Nearly a year ago
I painted our dark, maroon hallway with Sherwin William's Mindful Grey paint (and it cost less than 12 bucks!) I loved the paint, especially during the daylight, but at night, it turned into an ugly yellow-gray because of the light bulbs the previous owner had chosen. I waited to buy new bulbs, however, because I knew I'd be swapping out the light fixture. I wanted to buy the fixture first, then purchase bulbs to match.
Throughout the year, I bought some great,
modern coat hooks that honored the wood throughout our home, and I added some new art. During this, I spent hours searching through and pining over some beautiful light fixtures. Because of our short ceilings, I needed something with enough clearance above the door frame, which really limited our options. And while I love some glitz and glam, I decided a light fabric shade would compliment the rest of our home far better.
I ended up with the bronze
Thorpe 3-Light Semi Flush Mount fixture. I like the simple, classic look of the light, and I appreciate the detailing on the metal, which compliments some of our other lighting. As usual,
once you find a light, shop around. The prices on lumens.com, Wayfair, Amazon, 1-800-Lighting, and other retailers can really vary, as can their stocked items, so take your time looking.
With a fixture finally chosen, I needed new bulbs. I had selected a lovely grey paint, but our bulbs were a very warm white, around 2500K, which made the hallway an off-putting yellow color at night. For most lighting, I like to use a 3000-3500K bulb. It's a hint of warm and a hint of daylight, which is pleasing without being too blue or yellow.
For our hallway,
I took a chance on 4000K. I was worried it might be too blue, but it turned out to be a true white. I picked 4000K for the hallway because I wanted more of a daylight color than the living room or kitchen. It highlights the Mindful Grey paint beautifully.
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| Before, during, and after of the hallway transformation process. Note how the light bulb color changes between the middle and far right picture. |
When you're picking bulb colors, be careful though. Even the difference between a 3000K and 4000K can look like a stark contrast (and an ugly one at that) if you don't place the light well or use a dimmer to make one light more of an accent.
If two different bulbs are competing for center stage, you won't enjoy the ambiance.
I also installed a
Lutron Caseta dimmer in our hallway, which means that, about ten minutes before sunset, my light turns on to 25% brightness, which brightens the hall without blinding anyone suddenly. I love my Lutron products, as I can use them to create any mood in an instant, and this one has certainly helped enhance my hallway.
When you're considering your lighting options, make sure to look at the bulb warmth, especially in comparison with your other lighting, and, if possible, work a dimmer into the situation for more control over the feel of a room.
