Compact Fluorescent lamp (CFL bulbs) look like white, but it produce different tone or color of light. When you shop lamp for your home, you have to select the right color temperature CFL bulbs to light up your roos with right mood.
Typically the available color temperature (tone) of CFL light varies from yellowish to higher degree of bluish-white that gives natural daylight appearance. The color temperature is applicable for LED lamps. Everybody is switching to LED that offer more power savings and life time and select the right LED lamps for your requirement.
White light shades are measured in unit of Kelvin Scale, starting from 2700K creates cozy mood to 6000K which emits more energizing warm color.
In addition to these color temperature changes, there are CFL lamps that produce red, green, blue and similar colors are available in market.
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This article is more about different available color temperature of CFL that can choose to select for your home from yellowish color to cooler white color that is similar to natural daylight.
Soft White (Warm): 2700° -3499º Kelvin
This tone is almost equivalent to a standard incandescent bulb. Soft white is the warmest option most often used in displays and areas like living rooms. This color produce the tone of yellowish color that can enrich the design and enhance the mood. Warm Temperature CFL Light from Amazon: GE 13-Watt Energy SmartTM .
Bright White (Neutral): 3500° – 4099° Kelvin
This white is commonly used in home in most of the areas like workspace, kitchen, bathroom etc. This produce crisp, white with light yellowish bright tone that is ideal for work settings. Neutral Temperature CFL Light from Amazon EcoSmart 60W Equivalent Bright White.
Cool White (Cool): 4100º – 4199º Kelvin
Cool White is whiter brighter light selected for lighting applications and also used in most of the residential area. This color gives a tone of pure white light ideal for most of the residential applications, and rooms. Cool Temperature CFL Light from Amazon: Satco S8208 13 Watt (60 Watt)
Daylight: 5000° – 6500° Kelvin
This is similar to natural Sun light and highly recommended where you need large light and more attention and detail oriented work. Mostly this color is used in reading areas, craft rooms which produce a tone of blue and white. Daylight Temperature CFL Light from Amazon: EcoSmart 14W 5000K Spiral CFL Light Bulb
It is important to pick the right color for the right room. The right choice of lights is good solution to decorate your rooms that can enhance your stuffs with the right tone and capable to change the ambience of your room.
If you have in house plants, keep in mind that this plants are also absorbing energy from your indoor lights to make their own food. The next generation lights are switching to LEDs and they are going to replace the CFL soon with more efficient and long life LED lights with the choice of same color temperature tones.