There are so many types of light bulbs out there, which makes choosing the best temperature and brightness for different rooms around your home difficult. Whether you’re debating using soft white vs warm white or contemplating the necessary lumens, thankfully, Capitol Lighting carries brands like Bulbrite, which have various shapes, color temperature options, and color options in various sizes to fit any fixture. With these components, you can curate the perfect mood through luminosity alone, allowing you to enjoy the aesthetic presence of your lighting while establishing the cozy and inviting atmosphere you’ve always wanted.

Creating Beautiful Living with Bulbrite

The Bulbrite brand embraces the motto “beautiful light is beautiful living.” With over 50 years of experience in the industry, the company has made continuous advancements in interior and exterior lighting, crafting quality light bulbs perfect for a wide range of use cases and brightness levels. The key to their success has been a never-ending journey of learning, which has allowed Bulbrite to create numerous bulb types of all lumens, color temps, and base sizes that let homeowners orchestrate the mood and environment they’ve always dreamed of.

Importance of Choosing the Right Color Temperature

One of the most important decisions you’ll need to make before choosing light bulbs for your home is considering the difference between a soft white vs warm white glow. You can think of soft whites as ambient and lighting, while warmer whites handle accent lighting.

Selecting the perfect illumination for any area involves deciding upon the coordinated color temperature, or CCT. This temperature is measured in Kelvins, where lower levels are associated with warm amber and yellow light, while higher values emit cool whites and even blue light. Choosing the best CCT for your space largely depends on the size and function of a room and the fixtures in which these bulbs will be placed.

Choosing the right bulb also includes understanding the numerical value of lumens, which directly corresponds to the strength and brightness of the bulb. Simply put, the higher the lumens, the brighter the light. It’s also crucial to remember that traditional incandescent bulbs require higher wattage to increase lumens. In contrast, newer LED bulbs utilize their efficient construction to achieve a similar range of brightness while using a fraction of the energy.

Another factor called the color render index (CRI) can also be taken into account to give you an idea of the clarity of the object under the light the bulb is emitting.

How to Pick the Right Bulb for Your Room

The debate of when to use soft white vs warm white can be narrowed down by the room you’re decorating. Soft white bulbs with lower lumens and temperatures are often used in spaces where the vibe is more relaxed, such as the lamp on your bedside table or recessed lighting in your reading nook, to help you feel comfortable. Conversely, in rooms such as the kitchen or an entryway, you’re looking for warmer white bulbs to help you complete daily tasks and navigate efficiently.

To select the optimal light bulbs for various rooms around your home, use the simple 3-step guide above to determine which brightness and temperature will work best in each space.

Understanding Color Temperature vs. Brightness

Brightness, or the amount of visible light emitted, is measured in lumens. Color temperature is determined in Kelvins, with lower values giving off warm and yellow light, while higher values are cooler and white, and even sometimes blue. Brightness is directly related to the clarity and visibility around a room, while temperature has more to do with curating the ambiance and dictating the mood. However, a key point to remember is that no matter how bright a bulb may be, it can still emit a soft, warm, or cool light, depending on your preference.

Ambiance & Effects of Lighting

Soft, warmer white bulbs are usually associated with cozy settings, whether in your bedroom or the family’s favorite lounging area. Because you can choose high-lumen bulbs with warm lighting, you can illuminate places like dining rooms or bathrooms without compromising brightness. However, softer low-lumen bulbs can really create a dynamic layer to the room’s overall feel when used in under-cabinet lighting, floor lamps, and other accent fixtures. This layering lets you switch between a few different lighting arrangements.

Lighting & Décor Compatibility

Many modern lighting fixtures showcase their bulbs as an artistic element in their own right, and with so many shapes and styles available, homeowners can now achieve their ideal ambiance regardless of what type of fixture they prefer. Edison bulbs often complement farmhouse and rustic interiors, while contemporary and traditional settings benefit from shapes ranging from candle to tubular. Once you’ve chosen the best bulb to suit your fixture, you can determine the brightness and color temperature for your space.

Introducing the Bulbrite Half Series

With the modernity of LEDs and a touch of class, the 4.5-Watt 2700K G25 LED Light Bulbs by Bulbrite feature a colored collar of your choice (shown here in gold) to help create an infectious light that breathes warmth into any room. Whether you utilize these Half Series bulbs in a chandelier, wall sconce, or lamp, their novel tinge casts a distinct warm white light from the fixture, offering a unique glow that enhances the mood.

Visit the Bulbrite brand page on Capitol Lighting to shop the full collection of Bulbrite products today. We carry everything from bright, soft white bulbs that evoke serenity, to cozy, warm whites perfect for entertaining company. Capitol and Bulbrite feel that lighting is our passion, and our shared goal is to ensure life’s best moments are lived under beautiful light. For more inspiration on home illumination, check out our latest Brilliant Home Spring Lookbook.