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As you shop for new lights, you may wonder “what is CCT?” when you see it listed on products and in product descriptions. In this article, we’ll discuss CCT lighting meaning to help you get a better understanding on this important metric.
What is CCT in lighting?
CCT is a way to discuss the perceived warmth and coolness of illumination. Colour temperature exists on a scale of Kelvin units ranging from 1,000K to 10,000K. So, what does CCT stand for? The answer is correlated colour temperature.
The CCT meaning on packaging is simply to provide a way to understand how warm or cool a given light is. The closer you get to the top of the spectrum, the cooler the lights become. On the other hand, the lower the Kelvin rating, the warmer the light will be.
Take for example a 3000K light colour: what does 3000k mean in lighting when you see it on a package? It just tells you that the colour temperature is in the lower middle range of the scale. Therefore, you can expect it to be a warm white colour.
Why is LED Colour Temperature Important?
Colour temperature has a huge influence over the general look and feel of the room you’re lighting. It is responsible in part for the kind of atmosphere a room has and can even affect the general mood.
Warm lighting tends to be more conducive for a relaxed, intimate environment that feels more personal and serene. Cooler light, on the other hand, creates a more lively, vibrant room with a modern feel.
The colour temperature you choose will have a heavy hand in the overall appearance of the room, so it’s important to take it into consideration when shopping.
What are the CCT Ranges?
Though CCT does exist on a scale, you can group certain sections into similar lighting temperatures.
- The 2700K range provides extra warm white light
- The 3000K range provides warm white light
- The 4000K range provides neutral white light
- The 5000K range provides cool white light
- The 6000K and above range provides a daylight colour temperature
Each colour temperature has its appropriate application depending on the place and the use case.
How to Choose the Best CCT for the Home
When it comes to domestic interior lighting, the colour temperature is entirely up to you and what you deem comfortable. That said, there are a few general recommendations for you to take into consideration for each room.
Bedroom
Bedroom lighting needs a certain vibe to achieve the tranquil, peaceful atmosphere you want. CCT plays a big role in that. Colour temperature in the bedroom should be warm white light, somewhere between 2700K and 3000K. This is especially true for LED reading light fixtures.
Warm white light is right for bedrooms for a number of reasons, the main one being the feelings of rest and relaxation that it encourages. It creates a cosy, glowing ambiance that can make the room feel more welcoming and inviting.
This is possible because this CCT mimics a similar, soft glow of sunset, which may stimulate the body to produce melatonin. Melatonin is a naturally occurring chemical that helps regulate the body’s sleep/wake cycle.
Furthering its sleep-encouraging properties is its lower blue light amount. Blue light, such as that from cell phone and computer screens, can keep your brain stimulated and cause visual fatigue. Warmer lighting barely has any visible blue light, so you can read and relax without it being overstimulating.
Bathroom
Similar to the kitchen, the bathroom is a place that poses potential risks you can mitigate through quality bathroom lighting. With proper visibility through good CCT, you can make it easier to navigate the often damp room. Good visibility also makes it easier to shave and apply makeup, helping you move through your morning and nighttime routines more easily.
Generally speaking, your bathroom lighting should be around the range of 3000K to 4000K lighting. On average, 3500K tends to be the preferred light. Windowless bathrooms are the exception and often trend toward 4000K to make up for the lack of natural sunlight.
Specific areas in the bathroom may benefit from certain lighting colours. For example, vanity areas where you apply makeup and shave work well with 4000K neutral white light. For areas meant more for relaxation, such as the bath, 3000K warm white light can promote a spa-like feel.
Living Room
Living room lighting should be bright enough to remain clearly visible, without being so bright that it is unpleasant. One way to achieve this is through a warm white colour temperature, similar to the bedroom. A colour between 2700K and 3500K is good to consider when planning lounge room lighting.
Warm white lighting can provide a general ambiance that is conducive to relaxation but still bright enough for you to read, do work on a laptop, work on crafts and more. Neutral white light between 3000K and 35000K is also good in this environment if your living room doubles more as a workspace than anything else.
Layer lights in the range of these colour temperatures for best results. Ambient lighting with colour temperatures between 2700K and 3000K provides a nice foundation you can then supplement with other fixtures. Reading lamps, adjustable spotlights and other task lights should have a colour temperature between 3000K and 3500K. Finally, finish it off with accent lighting with a CCT between 2700K and 3000K.
Kitchen
The kitchen is a task-heavy space that poses potential hazards in the forms of wetness and sharp blades. Therefore, it needs to be highly visible and easy to see. Having warm white to cool light temperatures is crucial to create a safe area that is still easy on the eyes.
Task lighting for cooking and food prep needs cooler, bright lighting, whereas ambient light works best with neutral tones. If you want to have any display areas, such as for china, warmer toned kitchen lighting is best. Check out this more thorough breakdown for specifics:
Cooking areas and countertops: 4000K to 5000K cool white and daylight temperatures
General ambient lighting: 3500K to 4000K neutral white to provide even illumination free of glares
Pantry and storage: 3000K to 4000K neutral to cool white to increase visibility
Breakfast nook: 2700K to 3000K warm white lighting to create a cosier place to eat
The style and layout of your kitchen also influences the best lights for the space. Smaller kitchens using 3500K to 4000K lighting can make it feel less cramped. Open plan kitchens, however, should match adjacent rooms, probably within the range of 3000K to 3500K. Darker kitchens that have colour temperatures between 4000K and 5000K make up for any lack of natural light.
Home Office
Home office lighting is important if this room is your main productive space. You need to be able to clearly see to write, progress on projects, or work on your computer without eye strain. Optimized colour temperature may also enhance mental focus and productivity.
For general work lighting, temperatures between 4000K and 4500K are recommended. Creative spaces benefit from 3500K to 4000K warm white light, while areas requiring technical or detailed work go best with 4500K to 5000K lighting.
The direction that your home office faces will influence what sort of interior wall light or overhead light should be installed. North facing rooms should have 4000K to 4500K lighting to compensate for cooler natural lighting that comes in. South facing offices can balance warm white balances out the color of sunlight. Windowless offices benefit from daylight colours between 4000K and 5000K.
Layering lighting can make the office feel well-balanced and nicely lit. Task lights, such as monitor lights, desk lamps and under shelf lighting, should be around 4000K cool light white. Ambient lights, such as ceiling lights, interior wall lamps and floor lamps, work best with 3500K colour temperatures.
Dining Room
The colour temperature of your interior LED lighting is especially important in the dining room. Choosing warm white light can enhance the atmosphere of the dining room to make a more comfortable dining experience for you and your family. By keeping it in the warm white colour range of 2700K and 3000K, you can get that candlelit glow feeling without sacrificing visibility.
This colour temperature can also enhance the appearance of food and make it appear more appetizing. It does so by making the food appear more vibrant and colorful. Cool white light, on the other hand, may put blue tones on the food, worsening its appearance and making it look less so.
Incorporate this interior lighting colour into your dining room by way of LED pendant lighting above the dining table. You can also add in task lights over sideboards and buffets in this colour temperature range.
Hallway
As a transitional space, the hallway is a place in the home that is commonly overlooked. This is especially true in terms of lighting. The truth is that hallway lighting is as important as any other room in the house, if not more so; its primary function is to make it easy to safely navigate the space without tripping or running into walls. Be sure you don’t overlight the hallway, as this can cause glares.
Warm white lighting is great for the hallway as it creates a more pleasant and welcoming transition between the rooms. With its soft glow, it can reduce harsh shadows that often crop up in such narrow places. For narrow hallways and those with staircases especially, 3000K to 3500K is ideal.
What is the Best CCT for Commercial Spaces?
Much like in a domestic setting, the best commercial colour temperature is subjective. The answer may even shift depending on what kind of space you want to light. Read on for some general guidelines for various commercial applications
Retail
The right colour temperature for retail shops will vary depending on a few factors, such as the brand, location of the shop, and the atmosphere you wish to achieve. That said, many retailers opt for warmer lights to create a moodier atmosphere, while others prefer cool white light to create a more modern and energetic store.
If you sell jewellery or other small items in cases, cooler colour temperatures near the 4000K range and above are preferred. This helps show off the details in bright and highly visible ways.
Outdoor Commercial Lighting
This style of light prioritises visibility over everything else. The most common colour temperature for outdoor commercial lighting is anywhere between 4000K and 6000K for this reason.
Restaurants
High end restaurants work best when they have more romantic, intimate atmospheres. Therefore, warm colour temperatures between 2700K to 3000K work best here. For quick-serve restaurants, warm white colour temperatures are best. Choose lighting between 3000K and 3500K.
Hotels
The best hotel lobby colour temperatures will vary depending on the brand personality and mood of the property. Even so, warmer colour temperatures between 2700K and 3000K are generally recommended in lobbies. The same can be said for guest rooms as well. Match hallway lamps to whatever the common area and lobby lighting is.
Commercial Offices
Promote a more productive and comfortable work environment with neutral to cool white lights. Anything between 3000K and 4000K work well here.
Conclusion
CCT, or colour correlated temperature, is a critical part of your lighting design. The article above will help you choose the most appropriate one for each of your rooms in order to create a space you’ll love to live in.
