What Color Light is Best for a Bathroom?

In this article, we will talk about the best color lights to use for bathrooms. Modern bathrooms have become a place to relax after a long and tiring day, and you need to keep this in mind when designing bathroom lighting. One thing that you need to keep in mind is to incorporate accent lighting that creates a soothing, relaxing, and warm atmosphere.

What color light is best for a bathroom? The best color light should provide the right amount of surface light and reflect off surfaces at the right angle to eliminate glare and shadows. This is vital when lighting the walls or sink. Search for bathroom light sources that provide similar colors as natural sunlight since these colors best complement skin tones. Moreover, look for color temperature between 2700K and 3000K from the light source. The color temperature in this light range provides the perfect flattering warm-white illumination perfect for bathroom tasks.

Choosing the right lighting for a bathroom can be tricky. There are many things that you need to consider. Tight spaces and small rooms can be challenging when it comes to placing ceiling lights. Also, you need to note that the bathroom needs to accommodate various tasks that need different kinds of lighting. To help you get started, we have shared tips and ideas below.

What is the Best Color and Lighting Temperature for Your Bathroom?

The best color lighting for bathrooms is warm white light. For color temperature, experts recommend cool white/bright white or daylight. Most light bulb packages describe bulbs as daylight (5000K-6500K), cook white or bright white (3500K-4100K), and soft white light (2700K-3000K). Take note that the different parts of the bathroom benefit from different light temperatures depending on the décor colors, size of the room, and natural light that comes from the windows.

Color temperature is measured in Kelvin (K). It is used to describe the color of the white light that a light source provides. The lower the color temperature of a light source, the warmer (redder) the color of the light appears. On the other hand, the higher the light source’s temperature, the cooler (bluer) the light appears. Hence, choosing a light source with very low or high temperatures can provide a blue or amber cast, making it challenging to see colors accurately.

Different Kinds of Color Temperature

Below are the different light bulb color temperatures.

Soft White (2700K-3000 K)

It is warm and yellow, which is the usual color range that you can get from incandescent bulbs. The light provides a warm and cozy feeling.

Warm White (3000K-4000K)

It is more yellowish-white and is best for the kitchen and bathrooms.

Bright White (4000K-5000K)

It is between white and blue tones. The light has a less cozy and more energetic feel.

Daylight (5000K-6500K)

It has a more bluish tone. The light color enables maximum contrast for colors, which makes it perfect for applying makeup.

What should be the Color Rendering Index of Your Bathroom Lighting?

Be sure to look for light sources that deliver a CRI of 80 or higher since they show colors as they appear in natural sunlight. Color rendering index or CRI is a number that indicates how accurate the colors look under certain sources of light. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) designed the 0-100 scale with 100 as the best color rendering, according to how well the lights display on pastel colors.

Choosing a low CRI lighting source in a bathroom can make colors look unnatural, making some bathroom tasks like applying makeup difficult. For instance, a room with old fluorescent lighting will not render color accurately, and as a result, it can dull the colors in the room.

How to Choose the Right Color Light for the Bathroom?

When choosing the right color lights for your bathroom, you need to familiarize yourself with how the lights look at different color temperatures. Color preference is a personal choice, and most people prefer to have lights in the 2700K-3000K range for their bathrooms because the color of the light is familiar and comfortable.

Lights around 2700K-3000K or what is referred to as soft white light have a cozier and warmer feel, which is more flattering to skin tones and warmer color palettes. It also has a crisper feel, which is flattering to cooler color palettes.

You also need to consider the CRI of the light source. Check the CRI information near the color temperature information to confirm its rating. A CRI of 80+ is good, 90+ is great, and 95+ is considered excellent.

✅ Video – Understanding and Choosing Color Temperature in LED Lights

Lumicrest shared the video below on YouTube. In the video, David discusses and demonstrates the different color temperatures of LED lights, when to choose, and the meaning of the terminology. Check out the video below for more tips and information.

Why is Soft White the Best Color Light for Bathrooms?

Soft white lights have a range of between 2700K-3000K and a warm and comfortable feel flattering to the skin and warmer color palettes. It provides a flawless and favorable warm white illumination perfect for bathrooms. If you are choosing LED bulbs, make sure that it has a CRI of 90. You can also choose CFL bulbs as long as their CRI is 90 or more.

What are the Benefits of Soft White Color Temperature?

Many people choose the soft white color temperature for their bathrooms because the light’s color is familiar and comfortable. You need to be familiar with the way the light looks at various color temperatures. Below are some of the benefits that you can get from soft white color temperature for your bathroom.

Warm Atmosphere

The color temperature provides a warm and nice atmosphere for your bathroom. It provides a relaxing ambiance that helps you relieve stress. You can also use the light color for living rooms and bedrooms to project a relaxing ambiance.

Provides Balance

The light offers an excellent option to balance wood furniture and earthly tones if you have them in your bathroom.

Energy-Efficient

All indoor settings can take advantage of the soft white lights since they offer an energy-efficient option to create a warm and appealing environment.

Cozy and Livelier Ambiance

The light around 2700K provides a warm and cozy feeling. It also has warmer color patterns and is more pleasing to skin tones. The light around 3000K provides a crisp and livelier feel, ideal for cooler color palettes. This is because it is the same as a neutral white light.

Tips in Choosing the Right Types of Bulbs and Brightness

Compact Fluorescent

A lot of homeowners avoid using compact fluorescent or CF lights because they are unflattering. This is because the blue light tends to enhance the imperfections that a soft glow flatters. If your bathroom has CF lights, you might want to consider replacing them.

Standard Incandescent

If you choose these types of bulbs, make sure that you check the fine print and choose the labeled “cool white” ones. This is because cool white does not cast a yellow glow that does not have the right color index for detail-oriented tasks that needs precision and great vision. For this reason, white lights are required.

LED

These lights use the least amount of energy. They are available in various shapes and sizes from classic, to flame-tipped. Since they use the least amount of energy, they are the best choice for the environment.

Conclusion

In this article, we have discussed the question of what color light is best for a bathroom. We hope that the information we have shared in this article has helped you learn more about the different color light options you can use for your bathroom.

Having the right color light will provide you with the perfect ambiance that helps you relax and feel comfortable while doing your morning or nighttime bathroom routine. Thank you for reading!

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