Pendant lights are a popular ceiling fitting, adding both practicality and style to a space. Traditionally a bulb with a lamp shade, they act as a diffuser of light, creating a pool of light below. They can be used to light a room or in conjunction with other light sources such as downlights and wall lights for task lighting purposes.
If you're looking to create a new lighting scheme in your home and not sure where to start, we discuss the best places to position your pendant lights.
Where To Place Pendant Lights?
Before placing your pendant lights it's important to consider what you want to achieve with the pendant lights. Is it purely to provide decorative purpose? Task Lighting? Also, it's worth taking into consideration natural light that is readily available in the room and how high the ceilings are. If you do not have access to high ceilings then pendant lights probably won't be the most suitable option for you.
Once you have decided on the above, it's time to decide where to place pendant lights!
Breakfast Bars & Kitchen Islands
One of the most popular places to position pendant lights is above a breakfast bar in a kitchen. When it comes to the amount of pendant lights over a kitchen island, odd is best, particularly a row of three. Why? Generally, an odd number of pendants look better than even numbers. The odd number of pendants allows the space around the lights, to frame each pendant. Whereas, even number of lights compete and divide the space.
A breakfast bar opens up a kitchen and 3 pendant lights help to create a light, social and airy space, whilst providing task lighting for activities that need it. It becomes a perfect space that can double up for many different tasks.
Landing/Stairwell
For the right space, a pendant light can look incredibly striking on a landing or stairwell. It's important to think about the proportions of the space, a high ceilinged, large stairwell could hold a large pendant light, whilst a small pendant light would look out of place and look more intrusive than a large pendant.
Pendant lights work best with a considerable amount of drop, this is why they look so effective in stairwells. However, if you have a low ceiling it isn't to say that you couldn't also use a pendant light there. A small pendant with a minimal drop would still look well suited to the space.
Bedroom
For a high ceilinged room, pendant lights are a great addition to a bedroom. Installing a dimmer switch with a pendant light will allow you to adjust the lighting to suit your mood. They add much more decorative style to a room too as opposed to downlights. If you need further pockets of light for task lighting you could use a table lamp, wall lights or downlights in the specified area without impacting the light in the rest of the room.
Living Room
A classic placement of pendant lights is in a living room. With homes of period authenticity a pendant light can help to keep that charm running throughout, especially if original ceiling roses are still intact.
Most pendant lights drop can be shortened so they work well with both high and low ceilings.
Pendant lights can be an adaptable light source for most rooms in the house with the right proportions. Take a look at our full range of pendant lights to find the right fitting for your space.
[related_products is_auto_added="1"]Pendant lights are a popular ceiling fitting, adding both practicality and style to a space. Traditionally a bulb with a lamp shade, they act as a diffuser of light, creating a pool of light below. They can be used to light a room or in conjunction with other light sources such as downlights and wall […]
Lighting serves a much deeper purpose than enabling us to see well. It has the ability to affect our moods both positively, and negatively. A cosy, warming light can create a relaxing and happy space. Dimly lit rooms can cause low mood and even affect your productivity.
It's incredibly important to get your lighting right so you create the setting, and ambience that you desire. In this blog we discuss ambient lighting and how to achieve the desired lighting in your home.
What Is Ambient Lighting?
Ambient lighting otherwise known as mood lighting involves using colour, temperature and brightness to create a comfortable amount of light throughout for an ambient space. Ambient lighting is usually created with a mixture of lights through a layered lighting scheme. This includes downlights, wall lights and pendant lights.
There are many benefits of employing ambient lighting in your home. It will help you to see clearly throughout the day, whilst dimming the lights during the evening creates that cosy and relaxing atmosphere to help you wind down.
How To Create Ambient Lighting
Ambient lighting is the perfect formula of placement, light source, brightness and style to suit your home and desired look.
Choosing The Right Placement
When planning your room the first thing you need to consider is where the lights are going to be placed. What might seem practical during the day might not be so practical in the evening.
Assessing how dark areas of the room are at certain times of the day will help you to plan your lighting scheme accordingly. Balance is also a key factor in getting ambient lighting right. Lighting the darkest corner of a room the most will make the room unbalanced. Think of lighting that will distribute even amounts of lighting throughout the room. Then you can bring in additional light sources to create further pockets of light.
Choosing The Right Lights
Having a layered lighting scheme enables you to add in accent lighting pieces which meld with the interior of your home. In a living room, you might choose to have a pendant light with wall lights, or table lamps dotted towards the back of the room. Wall lights are great for use in the evening as they still provide adequate levels of light whilst not overpowering the room.
However, it's all about choosing the right lights for your purposes. If the room is used throughout the day for work or activities then you might want to use a combination of downlights so they can be used for task lighting during the day, and introduce wall lights to create a different intensity of light during the evening. Alternatively, you could wire the set of downlights with a dimmer switch so the intensity of light can be adjusted as the role of the room changes throughout the day.
Dimmer Switch
Finally, installing a dimmer switch puts you in control of the level of lighting. The level of brightness required will differ during the day, with lower levels desired in the evening to stimulate relaxation. You can create the perfect intensity of light with a dimmer switch, dimming it down to create that mellow and warming ambience when required.
Ambient lighting is a fantastic addition to any home when implemented correctly. It's all about precision planning to decide what will work best for your space. If you're looking to create ambient lighting in your home, you might also enjoy our blog on Mood Lighting.
[related_products is_auto_added="1"]Lighting serves a much deeper purpose than enabling us to see well. It has the ability to affect our moods both positively, and negatively. A cosy, warming light can create a relaxing and happy space. Dimly lit rooms can cause low mood and even affect your productivity. It’s incredibly important to get your lighting right […]
Green has often been a colour that people shy away from in their interiors, but olive green is one that continues to become a popular hue in the home. Providing a great accent colour throughout the home, it is commonly used on doors, panelling, feature walls and through furnishings. It really is the perfect colour that works well in most rooms. It also helps to nod towards that sustainable, eco-friendly ethos.
So, what colour is olive green exactly? Olive green is exactly that, it takes its name from the colour of unripe or green olives, and is a warm yellowish-green shade, as opposed to the cooler tone of sage green that holds hints of grey-blue.
What Colours Go With Olive Green?
To help you use this colour in your own home, we explore the colour wheel to find out which colours work best with olive green to help you seamlessly incorporate it into your space.
Olive Green & Tan
Tan and natural wood tones work exceptionally well with olive green as it provides a neutral, and uncomplicated pairing.
This colour scheme works well with mid-century modern design. Introducing natural elements through furniture will help to tie this look together. Try pairing an olive green feature wall with wood dining tables or coffee tables for a stylish aesthetic.
Olive Green & Blue
Whilst olive green is a great neutral colour to work with, olive is a warm colour in its undertone which means it works well with other warm colours.
Warm shades of blues such as cobalt blue are an ideal match for olive green. It's best not to let these colours fight for space and either use both of them as accents to complement one another through the home, such as on panelling and home furnishes or use one as more of a dominant colour to work from. Perfect for a vibrant living room.
Olive Green & Beige
As two neutral colours, olive green and beige are a match made in heaven for the interiors. A popular colour combination in kitchens, with olive green cabinetry and beige worktops or surrounds.
You could even incorporate a third complementary colour into the mix such as tan or natural elements, as they are all earthy neutrals.
Olive Green & Pink
Trust us on this one! Olive green and blush pink are complimentary colours, it especially looks good with softer shades of pink.
For a bedroom, pair blush pink and olive green in the room's accents such as pillows, bedding, rugs or curtains. Alternatively, you could have feature panelling behind the wall in olive green and dress the room with blush pink.
Olive Green & Gold
If you're looking to create a regal, luxurious looking room then that can wholeheartedly be created by combining both olive green and gold. They are both warm colours which create such a luxe, and elegant space.
Gold can easily be woven through the home by way of decor, furnishings and interior hardware. Brushed Brass sockets and switches contrast beautifully with olive green, making the brass pop.
Olive Green & White
A fail safe combination that always works. These two colours create such a harmonious and relaxing space. It's best to keep the foundations of the room white and build up the warmth of the room with accents of olive green. Bringing greenery into the room will also help to add to that tranquil ambience.
Olive green is a colour that is set to stay in our interiors. An incredibly earth warming and gorgeous neutral that works so well with a multitude of patterns and shades.
[related_products is_auto_added="1"]To help you use this colour in your own home, we explore the colours that go best with olive green to help you incorporate it into your space seamlessly.
There are many different considerations to make when choosing the lighting scheme for your home. Certain rooms of your home may benefit from swathes of well distributed light throughout. Whilst other rooms may need more targeted levels of light in a certain section, as and when required.
Task lighting is a particular form of lighting that is highly common in many homes. It will greatly benefit you during key tasks where clarity and high precision is required. We explore task lighting and how you can easily incorporate it into your lighting setup.
What Is Task Lighting?
Task lighting is strategically placed lighting in an area where clarity and precision is required to carry out various tasks. When planning the lighting design in a room it is crucial to take this into consideration.
Task lighting is commonly used in areas such as home offices, under cabinet lighting, kitchen lighting. Whilst the tasks and roles of each room might be different, task lighting still works in the same way in aiding you. Providing the additional clarity and precision you need.
Task lighting is normally limited to a certain section rather than a whole room. A kitchen could be an exception to this room where you might carry out food preparation in more than one area.
Kitchen Task Lighting
Downlights are the most commonly used lighting source for task lighting. Positioning them is key as you will ideally want to position downlights directly over or near the areas that are required for tasks. Positioning them directly over the worktops will also help to reduce glare and shadows.
There are a couple other considerations to make when selecting those downlights for your space. This ensures they provide maximum light and efficiency for the tasks at hand.
- High CRI - A high CRI or colour rendering index is the measurement of how an artificial light represents the true colours of objects. A high CRI will drastically improve the clarity and precision of tasks, as well as helping to lift your mood. The Soho Lighting High CRI downlights are one of few high CRI downlight suppliers. They're perfect for any room in the house as they provide swathes of light.
- Tiltable downlights - For those more discrete areas where finely focused lighting is required, tiltable downlights enable you to adjust the tilt to suit your requirements. This provides highly targeted lighting to enable you to carry out your tasks effectively.
Alternatively, under cabinet lighting such as downlights or strip lighting is a popular choice for those hard to reach areas. Strip lighting like this could also be used for mood lighting.
Home Office Task Lighting
Task lighting is easier to create in a home office, where there is usually a desk where the majority of your work is carried out. The most popular form of task lighting in a home office is a desk lamp. Unlike kitchens where you have little choice, there are so many desk lamps to choose from that you can incorporate them into home decor.
Desk lamps work well because they can be moved, often tilted and adjusted as the extra level of light is required. It should be considered as a secondary source of light as you still need to ensure the rest of the home office is suitably lit. Downlights are a great option for a home office as they can wash the room in light. Try opting for downlights with a high CRI to provide optimum clarity.
Bathroom Task Lighting
It can be easy to overlook task lighting as a priority when deciding on your lighting. Whilst downlights are a great choice for a bathroom, they aren't enough when it comes to some of the daily tasks that are carried out in the bathroom.
A direct task light above the mirror in the bathroom will make shaving or doing your makeup so much easier. A pair of bathroom wall lights on either side offers both practicality and style to the finished result.
When planning your room, always consider when and if task lighting is required. It's much easier to get the lighting to work cohesively than having to go back over your work at a later stage.
[related_products is_auto_added="1"]There are many different considerations to make when choosing the lighting scheme for your home. Certain rooms of your home may benefit from swathes of well distributed light throughout. Whilst other rooms may need more targeted levels of light in a certain section, as and when required. Task lighting is a particular form of lighting […]
A bathroom is one of the most well used rooms in the home. One thats role often changes throughout the day. This integral space requires lots of careful considerations to ensure that it delivers functionality, yet style to the space.
Choosing the right flooring is no different to choosing the right lighting for a bathroom, it's one of those key fixtures that helps the room flow, whilst essentially serving a purpose in its use, over and over again.
What Flooring Is Best For Bathrooms?
There are lots of different options for flooring when it comes to bathrooms, whilst it can often come down to preference, some flooring is much more suitable and appropriate for bathrooms in general.
Ceramic & Porcelain Tiles
Whilst they can be perceived as being 'cold' and hard to stand on for long periods of times, bathroom tiles are one of the most common choices for bathroom flooring, specifically ceramic and porcelain tiles. The reason for this being that they are water resistant, incredibly hard wearing and often inexpensive. They are available in so many different styles and colours that they are incredibly accessible to most households.
Most tiles can handle a lot of water, including puddles which makes them great for use in showers too. They're an incredibly versatile and easy tile to dry and keep clean, offering one of the most sterile solutions for bathroom floors.
Waterproof Vinyl Flooring
Vinyl flooring is one of the most inexpensive types of bathroom flooring. It makes it a good option for quick bathroom refreshes, but is not as hard wearing and resistant over time like tile. However, vinyl flooring is available in further options again, vinyl can look like stone, plank and even wood and is often scratch resistant too.
Whilst it cannot compete on all levels with tile, waterproof vinyl is still a fantastic covering for a bathroom floor.
Natural Stone Tile
Another great option for bathroom flooring is natural stone tile which is available in a variety of options, which include marble and granite. They offer so many benefits like ceramic tiles. They're incredibly resistant to wear, water resistant and easy to clean.
They're not the most common option for flooring due to a trickier installation. Once wet they can become incredibly slippery which doesn't make it the safest option for a bathroom, especially for family homes. Natural stone does require some regular maintenance to seal the stone finish, preventing penetration of dirt and debris.
Carpet
Carpet is a desired bathroom flooring choice because of the soft feel under feet. However, it is a dated, unhygienic and impractical solution for flooring in a bathroom.
Carpet soaks up moisture and excess water which can lead to it harbouring bacteria and developing mould and mildew. This ultimately just makes carpet a no go for use in a bathroom.
There are many fantastic bathroom flooring solutions that offer everything you could need for a long lasting, waterproof finish that is practical and stylish.
[related_products is_auto_added="1"]Choosing the right flooring is no different to choosing the right lighting for a bathroom, it’s one of those key fixtures that helps the room flow.
Red is a popular colour in interior design, commonly used as an accent colour. It adds vibrancy, a pop of the colour to the home and draws attention to the eye.
It's a striking colour that creates warmth and comfort. Red comes in so many different shades that it can easily be incorporated into your home.
What Colours Go With Red?
Red, Black & White
Black & white are a traditional and fail safe combination with red. Black provides a perfect backdrop for red, creating a striking and impactful look. If using black for your walls, you could incorporate red into a rug, furnishings and cushions. You might also want to intersperse some white and black cushions for a cohesive look. You could also try black sockets and switches for a fun accent.
Red & Brown
Brown works perfectly with a warm colour like red. It's best to go for a muted red with a reddish brown for them to work in harmony together. Choose which one you want to be the more dominant colour in your space before introducing the other colour as an accent. The accent colour can easily be introduced through furnishings, decor or lighting.
Red & Grey
Red will go with almost any shade of grey. They are both sophisticated colours that compliment each other incredibly well when brought together.
Bring the red in through decorative elements. They're much easier to rearrange and move to different areas of the room if red is a colour that you might get bored of in a couple of years.
Red & Navy Blue
These two colours offer a vibrant and fun combination. You might want to bring brown into the equation to mute the vibrancy slightly, this trio of colours works incredibly well in an industrial setting. A textural wall of wood planks could be used with both red and blue furnishings for high visual impact.
Red & Mustard Yellow
Don't let images of tomato and mustard sauce bottles put you off these two colours as an interior trend. It's a surprising combination, but red and mustard yellow work really well together in suitable doses. As they are both warm hues, the result is a cool and collected look.
Red & Pink
This combination is much coveted in the fashion world and can be recreated in your interiors too. As they are part of the same colour family, red will go with virtually any shade of pink. If it's too daring for you, you might want to start with keeping your walls neutral and interspersing both red and pink throughout your interiors with the furnishings and decorative elements.
If you're looking to bring red into your interiors, the good news is that there are plenty of colours that it works well with. Do experiment with the shades of the colours to find your perfect match.
[related_products is_auto_added="1"]Red is a popular colour in interior design, commonly used as an accent colour. In this blog, we look at what colours work well with red in home interiors.
Chandeliers are renown for being one of the most spectacular and decorative type of light fittings. Chandeliers originally evolved from candelabra which were invented during the medieval period. With a light source which was originally generated through candles. They remained in use like this until the 18th century when gas lights were invented, then superseded by electric.
We take a look at whether these gorgeous light fittings from times gone by are still relevant and fashionable in todays world.
Are Chandeliers Fashionable?
When you think of chandeliers it might conjure up images of stately homes and period styled properties. But the question is, are they still considered fashionable?
Ultimately, chandeliers are definitely still considered to be fashionable and popular throughout homes today. Chandeliers are more suited to period properties. However, they are still part of modern interior design today and are still widely appreciated.
However, many chandeliers have of course been adapted to the modern world. Many of these adaptations allow for chandeliers to be enjoyed in modern homes too. Those with a modern twist are available in a huge amount of designs nowadays. This includes mirrored designs, much lower drops and those that feature LED strip lighting within the unit.
When Should You Use A Chandelier?
Chandeliers become an integral part of a lighting plan when they are used as a supplementary light source in a layered lighting scheme.
Chandeliers work really well in conjunction with downlights. As a chandelier does not drench the room in light, it will add that decorative element to your room whilst not impacting the overall light output in your room, when used alongside downlights.
Alternatively, wall sconces and wall lights are more traditional than downlights. They will help to add that further authenticity to the overall feel of the room, whilst providing more adequate levels of light. Wall sconces are a great lighting choice for task lighting in reading nooks and for highlighting walls, paintings or even plants.
Candle Bulbs For Chandeliers
To retain the authenticity of your chandelier, it is best to use LED candle bulbs. Unless it's a modern chandelier fitting, anything other than candle bulbs will look out of place, and will quickly ruin the look of the chandelier.
Our extensive range of candle bulbs are available in different colour temperatures. This enables you to create either a white and bright room or one which offers a cosy, warming ambience. The end look is authentic, stylish and energy efficient.
Chandeliers are renown for being one of the most spectacular and decorative type of light fittings. Chandeliers originally evolved from candelabra which were invented during the medieval period. With a light source which was originally generated through candles. They remained in use like this until the 18th century when gas lights were invented, then superseded […]
Getting the lighting right in your home office is key to maximising productivity and your eye comfort throughout the day. Inadequate levels of light can cause eye strain and headaches. Whilst dimly lit lighting can have an impact on your overall productivity and mood. It's definitely one factor of a home office you can't afford to not get right.
How To Light Your Home Office
To help you optimise your working from home office or space, we discuss the different lighting options available for your home office.
Do You Have Natural Lighting?
Firstly, if you have access to natural lighting this will definitely impact the way that the room is lit.
Sunlight can produce fantastic working conditions. If you are able to benefit from natural light you should position your desk in front or next to the window to avoid screen glare. To accommodate varying levels of light during the day, install a blind or shutters. This can help to block out the glare when needed.
Task Lighting
Whether it's computer focused work, writing or for other focus intensive tasks, task lighting will greatly improve the clarity and precision of your work. Task lighting provides increased levels of light in a specific area when needed.
This can be achieved in a number of different ways. Using a table lamp is a popular choice. Especially one that is tiltable as it can be moved and adjusted accordingly when needed, and moved when it's no longer required.
Not only are downlights fantastic for drenching a room in light, high CRI titltable downlights situated over the area of work can provide a great form of task lighting when required. High CRI not only lets you see the true colour of objects as they are meant to be, but can also give better contrast which in turn aids tasks where clarity is helpful such as reading, artwork of needle craft. Studies have also linked higher CRI to improved temperament and productivity. Given that such light is more natural to humans, it is not difficult to see why.
Check The Colour Temperature of Your Bulbs
Colour temperature describes the appearance of the colour that is given off by the bulb. It is recorded in kelvins on a scale from 1000-10,000. It's very important to get the colour temperature of bulbs correct, especially in a home office where you spend a large proportion of your day concentrating.
A colour temperature around 1800k gives off a warm, orangey glow. This is usually favoured in living spaces to create a cosy, ambient setting in the evenings. To provide adequate levels of light for a home office, a high colour temperature between 4100k cool white and 4600k which is the closest to daylight is suitable for areas where full visibility is required.
When choosing your bulbs look out for the colour temperature before ordering. The right type of lighting will provide a comfortable place for your eyes to work in all day.
Decorative Lighting
Whilst practicality is key with lighting a home office, adding a touch of style will keep you enjoying your work space, day after day. It's going to be one of the most used rooms of the house, you might as well make it look good too!
You might want to add decorative or accent lighting to the room to provide depth and character to the space. They don't have to provide the main source of light. Accent lighting could be used above artwork or other items. Whilst decorative lighting could be brought in through way of a wall sconce or pendant light.
The Claridge Polished Brass Wall Light would look fantastic in a home office for visual appeal. You could situate them on either side of a desk for optimum impact and light.
These lighting ideas will help you to effectively light your home office. Providing maximum light and visibility to keep you comfortable and focused during your working day.
[related_products is_auto_added="1"]To help you optimise your working from home office or space, we discuss the different lighting options available for your home office.
Wall lights are an often underrated type of light. They can be a fantastic addition to a home for a layered lighting scheme. It can be difficult to decide where to place wall lights to maximise the light where you need it most. As well as tying it in with another light source such as downlights or pendant lights, to create layered levels of light.
We discuss the best places to position your wall lights for optimum lighting in your home.
What's The Best Height For Wall Lights?
The most common question when it comes to positioning wall lights is, what's the best height to place them? This can depend on a number of factors. Including the size and style of the light, the proportions of the room and the ambience you are looking for.
As a general rule of thumb the wall light should sit at eye level to avoid glare from the exposed bulbs. To get slightly technical, wall lights should be positioned around 152-170cm above the floor. Multiple wall lights should be placed around 250-300cm apart.
However, if you have a home with a lot of ceiling height then you may want to readjust the positioning. This might also differ in rooms such as a bathroom or bedroom where you may want to position them next to a bed or mirrors.
Where To Place Wall Lights In A Bathroom?
Placing your walls lights at the right height is not a one size fits all measurement for the bathroom. Often wall lights are used either side of a mirror which is perfect for illuminating and using as task lighting.
When situating on either side of a mirror, it is best to place them at around eye level. If using wall light sconces, place them with the centres slightly lower. This will create a perfect position to provide clarity and illumination for those daily tasks. Just ensure to fit suitably IP 44 rated + wall lights for this area.
Where To Place Wall Lights In A Bedroom?
Another exception to the rule is placing wall lights in a bedroom to replace a bedside lamp. If you're using wall lights as a replacement for a bedside lamp, you should place them around shoulder height so they can easily be switched on and off from your bed.
Aside from this, wall lights make a great alternative to ceiling lights as they provide a more ambient touch. As well as adding some depth and decorative style to the room. You could also install a dimmer with the wall lights to create an even gentler ambience when required.
Using Wall Lights As Picture Lights
You may wish to use wall lights to illuminate your artwork below. This is a great way to showcase a piece of art in a gallery or at home. This means lights are suspended above the chosen piece to create the perfect backdrop.
Take a look at our full range of wall lights including IP44 + rated wall lights suitable for use in the bathroom.
[related_products is_auto_added="1"]We discuss the best places to position your wall lights for optimum lighting in your home. Bedroom, bathroom and living room wall light placement ideas.
It has been announced under government climate plans that the sale of halogen lightbulbs are to be banned in the UK by September. According to the BBC, officials say 'the move will cut 1.26 million tonnes of carbon emissions a year and deliver consumer savings'.
The plan will help expedite the shift to low-energy LED lightbulbs. LED bulbs currently account for about two-thirds of lights now sold in Britain. We take a look at the differences between both halogen and LED, and how to easily make that switch from halogen to LED bulbs.
Halogen Vs LED Bulbs
The primary reason for phasing out halogen bulbs is to cut carbon emissions. A total phase out would be the equivalent of removing more than half a million cars from the UK's roads, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial strategy said.
Therefore, it is no surprise that halogen bulbs are far less energy efficient than their LED counterparts. Whilst the initial investment of LED bulbs and downlights can be more expensive, the ongoing savings in the form of energy saving makes LED downlights a far more cost-effective option.
Just to put that into some numbers, on average 15W LED bulb costs around £0.002 per hour to run. A 70W halogen bulb costs around £0.008 per hour.
Take a look at a full overview on the bulbs here Incandescent vs CFL vs LED vs Halogen Light Bulbs.
How To Switch Over From Halogen To LED Bulbs?
Before you dispose of your halogen bulbs and make the switch to LED, there are a few important factors to consider.
Cap Fitting Requirement
The main piece of information you need when purchasing bulbs is the cap fitting. Light bulbs all have a code to identify their fitting. The letters stand for the name of the fitting and the numbers represent the diameter of the fitting in millimetres.
Your existing bulb will usually display this information somewhere on the bulb, alternatively, check your light fitting for this.
Colour Temperature
The colour temperature of a bulb describes the appearance of its light and is measured by degrees Kelvins on a scale from 1000 to 10000. When you see the number 3000K or 4100K for example, the K stands for Kelvins. Bulbs with a lower temperature will have a warmer light. So a bright, blue/white, cool bulb will have a higher value than a traditional sunset yellow.
If you're not certain of the specific colour temperature of your existing halogen bulb, you should be able to get a good feel of the light when it's on and whether you prefer a brighter, white light or something more orangey.
CRI - Colour Rendering Index
Halogen bulbs can often come with a higher CRI than LED bulbs. Colour rendering index is the measurement of how colours look under a light source when compared with sunlight.
CRI is measured on a scale of 0-100 with 100 being the highest and closest to emulating daylight. High CRI not only lets you see the true colour of objects and décor as they are meant to, but it can also give better contrast which in turn aids tasks where clarity is helpful such as food preparation, applying makeup, reading, artwork or needle craft.
When making the bulb switch opt for high CRI lighting options where possible to ensure you retain the optimum level of lighting and clarity that your home is used to.
Wattage Conversion
Another thing to bear in mind is the LED equivalent of a halogen bulb wattage. LED equivalents wattages can only be approximate. The differing wattages can be down to the colour temperature and quality of the bulbs that are being compared.
Take a look at our full range of LED bulbs and LED downlights. If you need any further help with replacing your halogen to LED bulbs then please do get in touch with our customer services team at Elesi.
[related_products is_auto_added="1"]It has been announced under government climate plans that the sale of halogen lightbulbs are to be banned in the UK by September. According to the BBC, officials say ‘the move will cut 1.26 million tonnes of carbon emissions a year and deliver consumer savings’. The plan will help expedite the shift to low-energy LED […]