Want a cosy feel for your home, but also want to look after the planet and lower your costs? Then LED lighting is the way forward: with their uncompromised brightness and either cool or warm-toned glow, LED lights can create a lovely vibe around your home.
Whether you’re looking to upgrade your indoor or outdoor lighting situation, LEDs are cheaper to run and are the obvious choice for anyone looking for a long-lasting, yet bright bulb. Not to mention, the different styles available go far beyond light bulbs and open up a world of possibilities.
When you’re decorating your space, you should always consider how lighting affects the room. Below, we’ve listed the reasons why you should consider investing in LED lighting for your space to make a simple, yet noticeable change.
They’re more energy efficient
LED lighting is the future: so much so that the UK began phasing out high-energy bulbs in 2018, with halogen bulbs the latest to be banned entirely from being sold.
This is because the energy efficiency of an LED bulb is much greater than that of the old-school incandescent, fluorescent and halogen lighting. With an LED bulb more of the energy is transferred into light rather than heat. This greatly reduces the amount of energy the bulb uses.
For instance, an incandescent light bulb can use anywhere from 25-100W, whereas an LED light bulb will use roughly 2-18W in comparison. This is a huge difference that extends the life of the bulb, makes it cheaper to run and cooler to the touch after use.
They’re safer to use
Because LED light bulbs are more energy efficient, they emit less heat and are therefore much safer to use. In comparison, 90% of a traditional incandescent bulb’s energy is lost through heat.
Gone are the days of burning your hand on a too-hot lightbulb when it’s time to change it - LEDs have a far smaller wattage output, so they’re safer to handle and install. LED light bulbs can also last 15-20 years, so it’s not often you’ll be changing them!
They’re versatile
LED lights can be used everywhere inside and outside, making them a great option throughout your space.
For indoor use, there’s a world of options when it comes to LED lighting because they’re so flexible to use. The size of an LED is tiny, so they can range from very small to larger bulbs and lighting for your home. You can get strip lighting for your home office or TV for a lovely glow behind your furniture; they’re even a better option for spotlighting light-sensitive artwork, because they emit less UV rays.
In the outdoors LED lighting performs better than traditional light bulbs because they can withstand any temperature changes better. If you’re thinking about upgrading your garden with some lighting, then LED should be your first choice.
Using LEDs in your home
When it comes to LEDs, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. If you’re thinking about how best to utilise LED lighting in your home, then consider the following three factors to help make your decision on which LED bulb is best for you.
Work out what lumens you need
Lumens (lm) are the measure of light emitted from a lightbulb and is the better way of measuring light from LEDs.
The amount of lumens in your bulbs can make a huge difference in what type of room you’re changing up and what kind of mood you’re looking to go for. The amount of lumens you need for your room depends on what type of room it is. Hallways and bedrooms may need as little as 300 lumens, whereas places involving a lot of activity like bathrooms and kitchen could do with a higher range of 800 lumens. How much you go for is entirely down to personal preference.
Look at your light feature
For instance, if you have a dimmer switch installed with your light then the LED bulb option you’ve gone for might not work very well as LEDs use less energy. You can get specific dimmable LED light bulbs, but make sure to check they’ll work with your dimmer switch.
Another snag can be caused by enclosed light fixtures, like an outdoor lamp or mounted wall lights in bathrooms. LEDs are only suitable for this kind of lighting fixture if they’re ‘enclosed rated’ bulbs - otherwise, the LED can overheat and shorten its shelf life.
None of these issues are insurmountable, and Rowen Homes has a wonderful selection of LED lighting fixtures if you want to switch up your style.
Go for colour
The beauty of LED lighting is there’s an entire colour spectrum at your fingertips if you go for a colour-enabled bulb. Philips first popularised this for the home with its Hue range, which now extends out to outdoor options, strip lighting and much more. Other popular brands that make colour LED bulbs are Govee and TP-Link.
Most colour LED bulbs come with their own app so you can control them from anywhere. You can set up different colour schemes to suit your mood, sync them to your media and entertainment to instantly add atmosphere, and even set them to cycle through different colours while they’re on display. They’re great for having guests over or simply enjoying them with your family when it’s movie night.
Adding colour to your home through lighting is a great way to be brave and switch up your colour scheme without committing to painting - plus the possible colour combinations are endless.
Wrapping up
LED lighting is the obvious choice for the eco-conscious and stylish. Not only are there the obvious benefits of switching to longer lasting, energy-efficient lighting, the sheer amount of options with styles and colours makes LED lighting the best option for many.
It’s well worth doing some research into the types of LED lighting options on the market and how they can upgrade your lighting situation. You’ll be surprised at how a couple of lighting tweaks can have a transformative effect on your home.
