The Possibilities Are Endless With Mood Lighting

Mood lighting is more than lighting that affects moods. The lighting helps create calm and warm settings. The possibilities are endless with mood lighting.

You can use mood lighting by pairing types of lights. Learn more about mood lighting with our complete guide.

What Is Mood Lighting?

Mood lighting influences the mood of a room. To adjust mood lighting, change its color, dimness, and angle. But that isn’t all you can do.

Mood lighting also influences your mood. The impact is subtle, so you may not realize it. You’ll find mood lighting in public settings where people gather.

The most common settings where you’ll find mood lighting include restaurants, spas, libraries, and medical offices.

Warm White Vs Cool White Mood Lighting

Warm white and cool white are color temperatures. Color temperatures range from ultra-warm to daylight. The color is measured in Kelvin (K). Lower numbers indicate warmer temperatures.

Light bulbs measured in degrees of Kelvin are lower than 2,700K. Around 2,000K is the lowest color temperature.

Here are the three color temperature ranges available over the counter:

Warm Light – less than 3,000K – warm light is the color of light that incandescent bulbs produce. It is soft and calm. Warm light is good to set the mood for bedrooms, living rooms, and dining rooms.
Cool Light – 3,000K to 4,500K – cool light is joyful and bright. Cool lights coincide with cool colors like blue and green. It works out well for kitchens and rooms you want to brighten, like basements.
Daylight – over 4,500K – daylight bulbs offer natural light. They are the brightest lights. Use daylight bulbs in rooms where you need a lot of light. Craft rooms, workshops, and display rooms.

How To Choose Color Temperature

Knowing different color temperatures and choosing them are two separate things. When you pick out lights, you need to choose which light to use in each room. This can overwhelm you, which is normal.

There are no rules for color temperatures, but guidelines exist. Choose warm color temperatures in rooms where you want to relax and focus on people. Choose cool color temperatures in rooms where the focus is task-based.

How Does Each Color Affect Your Mood?

Colors affect mood. It’s not about color temperatures in mood lighting. This is about how each color affects your mood mentally. There is a reason you choose a color.

What Each Color Means

Red – increases appetite – red is the color of passion. It is the warmest color with two near-opposite qualities. Red is associated with love and anger. Be careful with red as too much isn’t good for a room.
Orange – increases energy – orange is the color of creativity. As a mixture of two colors, orange has a few meanings. It takes energy from red and vibrance from yellow. Orange is good when you want to help people be creative.
Yellow – lifts spirits – yellow is the color of joy. The sun is grouped with the color yellow. It means happiness and fun. Use yellow when you want a joyful room.
Green – calms and grounds – green is the color of life. It is the color of nature and healing. Use green when you want to breathe life into a room and help people connect to nature.
Blue – relaxes and takes one away – blue is the color of peace. Each shade of blue has a special meaning but they all relate to peace and relaxation. Use blue if you want a room to feel like an escape.
Indigo – opens the third eye – indigo is the color of wisdom. Indigo and blue are rainbow colors, despite indigo being grouped with blue. Use indigo to bring wisdom and sincerity to a room.
Violet – encourages pride – violet is the color of royalty. All the best parts of pride are found in violet with the pairing of red and blue. Use violet if you want the people to feel royal, dignified, and devoted.

Mood Lighting Tips

Before you choose mood lighting, you need to know a few things. These tips on how to use mood lighting will help you make the most of your lights. Take a look at each tip and set the mood in your room.

Note: if you have a method not listed below, feel free to let us know in the comments. We love hearing about new techniques, tips, and tricks to help improve our indoor space. Everyone has unique ideas to offer.

Overhead Lighting Vs Angled Lighting

Overhead lighting can affect the mood of a room. It is good if you want to give your space a sharp and clean look. But if you use overhead lighting without any other lights, it may not be the best option.

Overhead lighting alone can pronounce wrinkles and cast shadows on your face. It also allows shadows to be cast in the corners of the room and ceilings. Pair overhead lighting with wall lights to take care of these issues.

Dispersed Lighting

If you create light in a room, you can control it. Instead of installing one large light, use multiple small lights. This gives you control over the light rays.

Using more than one light works in small rooms and large rooms. In small rooms, you can put the lights close together. But in large rooms, avoid using too many lights by spacing them out.

Backlit Mood Lighting

Backlights are attached behind objects. Backlit mirrors are the most common backlights. With glass objects, their impact is greater.

Backlit glass is more effective as the light reflects off of the glass. Mirrors make a room look bigger. When light reflects off the glass, the room will look bigger and brighter.

Adjustable Mood Lighting

You can buy adjustable mood lights. Some mood lights allow you to adjust the brightness or color temperature. Others allow you to adjust the color of the light.

Shop online at Amazon and Wayfair. They have large selections of mood lights that cater to your needs. Mix and match for best results and get creative. Any light can be a mood light.

More Than One Light Source

The last trick is using more than one light source to control the mood lighting. Add a light on the ceiling, corner, and wall.

To step things up, make your lights easy to move. Add lights behind a mirror, under the bed, and next to the windows. Hang fairy lights if you feel like it. Mood lighting is about making the room yours.

Mood Lighting Frequently Asked Questions

What Is Color Temperature

Degrees of Kelvin (K) measure color temperatures. Kelvin units reveal the amount of light that a lightbulb offers. The Kelvin scale temperature range is between 1,000K to 10,000K.

In public buildings, for example, Kelvin temperatures range between 2,000K and 6,500K. A high Kelvin rating means the light will be more white.

Do Mood Lights Work Like Mood Rings?

Mood lights and mood rings serve different purposes. Rings react to the air temperature in the room and your finger’s temperature. Mood lights do not react to anything.

Is There A Best Mood Light For All The Time?

If you don’t want a different mood lighting for each room then play it safe. Cool light is the most common. Not warm light or daylight but cool light. White light is better than a colored one.

Can Mood Lighting Cure Diseases?

Light therapy may ease symptoms, but cannot cure diseases. They work better for increasing energy and improving moods than lowering symptoms caused by disease.