbs. CFLs are less expensive than LED light bulbs, but they emit a lot of heat while they are turned on, which can affect the air conditioning cost of your room. However, they are very durable as they can last up to 8 years.  

Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs)  

LEDs are better than CFLs in terms of saving energy as they can save up to 80% as compared to conventional incandescent bulbs. However, they are usually expensive, but they have one plus point; they do not emit heat, which can save something from your air conditioning costs. They are also better than CFLs in terms of durability and can last up to 15-18 years.  

Lumens 

It is a term that is used to measure the brightness of a bulb. Mostly the rooms of a house would require anywhere from 400 to 10,000 lumens, depending upon the size of the room. Things are simple, the more lumens, the more light will be produced by a bulb.  

Kelvin Temperature 

A bulb’s Kelvin temperature decides the color of light that will be emitted from it. The Kelvin temperature of bulbs ranges from 1,000K to 6,500K, and if the temperature of the bulb is low, the light emitted by it would be a warmer light like red or yellow hues, etc. On the contrary, if the temperature is high, the light given off will be more refreshing like white or blue hues, etc.  

Ambient Lighting 

It refers to a light that already exists in a room before having any other lighting source, which means it is just the natural light that fills a room. This light could be coming from outdoor through windows or doors etc. Or ambient lighting also means the artificial light that fills a room.  

Task Lighting 

As ambient light was to fill the room, task lighting only lights up a specific area of the room like work or reading area.  

Accent Lighting 

Accent light is more like a concentrated light that is used to highlight a particular object or feature of a room. These lights are always brighter if compared with task and ambient lights.  

Now, you have become familiar with almost all the lighting terms that you needed to know while choosing the light bulbs for each area of your room. Now, it’s time to apply this knowledge to different places in your home to get the best lighting. However, if you need any professional help, you can contact your local electricians in Sydney

The Best Light Bulbs for Your Home  

As you already know, each room has its own lighting needs, so while choosing the light bulbs, always consider your house’s unique light requirements. It is always a wise decision to install LED bulbs in those areas where you will be leaving the lights on for more extended periods.   

Kitchen  

A kitchen is a task-oriented space, which is always busy with food-making and family gatherings. For such an area, you would require a bright and crisp ambient light, usually 5,000 to 10,000 lumens. Plus, you can always pair your bulbs with task lights under the cabinets, which will have a significant impact on making your kitchen look pretty.  

Bathrooms  

As the bathroom is another task-oriented space, we would recommend you to go with the same lumen counts that you used in your kitchen. Installing moderate to general lighting would do the trick, plus you can pair it with task lights near the bathroom vanity. Installing halogen incandescent lights is also a good option if you live in cooler areas as these lights will produce heat, which will help you in keeping yourself warm after the shower.  

Living Room  

This is where you need your lighting levels to range from low to moderate. The living room is an area where most of your time is spent, so going for LED bulbs is a wise option. The Kelvin temperature of your light bulbs should be somewhere between 2,000 to 3,000K for warm and soft lighting. You can install a ceiling fan with a light kit for that beautiful and bright moving look. Task lights for reading spaces will also blend in very nicely.  

Bedrooms  

Bedrooms are where we go to rest and sleep, so always use warm and dim light bulbs with low to moderate lighting levels. Don’t install cool-tone lights, as their bright and blue light will make it harder for you to sleep in the night. A good option would be to opt for incandescent bulbs that do not have a very bright blue light. If you have a habit of reading, you can also place some task light like a lamp, and its lumen count should be between 300 to 400 per area.