Newest Trend In Lighting: LED Collections for Indoor and Outdoor Spaces

By Lori Berezin

No matter how beautiful your home décor, it all looks flat without the proper lighting. One of the hottest trends to-day for both indoor and outdoor spaces is LED lighting. LED stands for Light Emitting Diode, which simply means it emits light electronically. When compared to standard bulbs or halogen lights, LEDs are smaller, consume less energy, and last longer. They do not emit harmful UV rays or contain harmful toxins. They simply appear brighter.

Lighting color is measured on a temperature scale referred to as Kelvin (K). LED lights have color temperatures ranging from 2500K to 6500K. The lower the Kelvin number, the more yellow the light appears. Higher Kelvin numbers give off more of a blue or white light. If you’re looking for warm-yellow light, use bulbs marked 2700K to 2900K. For a whiter light, try 3000K to 4100K. And for a bluer white light, use 4200K to 6500K. This range allows LEDs to be incredibly versatile and useful in nearly any setting.

These are only guidelines. It helps to have input from the knowledgeable lighting designers at Global Source Lighting who can discuss the best options for your particular space. For example, you might consider the room’s purpose. Is softer light more appealing? Then, they’d advise to try a warmer yellow or softer white tone. The blue-white lights are usually better for kitchens and bathrooms, where you’d simply want a brighter environment. Blue-white light resembles daylight and causes the body to produce less melatonin than yellow-spectrum bulbs. Melatonin is the hormone that regulates sleep. Use blue-white light in rooms where you want to feel energized and warm yellow or soft white light in your bedroom and living room so you can feel more relaxed.

Since LED lights use only 15% of the energy that a standard halogen light uses and provide up to 85% more light output, they are highly energy efficient. They also emit 90% less heat than a standard halogen bulb. Simply put, they will save you money and energy over the long run.

This is just the tip of the blue-white iceberg when it comes to lighting. The staff at Global Source Lighting can help you go much deeper by showing you the LED selections and options in the showroom and by illuminating the ideal lighting solutions for your home.