The Role of Color Temperature in Bathroom Lighting

We often take the light in any particular location for granted. You'll notice a considerable difference between the lighting at a restaurant and the lighting in a bathroom if you compare the two.

Each space's illumination serves a distinct purpose. In a restaurant, lighting creates an ambiance, whereas in a bathroom, illumination illuminates the space for operations such as hand washing, make-up application, and shaving.
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The restaurant's subdued ambient lighting softens your and your eating companion's appearance by producing a warm light, but the bathroom light is brighter and whiter.

Color temperature, which determines how yellow or blue a white light is, is the reason of this variance. Kelvins are used to measure colour temperature; the greater the Kelvin, the more blue the light will be. Natural daylight has a colour temperature of 6500K, while neutral white light has a colour temperature of 4000K and warm white light has a colour temperature of 2700K. Taking this into consideration, the restaurant lighting would have a colour temperature of 2700K, while the bathroom lighting may have a colour temperature of 6500K.

Warm light makes us seem our best because our flaws are less obvious. A colder colour will highlight any flaws on our faces and give us a more accurate representation of how we seem in natural light. You may be tempted to choose a warmer colour temperature for your bathroom lighting, but you would be doing yourself a harm.

The colder temps will imitate what the world sees in daylight, so it's wise to walk out into the world knowing how you'll seem in such conditions.

Have you ever put on make-up in a dimly lit bathroom and then gotten a glimpse of yourself in your car's rearview mirror? Is the reflection you see looking back at you the same as the one you saw before you left?

Consider how make-up artists use cool light temps to avoid giving their clients an unrealistic appearance. This should also be your goal.

When selecting lighting fixtures for your bathroom, keep in mind that both ambient and task lighting are required. Ambient lighting will offer total illumination for safety and, if requested, will extend bathing time. It should have a bright enough colour temperature to compensate for dark tiling on the walls or floors.

Task lighting usually surrounds a mirror and provides adequate illumination for doing make-up or shaving. Choose fixtures that will let in the most natural light. Many LED fixtures are available with a colour temperature of 6500K, making them ideal for task and ambient lighting.

Is warm white or cool white better for bathrooms?

Spotlights, plinth lighting, and LED strip lighting all use cool white light, which varies from 5,000 to 6,500 kelvins. Warm white lighting is commonly used in the main bathroom because here is where the family would bathe or relax in the evening, and the gentle light helps to generate a calming ambiance (don't forget to check out our unique bathroom storage).

How bright should a bathroom light be?

Several factors will influence how bright you want your bathroom lights to be – 75-100 watts are ideal for guest and master bathrooms. 45-60 watts is sufficient for half-baths or powder rooms. You can decrease the light to 35 watts later that evening for a soothing sleep bath.

Choosing the Correct Bathroom Lighting

Whether you use LED or halogen lighting, be sure the colour temperature matches that of natural sunshine. It provides you the best chance of looking like your mirror to others. For a complete line of modern lighting fixtures to set the ideal ambiance.

You should check out The Fancy Place's Oftabo bathroom light!

We have a great guide on how to pick the correct lampshade size and soften fluorescent light guide!