How does LED Lighting affect paint colour?

There are many ways that LED lighting affects the room it is in, but one of the main factors involved comes down to the colour temperature of a light.

Colour temperature is measured in kelvins. The lower the kelvin the warmer the light, the higher the kelvin the cooler the light.

The colour temperature of a light means how warm or cool the illumination from a lighting fixture is. Some lights are much warmer and have a more honeyed tone to them, whereas others are cooler with a blueness to the light. The warmth of a light’s temperature can have a great impact on the paint that is used in a room.

For example, if you were to use a soft cream or brown paint in a room but then chose to add very cool LED lighting to that space this would change the colour of the paint, adding a blue tinge to it which would fail to enhance the warmth in the colour. If, however, you selected a warmer white light this would complement the paint and bring out the right hue from the paint.

It is easiest to demonstrate the effect of LED colour temperature when it is placed against white paint. As you can see from this kitchen, half of the kitchen is a warm, traditional style with warm white lighting whereas the other half is a modern white kitchen with cooler lighting installed. The paint used in both areas of the kitchen is the same matte white paint, but the effect of the lighting changes the finish entirely.

It is important to ensure that, before selecting the colour temperature of a light, you assess if the paint colours you have chosen will look best with warmer or cooler lights.

For more help assessing the effect of colour temperature on a room you can visit our LED lighting colour temperature tester at tlwglobal.com/lighting-colour-temperature-selector.

Want to learn more about LED lighting colour temperatures? Read our guide to colour temepratures.