How Does Light Impact Paint Color, And Why Does it Matter?

The new paint color looks amazing during the day. When night falls, however, it doesn't look as great. Or, the paint swatch looked amazing at the store, but at home, it looks quite different and isn't going to work for the space. What happened? In both of these examples, the issue wasn't with the paint – it was with the light. The type and temperature of the light changed, so the view of the color changed. This has an impact on how the color looks and can make a huge difference once something is painted.

Light Changes The Perception

Whether it's for cabinet paint or wall paint, the light that hits it is going to change how it looks. Colors are a reflection of light back at us on a specific spectrum. If the light changes from natural to artificial, for instance, what exactly is reflected back will change. This can be easier to see in some colors, especially darker colors, as they'll change more drastically depending on how much light there is and what kind. For painters, this means paying attention to not only the colors desired but how they look in different types of light.

Natural Versus Artificial Lighting

It's always best to test paint colors in natural light when possible. Test the colors in the same natural light they'll be in when used, though. What direction the light is coming from as well as the part of the day, can make a difference in how the paint looks. It's going to look different when the sun is first rising compared to how it might look during the afternoon.

All of this is going to look different from how the light looks when it's dark, and artificial lighting is used, too. The different temperatures of light bulbs make a difference in how the color will be perceived. Changing from cool to bright lights or switching from incandescent to fluorescent light makes a big difference and can completely change how the color looks in the room.

Cloudy Versus Sunny Days

It's easy to notice rooms get a little darker when clouds are covering the sky. Beyond making the room a little darker, it also impacts how the color looks in the room. Cloudy days create shadows throughout the room, which can change how the color is perceived. It may look quite a bit different on cloudy or overcast days compared to ones where it's sunny and bright outside. During the summer months, clear and bright days might be more common, but the paint can look different in the winter, where it may be more likely to be overcast and a little darker outside.

Using This When Choosing Colors to Buy

What all of this means for painters, professional or amateur, is that it's crucial to swatch and check out the paint in many different types of light to see how it really looks before settling on a color. The right way to test paint swatches is to use a lightweight board that can be moved around the room. Use this to paint the test colors on, then use it for at least a few days to see how changing light impacts the color. Place it on different walls or in different rooms to see how that can make a difference, too.

How a color looks in the store or online isn't necessarily going to be how it looks at home. Light has a huge impact on color, so what looks good in one situation may end up not matching well in another. Take time to test out various colors, even if they seem like they're pretty close together, to find out which one is going to end up being the right shade. This can end up making a huge difference in the long run, as the lighting in the room changes and adjusts throughout the day and over time. 

4 Creative Ways to Use LED Lighting in Your Home

The lighting in your home plays a crucial role in your physical and mental health. While many people take the lighting in their home for granted, the type of lighting you use and how you use it can have a big impact on your eyesight, mood, and the overall appearance of your home.

One unique way to enhance the lighting in your home is LED lighting. LED lights are energy-efficient, cost-effective, easy to install, and extremely versatile. Here are four ways to use LED lights in your home that will make your home cool and unique.

Decorative Wall Lighting

If you're tired of the same old prints and other types of framed art on your walls, LED light strips are an excellent way to let your creativity flow to create custom designs on your walls to enhance the look, feel, and mood of any room. LED lights for wall decor are easy to install, rearrange, and remove when you want to change the look or feel of the room.

Under and Inside Cabinets

A great way to use LED lighting to enhance your kitchen and create a well-lit and safer space is under your lower kitchen cabinets. Adding LEd Oght strips below your cabinets will give your kitchen a friendly glow and help to keep you from hurting your feet when you make those late-night trips to the kitchen.

Under Beds

Kids don't like dark rooms with dark, creepy spaces. The space under beds can be particularly scary for young kids. You can create a cozy and safe feel to your kid's rooms by adding LED lights underneath and around bed frames. You can also use LED lights that change colors to create a fun and inviting area for kids.

Behind TVs and Computer Screens

You can create decorative lighting behind TVs and computer screens by adding LED light strips above, below, and on both sides of the screen. Bias lighting creates a glowing effect, which can help relieve eye strain. RGB LED light strips are a great choice for TVs and Monitors and for changing the color to suit your mood or vibe.

LED lights aren't just for bars and nightclubs. If you want to add a unique and custom look to your home, LED light strips are the way to go. Before you buy any LED lights, decide on how and where you want to add the lighting and choose the best colors for each of your applications. 

Guest Post - How Lighting Plays an Integral Part in Interior Design

Using the right type of lighting in your home can significantly enhance the interior design of each room. Being creative with lighting can illuminate specific areas and provide a cozy, warm atmosphere. It can even appear to alter the size of a room. Natural daylight is the most effective light source you can incorporate into your home, but electric lighting is always a necessity. There are several ways you can improve a sophisticated interior decor by choosing functional, but inspirational lighting.

Ambient Lighting

Every room needs to have an adequate amount of lighting to enable you to see clearly. This general or ambient lighting is usually provided by lamps hanging from a central point in the ceiling and supplemented by lights fitted to the walls. As an alternative, you could ask your electrician to install recessed lighting that provides a vertical pool or beam of light. Whichever style you choose, a room with bright, ambient lighting usually looks interesting and inviting.

Illusion of Space

An important element of interior design is to create a large, open space that conveys a sense of calm. You can achieve this by limiting how many pieces of furniture you include and de-cluttering the room effectively to prevent it feeling restrictive. Painting the walls in pale colours can also make the room appear larger. The effect can be further enhanced with ambient lighting reflecting on the wall surfaces to give the impression of a much larger space. By contrast, you can make a spacious room appear warm and cozy by combining soft, dimmable lighting with a dark color scheme. As the lighting creates hazy pools of illumination reflecting on the dark walls, it will make the room appear smaller and more welcoming.

Directional or Accent Lighting

Imaginative interior design often includes focal points such as an ornate piece of furniture, a large, ornamental vase or an artistic painting. By adding directional lighting, you can increase each object's level of interest by simply illuminating it. Some picture frames include small, integral lights specifically for this purpose. Alternatively, track lighting fitted to the ceiling is a versatile choice as the individual lamps can easily be positioned to illuminate one or more objects.

Practical Lighting

Successful interior design must combine an aesthetic, artistic style with practicality. Illuminating work spaces such as a writing desk or a small home office requires functional lamps that emit a strong, bright light. A well-designed kitchen will usually have large, pendant lights above an island unit. Another option is a series of spotlights that cast a clear, bright light exactly where it's needed. Some kitchen cupboards placed above countertops often have inbuilt lights to provide additional illumination.

Types of Lighting

There are three main types of lighting you can choose from.

 Incandescent lights use a tungsten wire filament to create a bright, ambient illumination. They can often be dimmed very easily to make the atmosphere of the room more cozy. 

Fluorescent lighting uses a tube containing gas, mercury and phosphorous to emit a clear, bright light. It's frequently used in kitchens and for recessed lighting. Compared to incandescent lighting, fluorescent lights are about one-third less expensive to run and have a longevity of about twenty times longer. 

The most economical illumination comes from Light Emitting Diodes or LED lighting. It can last up to fifty times longer than an incandescent bulb and uses far less energy than either of the other forms of lighting. The small, versatile bulbs can be used imaginatively to create different lighting effects. They also provide a range of colors that can help to enhance the features of your interior design.

Portable Lamps

Using a couple of portable lamps that stand on either the table or floor can provide additional, practical lighting wherever it is needed. They can be fitted with dimmable bulbs to help your room achieve a particular mood or atmosphere. Convenient desk lamps with cantilever arms are especially useful as they can be positioned with great accuracy whenever you require additional illumination.

Conclusion

Interior design relies on imaginative lighting to enhance the special features and style of a room. By using lighting that complements the colors on the walls, you can easily create an illusion of a more spacious room or a cozy corner. 

Directional lighting is perfect for making an ornamental feature seem more interesting and stylish. Practical lighting that's bright and clear is essential in work spaces such as a kitchen. 

Choosing economical LED bulbs can help to add many different colors and atmospheres. However, these are not always peoples first choice. And remember to be safe and always contact a fully qualified electrical contractor when you enhance your room's interior design with versatile lighting.

Author Bio:

John Keohane is the owner of JK Services, an electrical contractor who helps many homeowners with their lighting needs.

Seven tips to improve exterior lighting with Led floodlights

Floodlights are broad-beamed high-intensity artificial daylight-like for outdoor areas. Such places include residential and commercial areas, construction sites, open-air restaurants, parks and fields. 

Because of their powerful lighting technology, they are essential to use for outdoor events at night. LED flood light is an economic innovation in the lighting industry. These fixtures are a long-term investment for home and business owners, so certain factors like their longer life span, durability, and efficient operation are essential. 

Floodlights are majorly used for security reasons and make any space appear bright and comfortable for mobility. 

Led flood lights are directional luminaires made up of resistant material to withstand harsh weather like snowfall, rainfall and extreme temperatures. 

Here are seven tips to improve exterior lighting with adjustable led flood lights:

1. Beam angle

The light distribution of flood light depends on the degrees of beam spread. The beam spread for narrower angles has lesser numbers, and broader beam angles have higher numbers. This allows several lighting techniques such as highlighting, task lighting, accent lighting according to outdoor zones. 

2. Lumen intensity 

Flood light fixtures are inherently bright, powerful fixtures, but they allow the user to choose from a range of fixtures with varying lumen output. 

A photometric study helps determine the total lumens required to illuminate any outdoor area without disrupting light from any other fixture and deciding the number of fixtures needed in a specific location.

3. Angle of elevation

For any exterior, the secure placement of the fixture is necessary. It should be fixed at a certain point where the light is directed on the surface it is meant to illuminate. The height at which a flood light fixture is mounted determines the angle of elevation. This is an essential factor to consider when the fixtures are installed in residential areas, parks, parking lots, or similar places where mobility is an issue. The fixture is placed at a height where the fixture's light is not blocked by buildings or vehicles.  

4. Mounting options 

The versatility of this fixture is codependent on its mounting options. There are portable floodlights, which are easy to carry anywhere for temporary usage, and there are mountable floodlights with rotating heads. 

A few of the mounting options which allow pivotal rotation of fixture are: 

• Yolk mount, 

• knuckle mount, 

• U-bracket

• Pole mount 

To enable field aiming, these mounts are practically embossed with angle markings that allow easy placement and the fixture's pivotal movement to direct light around a circular radius.  

5.Landscape lighting 

Adjustable features of led flood light allow accenting any hardscape features such as monuments, sculptures, fountains. Softscape lighting is for the natural scenery of outdoor space. It helps cast beautiful lighting effects like spotlighting, silhouetting, etc. 

6. Facade lighting 

Facade and structural lighting is another excellent use of floodlight to accentuate core architectural features of any symbolism of culture or heritage importance, including buildings. 

The facade lightings allow the creation of an emblematic ambience of any place, and wall washes an entire building or beautifies any surface. 

7. Security lighting 

These ambiguous light fixtures are installed explicitly within residential, industrial, commercial parameters for security reasons. To avoid any impermissible activities within or around the area, ward of intruders and facilitate surveillance devices. This light can be integrated with motion sensors as led flood lights have a quick start-up time, and they light up as soon as they detect any motion within 1m range.  

Conclusion: 

LED flood light fixtures are highly versatile and help set up an inviting, comfortable exterior because of their integrative features, which are resilient and adjustable according to the environment. They are economical and save the trouble of frequent replacement and accidents. The optical adjustments for the uniform spread of light are among the most critically essential features of led flood light. 

A photometric study allows curating a specific light layout for any outdoor area like a field or stadium with fixture height, number and directional adjustments.