How Lighting Affects Hardwood Flooring’s Color:
Everything You Need to Know About Lighting and Flooring Colors
Just as our physical appearance changes under different lighting, so does flooring. However, how lighting affects hardwood flooring’s color is often forgotten during the floor selection process.
This might mean that the warm-toned floor you fell in love with online looks much cooler once installed. But don’t fret just yet. There just so happens to be an easy fix – adjust your lighting!
(Yes, it’s that simple).
So, to help you avoid this scenario before it happens as well as to help those already experiencing it, we created an easy, breezy guide breaking down:
- How Different Lighting Affects Flooring Colors
- Different Lighting Types
- How to Fix Floor Lighting Issues
Different Lighting Types and Color Temperatures
Before diving into how lighting and hardwood flooring’s color are related, we need to cover the three basic types of lighting.
These are:
- Warm Light
- Cool Light
- Natural Light
You can typically identify a light source’s color temperature visually, but in situations where you can’t, referencing the Kelvin Scale is your best bet.
If you didn’t know, the Kelvin Scale (K) is used for measuring a light’s color temperature. A higher-scoring number means a light source is cooler, while a lower number indicates more warmth.
Understanding this can help you select the right light for your space and floor.
How Different Lighting Affects Hardwood Flooring’s Color
To break it down simply, warmer lighting will add warmer tones to a floor, while cooler lighting will bring out colder tones.
So, why does this matter?
It’s important for two reasons:
- To match lighting’s color temperature with a floor’s undertone. A naturally warm floor may not look its best if it is placed under a very cool light. The same can be said for a cool floor under very warm light.
- It can also affect how you interact with the floor as well. If you fell in love with a warm, golden hardwood floor and it looks much colder after installation, you may be disappointed.
Thankfully, there is an easy fix!
How to Fix Issues with Lighting and Hardwood Flooring’s Color
As mentioned above, you may have fallen for a floor that looked one way online and another way once in your home. Or maybe you feel your floor just doesn’t glow like how it should. Whatever the case may be, there is an easy fix.
Change your lighting!
All you need to do is swap out those bulbs and replace them with something that better suits your floor’s undertones and color temperature.
Remember, the higher the Kelvins (K), the cooler the light. This handy tip will help you when purchasing new lighting while also saving you the frustration of purchasing the wrong lighting again.
And when in doubt, just reach out. Our team is just a call or email away from helping you.
We hope our guide on lighting and hardwood flooring’s color answered all your questions. However, if you still need a bit more help or have any questions left unanswered, our team is just a call or email away.
Click here to contact us and we look forward to helping you.