Lighting in your home is an important aspect that many homeowners overlook. Flattering lighting is important because it can create a warm ambience, and make spaces appear bigger and more open. It can also improve the mood, and make your home look brighter. Generally, better lighting is an important component in making a home feel more welcoming and comfortable. One of the ways to ensure good lighting is to check the temperature and colour rendering index of your lighting.
Colour Rendering Index (CRI)
Colour rendering index (CRI) is an assessment of how effectively the light source displays colour compared to a reference light source, ie. daylight. CRI can range between 0 to 100, and generally a higher CRI means that the light source produces a more accurate colour rendering of the objects around them.
It is important to note that colour rendering index is different than colour temperature. While CRI describes how accurately colour is displayed by a light source, colour temperature describes how warm or cool a lighting source is.
The Importance of CRI
Having a good CRI is crucially important in various spaces, such as in art galleries and museums, but can also be incredibly important in a residential setting. As a homeowner, it is important to have good lighting while completing tasks such as working in your office, cooking in your kitchen or applying makeup in your bathroom.
A light source with a low CRI can reflect a dull and flat hue over a space, and can cause people to look sickly and washed out. A light source with a higher CRI makes your space look more vibrant and lively, and make colour stand out more. It also causes people to look more healthy, and gives the appearance of glowing skin.
Good CRI Ranges
CRI can range from 0 to 100. At a value of 0, all colours will look the same, while a CRI value of 100 will show the true colour of the object. In order to achieve the best lighting possible, it is generally recommended to use a light source with a CRI of 90 or higher. This will result in a brighter room with more natural lighting. A CRI below 90 can be considered low to mid-range.
CRI: Incandescent vs Fluorescent vs. LED
In the past, CRI was not a deciding factor in choosing a light source. This was because incandescent light bulbs were more widely used, and incandescent bulbs by design have a perfect CRI value of 100. However, incandescent bulbs have poor energy efficiency compared to LED and fluorescent lights, and were eventually phased out.
Modern LEDs last longer and have a greater energy efficiency than both fluorescent and incandescent lights, and these days, it’s easy to get LEDs with CRIs above 90. LED lights with high CRI values don’t cost much more than those with a CRI value below 90, but they come with great benefits such as better lighting and colour rendition.
Are you ready to upgrade your lighting?
Contact MADE ELECTRIC today! We are a trusted electrical contractor that operates in Toronto and the GTA, with a professional and fully licensed team. We’re happy to help and guide you through the process.
Our company can be reached at any time through our contact page, and are also happy to receive your calls at +1 (833) 623-3247, or e-mails at info@madeelectric.ca.