Light is beyond just the shining illumination you enjoy, it creates a unique ambiance. You can decide the kind of ambiance you want in your space by knowing how lighting enhances your mood. Understanding what LED lights are and how to rightly choose lighting for different areas in your space is the beginning of having a better atmosphere.
In this blog post, you will be getting a complete guide that will help you understand and discover how to enhance your mood with LED lights.
The Science Behind Lighting and Mood
Light and Emotion
It has been proven that human emotions and moods can be deeply affected by light and its intensity. This information should help you make better choices when lighting your space. Light comes in three categories of colors: warm, cool, and neutral. Warm colors bring the feelings of warmth, comfort, and relaxation. Cool colors are often calming and soothing, giving you that peaceful atmosphere and creating balance.
Neutral colors which are white or gray light give an energizing feeling and improve your mood by setting clarity and focus. When it comes to the intensity of light, high light intensity is energizing, stimulates alertness, and enhances cognitive function. In contrast, dim light or low light intensity can cause fatigue, cause sadness, or even contribute to feelings of depression.
Circadian Rhythm
Your body’s natural circadian rhythm controls your sleeping and waking up cycle. One of the important factors that regulate the rhythm is light. This is because exposure to different lighting throughout the day affects your sleep or energy. In the morning, exposure to natural sunlight tells the brain that it is waking up time. This lighting increases the release of cortisol, which boosts energy and encourages.
As the daylight progresses and shifts toward warmer tones, your body gradually starts preparing for rest. This reduction in light intensity triggers the production of melatonin, which leads to feelings of drowsiness and prepares the body for sleep.
LED Lighting Benefits
LED lights are effective for mood enhancement because of their versatility and control options. LEDs can easily be controlled and adjusted in terms of temperature, brightness, and even specific colors. You can fine-tune the color of LED lights to get a feel of natural daylight in the morning. You can also explore the dimming capabilities, which gives you control over light intensity of the LED light in the evening. Generally, LEDs can be customized to create the desired atmosphere for your current mood.
Choosing the Right Color Temperature for Different Moods
The color temperature of a light can sometimes be very disturbing, and you either want to tune it down or increase it. When it comes to lighting up your space you are in control and should know what color temperature suits different areas of your space. Below are descriptions of two color temperature and color temperature tips that will guide you in making the right choice.
Warm Light (2700K-3000K):
Warm light, especially warm white light at 2700k-3000k, creates a relaxing atmosphere. This is because of the sunset’s soft glow and the candlelight effect it has. Warm light’s gentle yellowish hue helps reduce stress. It promotes a sense of calm making it a perfect choice for bedrooms and living rooms. This type of light creates a calm environment that is perfect for relaxation and sleep. Installing any type of LED light around this range is the best for specific areas in your home or office. You can go for a tubular-shaped light, strips or other types that suits you.
Cool Light (3500K-5000K):
Cool light ranging from 3500k to 5000k is known to energize because of its semblance to daylight. This light helps to boost alertness and improve concentration. Cool light enhances visual clarity and focus. It is effective in areas like home offices, kitchens, and study rooms where productivity is essential. Cool light supports mental clarity and reduces eye strain during detailed tasks. Make sure to vet the range of the light from the retailer or supplier before installation. This is to make sure that you get the exact light that suits the purpose you want to use it for.
Color Temperature Tips:
Color temperature is the hue of light that indicates if the light appears warm or cool. Lumens measure the complete amount of light seen, indicating its brightness. While color temperature affects the mood of a space, lumens determine how illuminated the space is. Here are a few tips for choosing the right color temperature:
1. Living Room:
Since the living room is meant for relaxation, opt for a warm light ranging from 2700k to 3000k. This is because it creates a welcoming atmosphere for spending time with family and friends. If the space is also used for reading, you can add adjustable lighting options like dimmable LEDs. Adjustable lighting will give you the room to make changes to the brightness when the need rises.
2. Kitchen:
For kitchen activities, neutral to cool lights around 3500k to 4000k are best for the space. The brightness of these lights helps with visibility and focus when doing any kitchen-related activity. The light used for task lighting under cabinets in the kitchen can be slightly cooler for sharper contrast. All that matters is that you install lighting that allows you to carry out your culinary activities.
3. Bedroom:
The lighting in the bedroom is supposed to be soft and cool. So you can select a warm white light around 2700k to create a bedroom restful mood. The soft glow from this light encourages sleep and relaxation in the bedroom. High-intensity light in the bedroom is not advisable because it interferes with melatonin production and disrupts sleep. After a stressful or productive day, you need to come back to a space where you can rest.
4. Bathroom:
A neutral white light between 3000k to 4000k works well for the bathroom. It provides a good level of brightness without being harsh to the eyes. For areas around mirrors, slightly cooler lights may help with makeup or shaving. If your makeup activity is carried out in your bathroom space, you can have an additional desk light for it.
5. Home office:
Your home office needs lighting that’s suitable for study and desk activities. Installing cool white light around 4000k to 5000k is best for your workspace. This light enhances focus and productivity in the home office. You won’t have to experience eye strain while staying alert during tasks. When you get the lighting right, you save yourself the stress of having to deal with eye issues.
6. Dining Room:
Go for a warm light between 2700k to 3000k because of the intimate mood it creates. It is perfect for an inviting dining experience, meals, and conversation. You can use dim switches to tweak the brightness depending on the occasion or time of the day. You may want to dim the light a bit in the night or during a romantic dinner experience.
7. Hallways and Entryway:
Hallways and entryways need lighting that makes mobility easy. Neutral white light around 3000k to 3500k works for this area. It offers enough brightness for transitional spaces like this. It also creates a bright balance for safety and movement through the hallways.
Using LED Light Colors to Influence Mood
You must remember an incident where you stepped into a place, and because of the lighting there, you felt a shift in your mood. That is the power of LED lights right there, and in your space, you have the right to set your mood with these lights. LED lights can come in a combination of colors or different colors; whichever way it comes, the color guide below will help you pick the right one for your desired mood.
Red and Orange:
Red and orange colors give these feelings of warmth, passion, and comfort. Red, on its own is a color that depicts emotions of love and excitement. It draws attention and makes spaces feel alive. Orange is where red and yellow meet and it gives the atmosphere an air of warmth and friendliness. Together, both colors can transform a space into a homely atmosphere.
Blue and Green:
Blue and green colors are known for their calm and relaxation. Blue promotes peace and reduces anxiety or anxious feelings. Green depicts nature, feelings of harmony, and freshness. These two colors help to reduce tension and encourage peace.
Purple and Pink:
Both colors are known for mood enhancement with feelings of positivity and creativity. Purple color is associated with a sense of calm that facilitates imaginative thoughts. Pink is synonymous with warmth, compassion, and love. It reduces the feeling of aggression and anxiety. The combination of pink and purple creates an environment that allows creativity to be expressed positively.
Mood Lighting Techniques Using LED Lights
Installing mood-enhancing lighting in your space using LED lights creates a unique ambiance. However, there are mood lighting techniques that guide the installation to give you the exact feel you desire. These techniques ensure that the LED lighting installed in each area of your space is appropriate and suits the purpose of that area. Below are the four mood lighting techniques for using LED lights.
Accent Lighting:
Accent lighting is used to make specifics like decorations in a room stand out. This enhances the room’s overall aesthetics and visuals. Light sources such as track lighting, wall sconces, or spotlights fall into accent lighting. OLAMLED’s LED track panel is a perfect accent lighting that calls attention to particular spots. Accent lighting can be used to emphasize such things as stone or brick walls.
Ambient Lighting:
Ambient lighting provides mood-enhancing light in a room with soft radiance. This LED light creates a comfortable and inviting atmosphere. OLAMLED’s modular panel creates soft illumination in your space and helps reduce eye strain. Incorporating ambient LED lighting makes a space luminous and visually appealing.
Task Lighting:
This lighting is essential for enhancing focus and productivity in specific areas. OLAMLED’s LED tubular lights are a great choice for task lighting that delivers bright and focused light. It provides target illumination for activities that require concentration like reading and other detailed tasks.
Layered Lighting:
Layered lighting serves the desire to create a balanced and mood-enhancing indoor space. A blend of task, ambient and accent lights builds layered lighting. Ambient lighting serves as the foundation, providing a soft glow while task lighting allows focused illumination where specific activities take place. Then accent lighting complements these two layers by highlighting particular features in the room. Strategically combining these three types of lighting creates a beautiful, inviting, and purposeful environment.
Smart LED for Mood Enhancing Lighting
Benefits of Smart LED Lights:
When it comes to LED lights, it is not just about all the aesthetic beauty that they bring. There are more grounds why you should opt for LED light instead of other available options. Here are some benefits of having smart LED lights in your space.
1. Dimming capabilities:
Smart LED lights are beneficial to users since they permit control over brightness levels. This is why you can adjust the light intensity to suit your moods and activities.
2. Color changes:
You can easily change between a spectrum of colors. This gives room for customization of the lighting according to your personal preference.
3. Preset Mood settings:
Smart LED lights come with preconfigured settings for various moods. It makes it convenient to create the desired ambiance with one button.
Voice and App Control:
Smart LED lighting has this intriguing feature that allows you to control your lighting system with voice commands and mobile apps. Using voice assistants like Apple Homekit, you can adjust your lighting with verbal instructions. Mobile apps is a user-friendly platform where you can manage lights from anywhere. You can set timers or adjust settings without needing to physically interact with light switches.
Personalized Lighting Schedules:
Personalized lighting schedules give you the flexibility to have light like the natural progression of daylight. This gradual exposure provides mood-enhancing light for you throughout the day. Taking control of your lighting schedule helps you create the environment you desire.
Practical Tips for Enhancing Mood with LED Lighting
Adjust the LED Light Brightness Levels:
When you adjust the brightness levels of your LED light, it has a positive effect on your well-being and productivity. Brighter yet cool lights work for the mornings then in the late afternoon to evening, gradually dim the lights to create a warm atmosphere. As night approaches, dimming the light further creates calmness that encourages you to sleep.
Experiment with Different Colors:
Tryout different LED light colors to create a mood-enhancing environment. This is because each color carries a unique psychological effect that can affect your mood. For example, warm tones of yellow and orange create a sense of comfort. While cooler tones like blue and green promote a calming atmosphere in bedrooms. The flexibility of LED lighting makes it effortless to change colors and adjust their intensity.
Make Use of LED Strips:
Utilizing LED strips is a potent and adaptable way to mood-enhancing lighting in the home. These LED light strips can be mounted under your cabinets, fixed along walls or behind furniture. Maximize LED strip lights in your home and enjoy the ambiance.
Cost-Effective Ways to Enhance Mood with LED Lights
Knowing full well that LED lights can enhance your mood, you will be considering the prices and wondering if it is affordable. Most of the time, when a product like LED light has so many features and capabilities, it is assumed to be expensive. Interestingly, that is not the case here; opting for LED light is one of the best economical decisions for you. Below are details that will let you know you can enhance your mood with LED lights at minimal costs.
Optimization of Energy:
Something fascinating when it comes to LED lights is that they consume less energy than regular bulbs. They transform more energy into light instead of heat like other bulbs. This makes LED lights a better option for mood-enhancing lighting.
Reasonably Priced Options:
The remarkable thing about LED lights is that they come in various forms, from strips to smart lights. They cater to different budgets and you can get good quality LED lights at very affordable prices. You don’t have to break the bank to purchase a LED light because they’re reasonably priced.
Encourages Long-Term Savings:
Interestingly, LED lighting has a longer lifespan than traditional bulbs. LED lighting has been tested and proven to often last up to 25,000 hours or more. You won’t have to replace your lighting frequently. Installing LED lights in your home or workspace contributes to your long-term saving goals.
Conclusion
Having learned about how to enhance your mood with indoor LED lights, you’ll agree that purchasing the right LED lighting is necessary for your household and workspace. You can get your ambient, task, or accent lighting, and all LED lighting from OLAMLED Lighting Solution. Energy conservativeness, affordability, and the long life span of LED light are something you shouldn’t miss.
