The Goldilocks guide to choosing the perfect light bulbs
Are there rooms in your home that are giving hospital vibes? Or maybe everything looks like there’s a yellow filter over it? Or a weird mix of both?
The problem isn’t your taste, it’s your light bulbs (specifically the fact that they’re likely the wrong temperature). The good news is this is probably the cheapest fix in your whole house.
Here’s what each of those looks like:
Hospital vibes. Your bulbs are running too cool. The light is bright and bluish and makes everything look flat, no matter what you’ve done to the room.
Orange or yellow cast over everything. Your bulbs are too warm, or you’ve got an old incandescent somewhere in the mix throwing a heavy orange glow across the whole room.
A mix of both. You’ve got different color temperatures in different fixtures, and the room never really feels cohesive.
The fix for all three is the same: Goldilocks bulbs. They’re not too warm, not too cool, but just right.
Luckily, color temperature is measured on a numerical scale and there’s just one number you need to look out for: 2700.
What “color temperature” actually means
Color temperature is how warm or cool a bulb’s light looks, and it’s measured on the Kelvin (K) scale. You’ll find this printed right on the box and on the base of a lightbulb.
Lower numbers look more warm and orange, higher numbers look cool and blue. That one number controls almost the entire mood of a room.
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The Goldilocks number: 2700K
I always recommend using 2700K bulbs throughout your home. It’s the warm, just-right temperature that makes a space feel cozy.
Some people prefer slightly less warm light in their kitchens and bathrooms, so that’s where you can move up to a 3000K bulb if you like. It will still read warm enough to keep things feeling cohesive, but give you clearer light for daily tasks.
Brightness = lumens (but consider dimmable bulbs)
A quick word on lightbulb brightness: this is measured in lumens. The higher the number, the brighter the light. For a cozy living room lamp, something in the 400-to-800 lumen range is plenty.
I always recommend putting your overhead lights on a dimmer switch, though, and using dimmable smart bulbs in the lamps in your living spaces and bedrooms.
Being able to knock a room down to 40% at night does more for the vibe than almost any piece of furniture you’ll buy.
The method: replace as you go
If you’ve got a house with mis-matched bulbs, you don’t need to stress about replacing them all right away (we’re not about creating more waste here!).
Here’s exactly what to do:
Step 1: Pick up a pack of 2700K bulbs and stash them somewhere handy.
Step 2: The next time a bulb burns out anywhere in your living spaces, replace it with a 2700K instead of something random.
Step 3: Rinse & repeat. Every burned-out bulb is one more fixture on the same page.
Your home gets better over time as the oddball bulbs get replaced.
How to find the numbers
Not sure what temperature your current bulbs are? Unscrew one and look for the 4-digit number printed near the base that ends in “K”. You want this to say “2700K” for the perfect Goldilocks glow.
What about outdoor bulbs?
While I’m not as picky about bulb temperature outside, I do recommend sticking with the same Kelvin value.
I also recommend using dusk-to-dawn bulbs. They have a tiny built-in light sensor, so they switch on by themselves when the sun goes down and off when it comes back up.
There’s no timer, app, or WiFi to mess with. Just screw one into your outdoor fixture and never think about it again (so you’re never again walking up to a dark front door with your arms full of groceries).
Bonus: smart bulbs & smart plugs
If you want even more of a lighting upgrade, consider investing in smart bulbs or smart plugs. Brands like Philips Hue and GE make tunable LED bulbs that let you adjust the color temperature and brightness or put lights on a schedule from your phone.
And if you don’t want to mess around with smart bulbs, smart plugs are another option (I use a mix of both in my home). These are especially useful with lamps that have more than one bulb where multiples can start to add up. These are the smart plugs I use throughout my home.
The best part is that smart bulbs and plugs connect with Alexa, Google Home, and other smart home systems so you can control your lights from your phone or by voice. I have mine set to come on at sunset every day.
If your room still feels off, take my free Designer Diagnosis
If your room still feels off after the bulbs are sorted, lighting probably isn’t the only culprit. My free 10-Minute Designer Diagnosis walks you through the exact spots to check, so you can figure out what’s actually making the space feel unfinished.