Christmas decorations are one of the main ways to make your home feel Christmassy, and no home is complete without Christmas lights. Most people opt to put their decorations up in the first week of December and seeing the lights twinkling really does put you in the festive mood. However, how do you choose what lights are best for your home?
What’s the difference between warm or cool lights?
Cool lights tend to have more of a blue shade, in other words, a cooler tinge. These are great for snowy scenes and complement silvery Christmas decorations. Warm lights are more of a yellowy colour with a golden tinge and are great for golden or red Christmas decorations and scenes.
Scientifically, warm and cool lights are different due to their Kelvin value which measures the ‘light temperature’. This has different effects on the naked eye and depends on what type of glow they give off. Both warm and cool lights are used at Christmas and there are different ways you can use both.
When to use warm lights
Warm lights tend to be comforting, soft, and are used with cosy colour themes such as red, gold and green. It is for this reason that they are often used in spaces which you want to reflect that cosy feeling such as the living room or your bedroom. They are less harsh on the eyes so can also be used to help you relax.
When to use cool lights
Cool lights are often used in brighter areas of the home such as the kitchen or dining room, and often for the outside of the home as they tend to be more eye-catching to passers-by. Cool lighting is also often used in commercial areas because it’s brighter and can often mimic natural light.
Buying and displaying your Christmas lights
Whether you choose warm or cool lights depends on a lot of things, most importantly your existing colour scheme, where you are going to display them and, ultimately, personal preference. However, whichever you choose, make sure you do your research and get all your lights from the same place as the actual brightness and colour can vary.
In the end, there are no rules to which Christmas lights you choose, and you can use warm or cool lights wherever you want to in your house. It’s just good to know the facts so you can make informed choices and get the most out of your Christmas lights.
