Of course the most important factor in lighting your home is what you yourself prefer. But Alcon Lighting’s David Hakimi recommends one key step everyone can take to create a calm pleasing environment that mimics outdoor lighting:

At night use lights that feature warmer color temperatures – those that fall in the 2700 to 3000 Kelvin range. That’s the way to emulate the outside environment’s evening light and get ready for sleep. Lowering lighting actually helps reduce blood pressure and encourages people to relax. So dimmer lights in the bedroom — and no blue computer light!

Flexibility is Key

Flexibility is one natural benefit of smart lighting design. New advancements in lighting controls have made lighting for mood easier than ever.

Newer LEDs with integrated controls and the ability to dim to warmer color temperatures are becoming popular in the hospitality industry because of their ability to affect the customer experience. “Warmer light and lower light levels have been shown to slow heart rate and create a relaxing state” Hadley explained. “As a result customers might be inspired to enjoy appetizers and cocktails rather than rushing through to the main course.” Conversely some restaurants might put brighter light in an area where they want to turn tables quickly.