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The Science Of Lighting And How You Can Use It In Your Home. 

Choosing the right lighting for the right task sounds frivolous but can greatly improve your productivity and mood.

So, you know by now that blue light (the type of light that digital device screens give off) is bad for you, and particularly bad for your brain in the hours before sleeping.  

But what about the other everyday lights? 

Most homes in South Africa don’t have different shades of light for different parts of the house. And we are worse off for it. 

We might have different light intensities, but we don’t pay much attention to the colour of the light.

What is the difference between shade (tone) and intensity? 

When we speak of shade or tone, the easiest way to describe it would be to say it’s the “colour” of the light. The usual terms used to describe this is white or yellow, natural, warm or cool. 

When it comes to intensity, we mean simply – how bright is it?  

Light intensity is often measured in Lumens. Lumen is the scale used for determining how much light you will be getting from a light source. The average South African lightbulb can be anywhere from 300 to 1000 lumens. (For comparison, a high-powered flood light is usually around 20 000 Lumens). 

When is Yellow best? 

If you are looking for more relaxing light, for reading at night or to use in leisure areas or dining rooms, warm-toned yellow light is best. Here the Lumen count will depend on what you want to do. Sticking to lower Lumens in the dining room is a good idea, as this promotes a feeling of comfort and cosiness. Ensure that your yellow light is true yellow and does not have any blue in its tone. 

While white light, with its blue undertones, is fine for the daytime and working, all blue light (and yes, that means all TV, laptop, tablet and phone screens) should be avoided for at least one hour before bed. If you have a bedside lamp that you use for reading, be sure to use only a warm-toned yellow lightbulb in it.   

It might feel like a bit of a first-world fuss to be picky about the tones of ligh in your house but trust us – this is one of the cheapest, quickest and easiest ways to up your quality of life. Next time you walk into a dining room with bright, cold light, you’ll see what we mean.