Closing on new home next week and I've never lived in a 2 story home before. There are pocket lights throughout the new house.

Wondering what people's thoughts are on best bulb Kelvin and lumen count to have bright enough lighting to easily see everything without being so bright its overkill.

Would you run same bulbs in a connected kitchen as a 2 story room next to it?

I would not go over 4000k for a home. 3500k is my preferred sweet spot. I'd pick one lamp and stick to it. Just easier when it goes out.

Lumens depend on the area you are in, and how many fixtures there are. I would get as many lumens as possible. That's just me.

I sell retrofits that have the adjustable lumens and temp built in. Works pretty great.

I have a buddy with a house with all white walls, couch, painted brick. Light gray cabinets and accents. They run 5000k fixtures, probably because that's what the home builder installed.
Let me tell you, it looks like total ***** An otherwise beautiful home is completely washed out by their lighting.

The higher Kelvin bulbs will completely wash out your paint colors. Started switching to LED in a ceiling fan in a previous home as the originals burned out and the first two I bought practically bleached the walls. Tossed em and went with a warmer temp and had my wall color back.

I prefer 3000K LEDS. Closest to natural light color without being overly yellow and definitely not blue.

Cromagnum said:

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I prefer 3000K LEDS. Closest to natural light color without being overly yellow and definitely not blue.

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Obviously people have presences and certain houses may demand certain lighting but we replaced all our interior home lights and exterior up lights with 3000K led bulbs. We almost didn't do the outside but driving by the front you could tell a difference between inside and outside of house so we quickly replaced those. Happy with the look.

I like 4000K. 5000K is like hospital white. 3000K seems too yellow.

My first house had builder beige everywhere and made the walls even more beige. All the color looked like that with 3000K bulbs. But most big boxes don't carry 4000K. Well back then they didn't. Now a little more selection.

~egon

3000k is best for all around applications. Easiest solution for lumen output is to get the highest lumens possible and replace each wall switch with a dimmer. Lutron has some really great products for this. Just make sure the bulbs you get are dimmable.

Dr. Doctor said:

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I like 4000K. 5000K is like hospital white. 3000K seems too yellow.

My first house had builder beige everywhere and made the walls even more beige. All the color looked like that with 3000K bulbs. But most big boxes don't carry 4000K. Well back then they didn't. Now a little more selection.

~egon

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We went back and forth between 3000 and 4000. Honestly wish there was an in between. Wife felt 4000 was too office like for her and I think our lighter color walls sort of added to that. I think it largely depends on your home and it's colors and amount of natural light. 5000 is basically an operating room.

I'm not sure about lamps. But most all of our LED retrofit wafers have 3500k as an option.

TwoMarksHand said:

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I'm not sure about lamps. But most all of our LED retrofit wafers have 3500k as an option.

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May rip one back down but felt like it was 2700/3000/4000/5000. Even if so I don't know I want to adjust 20+ Lights haha.