Apartment upgrade- Light up my life

I moved into an apartment in Florida. One of my pet peeves with a new place is lighting. Why hasn’t everyone converted to LED light bulbs yet? I found a combo of incandescent and CFL light bulbs throughout the entire apartment when I moved in. Incandescent is so inefficient and use up so much electricity. The CFLs are more energy-efficient but contain harmful chemicals if they break and don’t turn on at full brightness instantly when the light is turned on. There’s a warm up phase where it’s dull for a while before it gets brighter. It’s light and electricity why should there be delays in turning on a light?  

That drives me nuts. So I went to Lowe’s and got a full set of LED replacement bulbs.   

If you’ve been there you’ll noticed there are lots of options. Here are my tips for making the best choice for you lighting needs.  

 

 Bulb wattage (W) –  Power – how low can you go  

Bulb Lumens – Visible light measurement – how bright the light will be  

Bulb color Temperature (K) – there are different colors that are recommended for different needs.  

 For the wattage, try to get a combo that offers you the lowest wattage for the amount of lumens you need.  

For the living and dining room you want to have soft lighting. I’ve found that a 60W incandescent bulb equivalent 800-850 Lumens provide the right amount of light. The color is also important. To achieve soft lighting use soft white (ultra warm) color light. The same color light is recommended for the bedroom, however in the bedroom try to stay away from harsh unflattering overhead lighting. Use lamps instead.  

 For the bathrooms definitely get brighter less yellow lights. I recommend a 75-100W equivalent LED, 1100-1200 Lumens and the warm white or natural white color. That color is closer to natural light and is best for applying makeup and seeing colors correctly. Warm white is great for entry ways and other overhead lights without being too harsh.  

 The 75W-100W equivalent LED lights (1100-1200 Lumens) in Natural white, works well for study rooms where you need and overhead bright light but don’t want a full on harsh fluorescent light.  

 There are now LED fluorescent light bulbs replacement. These cool white colored lights, work best in the kitchen prep area and in workshop areas. Make sure you check the size of you Fluorescent light fixture before you buy. Older models tend to be T12 size but stores mostly have T8 sizes which are too small to fit the fixture.  

For outdoors, I like to get clear Edison style LED bulbs. They show off the inside of the bulb and the more yellow color does not attract as many bugs. The amount of lumens depend on your need. 

 Keep in mind soft lighting for evening and to create cozy atmosphere. Cool lighting for clarity and work spaces.