3000K vs 4000K vs 6500K
| Criterion | 3000K warm | 6500K cool |
|---|---|---|
| Feels like | Late afternoon light | Overcast noon |
| Best rooms | Bedroom, lounge, restaurant | Workshop, godown, street |
| Skin and wood tones | Flattering | Washed out |
| Perceived brightness | Lower at the same lumens | Higher at the same lumens |
Why cool light feels brighter
At the same lumen output, cooler light reads as brighter because of how the eye responds at low light levels. That is why 6500K is popular where cost per perceived brightness matters.
The mixing problem
Two colour temperatures in one room is the most common lighting mistake there is. It shows up immediately as one fixture looking “yellow” and the other “blue”.