Color Rendition & Your Home Lighting

Two things determine how we perceive the color of an object in the home. The first thing is the surface color of the object itself. The second is the color of the light that shines on it.
Imagine if you will, a rich cobalt blue vase. If you illuminate it with a blue light, the color of the vase will be intensified. However, if that same vase is illuminated by a red light, the vase will appear dull and “grayish” in color. The vase absorbs the red light and since there are no blue rays for the vase to reflect back, it has this grayish appearance.

Now imagine how lighting affects the colors of your home furnishings and wall colors. It’s important to consider the lighting you currently have when you change your home furnishings or decorating materials. If possible, you should try to see the new furnishings under the same lighting you currently have in your home. Conversely, when you are creating a lighting plan for your home, try to select the right lighting for the furnishings and decorative items you have in each room.

Everything in the lighting industry references incandescent lighting as being 100% color rendering. Fluorescent lighting on the other hand has a unique way of changing the color of objects. It is for this reason that we do not recommended you mix incandescent with fluorescent lights in areas where the two will be used simultaneously. For example, if you have a kitchen ceiling light that is incandescent, and you use fluorescent lights under the cabinet, you will see significant color differences. It is always best to keep the types of light the same when they can be used simultaneously in the same room.

Item shown in the picture is Lighting One item #0411-RD.

Posted with permission from Lighting One http://www.lighting-one.com/