Let There Be Light

from Homes and Real Estate Magazine May 2023

Linda Zhang Realtor® 334.734.3341

I bet recently you have gone to the store to grab a light bulb, right? You get to the store and then see an entire aisle of lightbulbs in variations of size, strength, and warmth. Who in the world has the time to stand in this aisle figuring out “all the things” you need in a bulb when you just want to replace what you had? Let’s keep this short, to the point and give you the information you need and a little “cheat sheet” to help you out in the future.

I am not an expert in lighting - yet, as my Aunt Sonya taught me through 20+ years of home design apprenticeship - Did you know the “right” can make or break a room? I promise, you have already noticed this throughout years of walking around into your or another’s home or office and getting different “vibes or feels” from lighting. So - we are going to take a quick course in lighting lumens, Kelvens and wrap up with watts. Guess what? Those strange words above actually will bring one of the cheapest and most beneficial decor to your home.

Let There Be Lumens

Yep - one of the most important aspects of a light bulb is lumens. Simply put - lumens are a measurement of brightness. Bulbs with higher lumen give off more light and vice versa. Don’t worry - in the chart below you can easily decide what “lumen” you need for each area of your home. A lot of people figure lumens and watts are the same - they are not - “watts” measures how much energy a light bulb uses.

Run A Temperature Check

Kelvin? Not just a man’s name - actually a “Kelvin”(K) measures the warmth of the light. Color warmth ranges from around 1,000 to 10,000. To give you some context, a candle gives off around 1,900K light, while a blue sky is 10,000K. This is where you will want to think about the aesthetic of the room, as warm light tends to be cozier, and cool light bulbs are usually brighter and making it better for task lighting.

Now that we have Lumens and Kelvin’s understanding, we head to the lighting section and still - too many options. There are choices between LED and incandescent bulbs and while the incandescent bulbs are cheaper. Sherri Monte is a Seattle based interior designer at Elegant Simplicity. Monte says to go for the LEDS. The LED bulb lasts 25 times longer and uses 75 percent less energy, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

“LEDs are the present and the future in our book,” Monte explains. They not only last longer, but they offer that gorgeous warm glow to a room. Not to mention, they don’t run as hot. While they’re more of an investment upfront, their life expectancy and energy savings are worth it in the long haul.

I promised a cheat sheet - so here is it. Grab your phone and take a shot so you are not wandering up and down the light aisle next time.

Wanna know the best light you can get without looking at lumens and Kelvins - Philips Huegives you the best of both worlds. And Monte, after some serious research, does suggest sticking with Phillips brand of light bulbs for your “go to” bulb.

So there it is, all you ever wanted to know about lighting and never asked!

I am CRAZY EXCITED to announce that I am officially a contributing author in the NEW book collaboration Girl, Don’t Count Yourself Out: Moms Edition - compiled by Visionary Author, and AWESOME friend Sabrina Thomas. This book is a compilation of 16 diverse stories with women who share lessons learned, inspirational stories and their personal journey of a being mom.