When choosing a fixture, most people focus on brightness, but what truly defines a space's feel is color temperature. The same room can look warm and inviting at 2700K, or cold and clinical at 5000K. This guide explains what color temperature is and which value suits which space.
01What Is Color Temperature?
Color temperature describes the tone of light, measured in Kelvin (K). Low values (2700K) give a yellowish, warm light; high values (5000K and above) give a bluish, cool light. Counterintuitively, 'warm' light has a lower Kelvin value.
- Tone
- Very warm
- Suited Space
- Home, restaurant, hotel room
- Tone
- Warm
- Suited Space
- Hotel lobby, café, boutique
- Tone
- Neutral white
- Suited Space
- Office, school, store
- Tone
- Cool / daylight
- Suited Space
- Warehouse, industrial, technical
02Which One, Where?
When an intimate, relaxing feel is desired, warm tones (2700–3000K) are chosen, which is why homes, restaurants and hotels work in this range. In offices, schools and stores where focus and productivity matter, neutral white (4000K) is more appropriate.
03If You Can't Settle on One Value
Tunable white technology lets you adjust color temperature through the day: an energetic white in the morning, a warm tone in the evening. It is the basis of human-centric lighting (HCL) and is especially valuable in offices, schools and healthcare.