This video made me realize that the popularity of dark academia is a reaction to the fact that most of us have had all of our educational experiences conducted under fluorescent lighting.
To anyone who doesn't just hate cool-toned light but also has an issue with "warm-toned LED" because they still make everything appear desaturated and sad: look for a high CRI! (Color rendering index) A high CRI (97 or higher) indicates that there is a good amount of red light, which will in turn bring out the warmer tones in your skin, your surroundings... once I changed my bathroom lightbulbs, I looked so much more alive and healthy, it was baffling. This is something that galleries and museums prioritise too, since showing colour well and evenly is important. I'd rather light my home like an art gallery than a hospital. A lot of companies do not indicate what the CRI even is. Steer clear and look for the ones who declare it, demonstrating that they actually care about light quality as much as you do!
You nailed this! I've been trying to figure out why I hate being in certain rooms even when bringing in warmer light. I'll have to look at the CRI for the bulbs (if it was even on the box)
Uh, I hope this helps me, for a year or so my dad has been replacing lights around here (and for savings reasons disabled the incandescent ones I used instead since they were the only ones that were comfortable for my eyes) and almost all rooms have this eerie vibe to them, and it became even worse when he bought some weird orange LEDs! I have a LED lamp that does okay but in general everything just makes me really uncomfortable and drained
Thank you. We literally went back to incandescent, because I realized that ALL of the LEDs are really unpleasant to me. But last year they actually BANNED incandescent bulbs, so it will be a limited time that I can still get them.... 😒 I feel bad for people who get headaches and stuff from weird lights.
A friend and I are using the same contractor for our renovations. My friend went with the builder grade potlights, while I specified much more expensive 97 CRI potlights, since I had horrible memories of 80 CRI potlights of the past. It turns out most current builder grade potlights are not 80 or 85 CRI, but are actually 90+ CRI. After comparing our two potlight grades in real finished rooms, I actually think the 90+ CRI potlight quality is very decent, and leaps and bounds better than the old 80 CRI potlights. My 97 CRI potlights may be a bit better but the incremental improvement is probably overkill for most people, especially given the much higher extra cost. (All is not lost though, since mine have a lifetime warranty, whereas the builder grade ones don't.) Interestingly, even though mine are 97 CRI, they don't actually advertise them as such. They are advertised as 90+, but if you dig down into their unadvertised 3rd party test results, at 3000K they are rated at 96.9. Also, another thing to remember is that the CRI scoring system itself is problematic in some ways. BTW, although some recommend kitchens, workspaces, and bathrooms, have higher colour temperature lights (like 4000K), we went with 3000K for all the potlights, and 2700K for some other lights like the kitchen island pendants. The main thing I don't like about LEDs is dimmed lighting usually stays the same colour temperature. I still prefer dimmed lighting to become warmer like incandescents. I may try some auto warming LEDs in the future, but those would be for light bulbs. It's too late now for the potlights.
I used to frequent a coffee shop and it was soo cozy with red velvet booths and carpeted floors. They renovated it with white floor tile, grey granite countertops and of course the cool lighting... my welcomed and comfortable coffee shop, turned into a tired and rushed corporate office. I never returned after it re-opened.
Jeez, might as well take it all the way and have a drop-ceiling with ceiling-tiles. They did what saved them money up-front but don't realize that they're running off customers by ruining the vibe of the place. It's like saving money by putting the cheap motor oil in your car. Problem is, you're making it so that your car only lasts another 50,000 miles instead of 200,000 miles. So what did you save? NOTHING. I can picture the shop owner standing out front of the place locked-up, dark, for-sale sign in the window, saying, "This place use to be hopping, what happened?"
You know where LED's make me the saddest? On my pre-lit christmas tree. I remember the magical sparkle of the tiny lights making the ornaments come alive back in the incandescent days. Now the lights light themselves, but the ornaments are in the shadows somehow, even amongst all that light. I know LED's have improved, but I don't know whether they can produce that glow and sparkle I remember.
We keep one of those fake birch trees in our living room year round and it has very small lights on each branch tip that look like candle light, so those LED's do exist. We just love the ambiance. : )
@@SweetStuffOnMonarchLane Yes, also if they're the main component, you can appreciate their sparkle, whether or not they are casting light on anything else. I hope they HAVE gotten better too, though.
Not just incandescent tree lights, but the variety and uniqueness of the colors of the bulbs, and their wider coverage vs. the way an led works. Don't get me started on "twinkling" lights that appear to be having a seizure at a disco. #Ihatethe21stcentury
Yeah, I agree. The light cast by fairy-light LEDs is very different in quality in a way that's not easily definable. In part, it's probably something to do with the spectrum, but I also think those tiny pinpoints of white light just aren't the same as a filament a couple of millimetres long. That difference in size I think has a huge effect on how the light is scattered. I find textured fairy lights to be better (e.g. that have a little jewel glass cover similar to the way the incandescent bulbs just had to) because they scatter the light better.
I still use incandescent because it can't be beat. Even as outdoor lights, the LED are nice for accent lighting, and I do like them for halloween, but the main character is my incandescent C9's on my house. Next to all the LED decorated houses, mine pops with that classical Christmas glow. I go all out 😂
I always notice how “cosy”, healthily warm light was prevalent in shows in the 90s and that’s partly what made shows like Friends or Buffy feel so welcoming and homely. I still come back to them for that warm feel, and I wish shows would come back to that now at least partially.
I'm an electrician and I get a lot of customers that are unhappy with their LED lighting for the same reasons you describe in this video. LEDs can look just fine and create the right ambiance in your room if you install them correctly. They are also far safer, non-toxic, don't produce heat, and are up to 9x more energy efficient than older styles of light bulbs. I see a lot of homes where the wiring is burnt from halogen lights, causing a fire hazard. Due to the high power draw of incandescent bulbs, people overdraw their circuits, causing more fire hazards and costly repairs. Compact fluorescent bulbs contain mercury gas and are highly toxic if broken. Please just stick with LEDs. If you are unhappy with their appearance, consider the color temperature, lumen output, and diffusion of the LED bulb. Low color temperatures like 2700K or even 2100K can make a room much, much warmer. Higher ones like 5000K can look ultra bright and sterile like a hospital. Many LED fixtures can change their color temperature with the flick of a switch built in to the top of them. Read the lumen output on the box before buying your lightbulb. Lumens are a measurement of light output, but a lot of consumers don't understand what a lumen is, so manufacturers will say "65 watt equivalent" or such on the package so you can compare it to the light output of an incandescent. However, this a poor comparison. Just think of 250 lumens as dim, 500-600 as medium, and 1000 or more as bright. Finally, think about how the light is being diffused. Is the glass frosted or not? What shape is it? Is the lens glass or plastic? How thick is the plastic? Is there a baffle in front of the lens or diffuser that spreads the light? Please try to learn more about how to make LEDs work for you. Save your electric bill, save yourself from costly repairs and fire hazards, and save yourself from having annoying electricians like me show up to your door and lecture you for hundreds of dollars and hour.
Electrician working on our house put in all "daylight" LEDs. We all HAAAAAAATE them. Yeah, it's nice to see what I'm doing but it's adding to my already shtty mood (moving is insanely stressful) so we're swapping out for better bulbs very soon. Idk how much more of this I can take. I mentioned it to him and he was baffled and appalled that we didn't agree with his (shtty) opinion of "daylight" bulbs.
Star Trek: The Next Generation went in the opposite direction. For the first two seasons, the show had a hard, high contrast lighting style. When Melvin Rush took over running the camera in Season 3, the lighting look for became more theatrical, with pools of light around the characters and more shadowy backgrounds. That became the signature look of the series.
Yes! I never noticed what changed but now that you mentioned it. Totally! The scenes when they played poker for example. Very different lighting in later seasons.
Wow, Next Generation was the first TV series I thought of. It turned into just an photon retina assault. As opposed to the original series, or the brooding dark of the first ST movie.
The fact that I hadn't personally pinpointed this change in lightbulbs and connected it to the shift from wood to white/grey... AHHHHHHHHHHHH... I literally had ALL of this knowledge, some of it professionally... and never put it together. I knew it was a thing for ME to consider. Never put it together as part of larger trends. Thank you!
@@adora_was_takenprobably the plan to make us all like mindless sheep or robots, a la 1984. (conspiracy theories. I don't believe in it but I see it in some comments, connected with I**uminati, B*ilderberg grp, etc.)
they switched out the streetlamp near my bedroom window with an LED a few years ago, and i’m still shocked by it some nights. it feels like there’s a helicopter search light outside, instead of the comforting honey-coloured light that was there before.
A church did that to the parking lot near me and now I know that god watches my every move!! He can see all, the whole night long and on cloudy days too. They are a hell fire and brimstone type church and I long for the homelike feel of the old hell.
I have a streetlamp like that where Iive. It's a basement apartment, so image the angle the light comes in. I haven't lived here long enough to know what was there a few years ago. I don't know why LED lighting designers love to make their lights to prickly pointy to stab our eyes like that!
@@rosevan7845 If Satan is truly in charge of Hell and isn't slacking off, he'll have LED lighting of the sort we had from ten years ago installed everywhere in the underworld.
@@DrunkenUFOPilot Satan may be in charge of hell now but in a few he will be given a run for his money with the incoming power mad bunch we are breeding.
That can be an especially jarring transition because older street lamps are typically high pressure sodium discharge lamps. They have a very very yellow kind of light, which comes out at something like 2000 or 2200K. Much yellower than even incandescents. Most warm LEDs are 2700K, so a fair bit "whiter", not to mention cool white LEDs.
Ok I just realized why I always hated sitcoms even growing up--the lighting! It didn't encourage intimacy or realness no, it was cold one liners being delivered under a disorienting sky that made me feel like I was one of those yellow posts in-between worlds. The lighting and the characters somehow mirroring eachother's vapid souls that gave me existential crisis feelings even as a young kid. I have a million other reflections on lighting too that this sparked/validated inside my mood lighted soul. Spiritual!
Most sitcoms were filmed with a studio audience on a stage and used three cameras and a static array of fill-lights. That's why they were so flat looking and you only saw certain angles of the rooms.
Truly! Years ago I was in a Victorias Secret store and horrified there were fluorescents in the changing room…nobody looks good under fluorescents…and you never wear lingerie in that kind of lighting!! Needless to say…I didn’t buy anything! I did go to a different lingerie store and they smartly had soft warm lighting in the dressing room, and I bought many items. 😀
Stores are beyond stupid. They spend millions on advertising and lose sales because they are too dumb to make the fitting rooms flattering and comfortable.
@@linmonPIE Men never hear women when we tell them anything. They automatically default to whatever other men do and stick with that. But there should be enough women in marketing now that, at this point, the dressing rooms are ridiculous. Macy's is on the brink of bankruptcy and they've had decades to get a clue.
@@JoaninFlorida You would think. Probably if anyone ever did speak up about it it wasn’t considered important enough so they defaulted to what they think is best for their bottom line, as always 🙄
Ugh, I hate cold light indoors. Give me the old Gilmore Girls esthetic. When I'm at home by myself, my living room is lit by a single lamp with a warm bulb. Plus a reading light if I'm feeling retro and reading an actual book. If I should win the lottery and be able to feel comfortable about spending some real money on renovating my bathroom, I'm going for the warm look in there, too. And a tub, I guess, because in a bathroom like that, I wouldn't mind hanging out for a few hours.
Ah, you’re gonna wanna keep the neutral “white” (but not blue) lights in the bathroom though! It’s great to have a soft glow night light in there, but for daily use a “day” light is essential - to help wake you up in the morning but also to truly see your face and body in the mirror. You don’t want to miss a random hair or a spot or something on your teeth just due to poor lighting.
@@Liusila Proper lighting is also rather important where there is high risk (it may not seem like, but water makes anything slippery). That is why hospitals, factories and laboratories have bright white lights; seeing well helps reduce risks. I know I sound weird about it, but you are not supposed to "live" in the bathroom. Leave warm lights to where you actually stay: living room, bedroom, dining room... Maybe I am just kinda paranoid?
This video gave me an epiphany about my childhood. My family joined an Amish cult for a few years, and even though I'm aware that many aspects of our life then were messed up, I still remember the spaces I inhabited then as feeling very idyllic and warm. Guess what they were lit with? Sunlight, oil lamps, and Coleman-style gas lamps. Of course they felt cozy and magical.
Crazy epiphany, I think that's why memories of my grandparents place somehow hold a cozy feeling. Shamefully inhumane scenes lit entirely by a wood fire stove.
I went to university in Glasgow so not only am i super familiar with Kelvin since everything ever is named after him, my enduring image of him is his sitting statue in Kelvingrove park that always and forever had a traffic cone on it (the university is right next door, also Glaswegians have a sense of humour), he always looked like a wizard on a throne.
When a cosy, local Italian joint renovated, they updated their chairs to the WORST back breaker (but esthetically pleasing) metal, made to look like wood. My friend group, who had previously hung out there countless times. We went back once, tipped well, went home and wrote polite cards predicting their downfall, and the reason. We wanted to stay. We wanted to try all the appies, order more wine off the lovely new cellar. We would have stayed for all the desserts and espressos and after dinner cordials. This was our joint, we adored it, and we WANTED to stay and bling out. But our backs and a$$es couldn't take it. Halfway through dinner we asked for to-go boxes and got the hell out of there as fast as we could. We reconnoitered at a coffee shop nearby and consoled each other. We resolved to each go back and let them know why we didn't enjoy what should have been a bomb-ass time together. Turns out, this was not a bug, but a feature. The new manager told one in our group that table turnover was too slow prior to the renovation, so they purposely purchased chairs that were less comfortable. Because they can't ask people to leave, only hint at it. We argued that the cost per patron should increase rather than try to turn the tables over like a greasy spoon diner. We didn't go there to feel chased away. They lost lifetime patrons over some shītty chairs and a dumb business idea. Out beloved cosy spot went under in less than 4 months. Rather than swap out the chairs, they rode that pony all the way to the grave. They had opened for the holidays and were closed by Easter. The food was fantastic! But it was torture to dine in. What a waste. Oh - the lighting in the renovation was designed by a local theater company - it was exquisite! But alas, not enough to ensure repeat customers.
Okay, you’re spot on! This is something I’ve literally had to convince people of…and when they see it, it’s a game changer. I’m sensitive to light, and cold temp lighting is a soul sucking thing…grew up in the 80s where incandescent bulbs were still king, and that’s how I light my place today. Warm temp is so much nicer, and people who visit, feel cozy and comfortable here. Great vid, enjoy your content!
I foresee a faux-incandescent revolution on the horizon. I saw TruTone (i think its spelled that way), which are LED christmas lights that are made to look exactly like incandescents but of course more energy efficient and safer (less heating), and I was so happy. I think it will become much more popular soon!!!
I do so agree with you here - when I moved into my apartment I couldn't figure out why I never wanted to be in my Kitchen, I cooked there and left, that's it. But then it dawned on me, it was painted white and had glossy white cupboards with only one strong light from above so it was just so cold and uninviting - So I painted it warm yellow and put lots of colourful pictures on the wall and put little warm lamps in every corner and now it's so cosy and warm and I love it there.
I always noticed that the lighting changed on GG, but never knew the details. The departure of the cinematographer midway during S5 is when my love for the show wanes. I think everyone looks good in amber lighting and my home is filled with bubbles of soft, warm light. So much so, that a friend who prefers to live in 10000K light said my place was a cave.
We needed 2 new lightbulbs in our bathroom. My husband replaced all 6 bulbs in the fixture with a much whiter light, I immediately recoiled and he had to get new bulbs of a softer color. So I totally understand how you felt about your kitchen. The change must have been shocking and off putting.
Haha, my boyfriend "helped" me by replacing a burned out bulb in my bathroom with something insanely bright and white. He was miffed when I screamed in horror and immediately removed it.
The problem is, that the cool white LEDs that I saw installed in the late-2010s in buildings, looked off, honestly liked the cool white T8 fluorescent bulbs that they had before!
Must be a trend with the guys - my husband did the same exact thing in 'his' bathroom. I bought my own lovely bulbs for 'mine ' idk why they do this or like this so Weird ❤
I wonder if this bright, cool lighting helped contribute to the trend of organizing/displaying things in homes like a store (TikTok pantries, closets) or if the lighting was chosen because it's more store-like?
I bet! If you have a bright shiny white kitchens with white countertops and a white backslpash and bright white lighting, everything standing around will look like clutter. If you have cosy lighting you just won't see most of the clutter. It vanishes in the shadows. 😁 Great observation! 👍🏻
I think the organisation trend is more linked to the ease of overconsumption and perhaps also how our homes need to be camera-ready imho, but I would be interested to see the link between at-home filming and selfie-taking and lighting. Even just the fact so many people own studio lighting such as ring lights now!
I imagine the organisation trend is more connected to the trend of buying more stuff than anyone really should have imho, and perhaps also because we now live in a time when our own homes need to be "camera ready" backdrops. I would be interested in seeing the link between at-home filming though! Even just how so many people own studio lighting such as ring lights!
When I was a child my parents entertained frequently. There were lots of cocktail parties, dinners and buffets. These were jolly well attended affairs: once they had a cocktail party for 100 people but only 125 could make it. The last thing my mother would do was change all our regular three-way b🎉ulbs in the entertainment areas to G. E. "Dawn Pink" bulbs. When I asked why, she said "It makes the guests look beautiful".
As a (probably too) passionate proponent of warm light I really enjoyed this, including the deep dive into the last 100 years of lightbulbs. Side note, Can we also acknowledge how disturbing the cool LED twinkle Christmas lights are? My kingdom for them warm incandescents!!
Every year I see my neighborhood's xmas lights become more and more LED/cool toned. It breaks my heart & I can't even fathom the future of xmas decor if everyone eventually goes to LED :( It's to the point that I want to drop off cookies w/ a note to all the neighbors that have really classic looking lights to hopefully encourage them to stay faithful to them 😅
I’m grateful that my parents hated overhead lights. We weren’t at all fancy but we ate dinner every night with a kerosene light in the center of the table. No, I’m not 150 years old 😂 my parents just liked the light. I don’t like overhead lights and fluorescent lights give me migraines. So I’m finding this fascinating. Thank you!
These reasons are all why I swear my smart bulbs that have a wide range of colors. Yes, they are expensive, but when you get migraines and have lots of mental health problems, it’s great to have total control over the exact tone and brightness of your house lighting. I’m all for a warm yellowish light most of the time, though. This was such a great video!
@@m0kkn049 I like hue, but that’s just what I started with and stuck with it. I’m sure they’re all similar enough that it doesn’t really matter which brand. It’s definitely good to stick to one brand though so they’re easy to control as a unit
from a fellow migraine sufferer, try green light! studies showed that it was the only colour of light that didn’t make migraines worse, so i gave it a try and it’s had a hugeeee effect! it can be the difference between having to lie in bed in the dark and being able to actually open my eyes and function
I was just talking about this in another comment. LEDs are the bane of my existence as a migraine sufferer. For me it's both color temp and flickering, and so far Sengled and Roku smart bulbs are the only ones that seem to be flicker-free enough to where I don't feel like dying every day. I wish there was an ADA accommodation for migraines, I wish I could show my LED-exemption card at the hardware store and they'll bring out the stash of incandescents lol.
I’m highly sensitive to colour temperature (well, to everything really) and being in spaces that are not warm feeling make me straight up depressed. I have been debating taking on the huge, expensive task of repainting since the lavender colour I chose hasn’t felt right, and too cool. Now I realise the issue might be with the lighting, not the wall colour, so thank you so much for another equally entertaining and informative video, and I will be replacing my bulbs.
Totally with you on that. I always felt like I had to over-explain that I wasn't exaggerating by saying that I found too cool-toned a space depressing. It extended to the fact that I was terribly dissatisfied with the first three cars I owned, because they had grey interiors, and I wanted a tan interior. FINALLY was able to get a car with a tan interior, and it honestly makes so much difference.
For my new apartment, all walls are white and the furniture dark/shades of grey/black. Then I can adjust the colours with the Hue lighting. That said, I'd probably use 6500K as standard and something deep red for preserving night vision and keeping away insects on the balcony. I wonder when the neighbors start complaining.
A friend and I moved into a new place in august and the lights in the kitchen had two bulbs out. I always prefer warmer lights so I bought the warm versions of the bulbs and when we turned them all on my roommate and I audibly gasped. It was just so much warmer and more inviting it was actually unbelievable!
This makes me think of In Praise of Shadows by Jun'ichirō Tanizaki. He starts the book talking about how shiny and bright western homes are - and it makes me want soft lighting and paper light shades
I’m a photographer and I used to get so confused whenever I would buy lightbulbs because the Kelvin for lightbulbs is the opposite of the Kelvin white balance for cameras. I looked into it and it turns out they’re opposite because the camera Kelvin is meant to counteract or “balance” the difference between your camera sensor and the light you’re shooting in.
I'm not really familiar with who you are or what your channel is about, but you slayed this. I can't stand the intensity of LEDs, especially in the workplace. Your soft tone, easy speaking cadence, presentation, is a pleasure to watch and listen. The subject is well researched, no loud music, or cuts, no agitating graphics or sensationalism, just really good information. Add some little sarcastic bits but nothing edgy or negative, and this is a winner. You have a gift for this and I hope your get really popular. If there are any CityNerd fans here, I want to highlight the shoutout to the "fine dining establishment" that is Cheescake Factory lol
Thank you for adding another voice to those of us who have been screaming from the top of our kitchen countertops that lighting matters! I could never understand why so many people wanted to live in the prison world from THX 1138. Between Freshman and Sophomore year the college went through and replaced all the soft diffuse incandescent lighting in the dorm rooms with a single 4 foot dual fluorescent 565 equivalents. Constant flickering and having a roommate coming in late flip on light that singed through your eyelids meant you seldom got to sleep through the night. And yet, so many students wanted this new lighting everywhere! To this day, I push back every time someone claims we are getting better and better light with LED. True natural light is sunlight which includes Infrared radiation. It warms you and you feel it. True natural nighttime light always came from fire which includes infrared radiation. We feel it. That is why LEDs are NOT a replacement for incandescent lighting and will never mimic actual sunlight. This better light campaign is all about money and environmentalism and has nothing to do with better light or our mental and physical health.
Another bit of info: white LED light is a known trigger for migraines.I didn't know this until I thought I was being creative several years ago at Christmas. I twined a length of green garland with white LED Christmas lights and draped this around the large doorway into our living room. Had a migraine every day for a week. Turns out there are multiple articles out there on LED lights and migraine, and yet no warnings are listed on the labels. Something to consider if one is prone to migraines.
That is most likely because of poor construction. If LED lights are improperly wired and connected to AC, they will strobe at 50/60Hz (depending on mains frequency). That is too fast to notice when you look at them directly, but still perceptible in your peripheral vision. It can lead to a sense of unease or discomfort in most people, while most people are unable to articulate what exactly they think is wrong with the light except that it makes them unwell. It is pretty common for cheap Christmas lights, those often have no rectification at all.
9 місяців тому+1
my gf has that very issue.. the bluelight part of the light is the issue.
As a lifelong sufferer of migraines (into my seventh decade) I had not actually noticed that about LED bulbs, but then again they are not my choice of bulb. What I did notice, decades ago, was that halogen bulbs would trigger my migraines.
Flicker is probably a big factor with that, cheap LED lights will have flicker due to a cheap driver circuit with less filtering. The higher CRI ones usually also have less flicker.
We put in a 3000k light in our kitchen, and it was one of those drop ceiling panel lights. Holy shit, I can’t imagine what the CRI was, but everything was GREEN. Now I have nice warm spotlights, what and insane difference it made in the winter months.
theres a really good line in the book "remains of the day" by kazuo ishiguro where the butler (main character who is deeply in and out of memory all the time) talks about the gas to electric light transition in a similar way quote,hopefully fair use excerpted "it is always something of a memorable sight to see that magnificent banqueting hall employed to its full capacity and that evening was no exception. Of course, the effect produced by unbroken lines of gentlemen in evening suits, so out numbering the fairer sex, was a rather severe one; but then again, in those days, the two large chandeliers still ran on gas - resulting in a subtle, quite soft light pervading the room - and did not produce the dazzling brightness they have done ever since electrification."
That's a great insight that cool LEDs led to the shift away from wood colors. I've been using 2700K LEDs everywhere since day 1 so I never made that connection.
I don’t know if you’re going to see this but one of the most beautifully lit TV shows in history is “That ‘70s Show”. Absolutely gorgeous use of light that Gen-xers like myself are very nostalgic for b/c warm and sunny interiors are what we grew up in.
This video arrived at a critical time for me. I'm contemplating a lighting upgrade for my Tiny Double-Long Cozy Van (or Class A RV) from 1990. It is impressively cozy in here with lots of carpeting and incandescent lights. It looks like a Meth Lab on the outside, but it is super comfy inside. I wasn't previously appreciating the importance, and contributory cuteness, of the incandescent color temperature. Thank you so much for illuminating my knowledge gap! I loved the copper pipe in your old kitchen.
Update: I was able to find LED RV light fixtures that fit stylistically, in 3000k! They look so good. So bright too, like wow. They're perfectly warming in my cozy cottage in the woods on wheels.
Nice discussion! I think the other big impact that lighting can have is due to the lighting CRI or color rendering index. While there are some better metrics, this is the most common one that you can look for as a consumer, and it will tell you how well the bulb will show colors compared to an ideal light source like the sun or an incandescent bulb. Many cheap CFL and LED bulbs have terrible CRIs so everything looks dull and uninviting. Reds are especially dull under these lights. I strongly suggest that everyone looks for LED bulbs not only with the appropriate color temperature, but also with a high CRI. Phillips Ultra Definition are great bulbs all around, and they aren't that expensive either.
Reading this, I realise that as an artist, I've habitually kinda 'hacked' my own CRI lighting by combining warm toned lamps with a blue-white overhead light (or vice versa), which always felt like the right mix of colour to me. Really interesting to find that has a scientific basis!
Wow, you made me a subscriber the moment you pulled out a copy of "A Pattern Language." It was required reading back when I was in architecture school.
Architect here. In case of LEDs much more important than the temperature is the CRI value (Color Rendering Index). It can be also refered to as "Ra". It's how close a light is in rendering colors to sunlight. When you get a lightbulb in a local store it almost certainly will be CRI 80. If you get something slightly better (i.e. IKEA in Europe) it will be CRI 90. Personally I think it's worth searching for CRI 95. The difference between CRI 80 and 95 is basically the comparison you gave at 3:15. Always check the datasheet when you get a lightbulb - if the manufacturer doesn't publish CRI you can be certain you will get CRI 80 or worse. Also it's worth checking the R9 value in the datasheet. It's one of the components for calculating CRI representing a deep red color. This is the one that ususally drags the whole CRI value down since it's the hardest to get right with LEDs. R9 should ideally also be above 95, but anything above 90 should also be okay. The color of the lightbulb in my opinion is secondary and it depends on the context. Office space would be totally fine with 4000K. Kitchen and living room would probably be best with 3000K. In bedroom you can go all the way down to 2700K for extra coziness. Bathroom I would do 3000K for ambient and 4000K for makeup. One extra note for high-CRI LEDs: You usually want them to be 10-20% weaker in lumens compared to the 80CRI equivalents. Due to the better color rendering CRI95s feel brighter than their lumen value would suggest.
You are absolutely brilliant! No pun intended. 😂 I can’t believe you made the transition from Gilmore Girls to light bulbs to Kelvin to homemakers! 🙌🙌🙌
When we moved into our new place a couple of years ago, we gave a lot of thought to the lighting when renovating. Basically, we have two types of lights: 2700K lights and 4500K lights. When we need to see things clearly or want to be more awake, we use the 4500K lights. In the early mornings and evenings, though--especially when it is approaching bedtime--we exclusively use the 2700K lights. We also use the 2700K lights when we have guests over because we don't want our flat to look like an office. We have both types of light in the bathroom as well, because if I happen to wake up in the middle of the night and need to use the bathroom, I don't want to be blinded. I use the 4500K light when I am taking my shower to help me wake up.
There are 3000k lights, which are not quite as yellow as the 2700k, but are MUCH warmer than 4500k or 5000k. I prefer the 3000k because when you look at something white under them, it appears white rather than yellow. At the same time, they still are plenty warm. We have 3000k all through the house other than in the bedroom, where 2700k helps us get ready to sleep at night. In our bathroom the lights are on dimmers so you can just enough light to see when you go there in the middle of the night.
I have smart bulbs with an app that lets me change the color temperature. So I set them for a little cooler early in the evening and warmer and a little dimmer later at night.
This is fascinating. I’d noticed cooler lights trending and the cold/white/minimalist trend but never connected the two! It makes sense though that as cool LED bulbs get into homes, people shift to cool-toned decor. I think the rise in social media and people taking photos of themselves has made a big difference too- while in person warm lighting is cozy and pleasant, in photos it can easily be too dark and make you look jaundiced, while bright cool lighting works better for trendy Instagram pics. A hotel in my hometown that did a lot of conventions actually changed their carpeting and lighting to be bluer/cooler because of how much people complained about their photos turning out poorly! I’m definitely going to play with lighting more in my new apartment, warm lighting is a lifesaver in the long winter months here too
Loved this video! I remember my mind being blown the first time I saw someone with a really cute lamp on their kitchen countertop… I was like “wait… yes… cozy!!!” Most of my time going into the kitchen is to make a cup of coffee or tea, to grab a snack, or to get water. It’s nice to make it a super cozy and relaxing space for that! Why not treat it, at least part of the time, like a part of your home that you want to feel relaxed in?
Back in the 90s when I was a teen I bought “soft pink” light bulbs. They were eventually discontinued but I really loved them! My house is an 1883 farmhouse. Those bright white bulbs make it look scrappier and scrubbier than it is. I avoid at all costs.
Can always tell the newer younger apartment condo residents moving in...they put 6000k LED bulbs in everything, and every window looks like there is some sort of construction project going on inside!
New subscriber. You are iconic! Love the Gilmore Girls examples. I think a large change in the seasons lighting also had to do with their transition from film to digital which happened in season 6-7 I believe. ASP held out for quite a while, and the look makes a difference.
Hello! Thank you for being here!! I am not sure the camera actually shifted, just a tighter budget. In 2009, Supernatural (also on the CW) switched to digital. Gilmore Girls last episode was in 2007. So I think GG and digital cameras just missed each other
This video was fabulous, thank you! My mother and I have these long, rambling, incoherent conversations every time we're in the light bulb aisle because we both definitely understand that you need the "right" bulbs, but neither of us has any clue how to pick. This video should be played on repeat on little screens in every light bulb retailer worldwide, it would save so many people so much difficulty!
This channel is the most niche thing ever and I adore it. ❤❤❤ I bought the Not So Big House book I saw on one of her recent videos and I’m so glad I did. Literally 1/2 the reason I watch these videos is for the book recommendations.
I liked how you used your own kitchen as an example! It was also interesting to see how you analyzed Architectural Digest kitchens, Home Edit, and how brighter lighting makes decor "hard mode".
I thought I painted my dining room a light grey with darker grey trim. After letting in sunlight and the (at the time) daylight bulbs were turned on, my walls became shades of purple. To keep my walls grey, I switched the whole house to warmer bulbs, which I like better in general anyway for their coziness. Lighting matters!
It’s crazy that you posted this today. I generally believe the colder lights go with colder colors, so I was using cold lights in my kitchen where there’s a slight bluish tint to the paint. But I decided that I just like warm lights so much better and they go better with the wood in the floors anyway, so (just today, mind you) switched the bulbs out for warm bulbs.
Your videos continue to be a gem in my subscription list. I wish there was a reason for you and Technology Connections to do a colab but it would be 20 minutes about very strong christmas light opinions.
Another thing people don't realize is how goddamn bright the sun is. Even on cloudy days its so much brighter than the most powerful lightbulb you can get. Only once I became a photographer did I realize that even when a room feels bright, it's still pretty dark
I found your video very interesting and informative. When I went led in my kitchen I purchased one of the first led panels. So it was just white. But when I turned it on it was so bright I thought I was getting blinding. My solution and that I still use today because I am too lazy to replace the panel was to use a piece of plexiglass and cover it with window tint. The reason for the extra layer of plexiglass which is held on with velcro was so that if I wanted to remove the tint easily and put it back I could just pull the plexiglass from the velcro. But I have never done that. With the window tinit I toned down the brightness to a comfortable level.
I always use warm lighting in my living room. But I noticed that when. I am crafting. I constantly feel like it's too dark. Once I changed my light bulbs to a more blue toned light, it suddenly felt brighter.
It might be worth looking smart bulbs! Although I don't find them as cozy as classic warm light bulbs, they allow you to change the color from cool to warm & adjust brightness. They have become much more affordable recently as well. Just a thought!
With cold lighting (as in low colour temperature, often falsely labeled "warm") you miss out most of the colors. Even if it's bright, you don't see everything. And your brain must work overtime to do the white balancing.
I use a warm-light table lamp and a lit candle to give me a relaxing atmosphere for when I shower. I only use the overhead when I need to wake up in the morning. It’s nice to have the option.
Oh there's an equivalent of Lahaina Noon I found - ""daylight"" in the polar circle during the dark month of the year. Because sunlight reflects around the clouds and snow, it scatters and becomes really even. Even if the sun never actually rises, there's still light, and it's this hazy no shadows as if you turned off the graphics kinda light.
I always thought this when my house switched from yellow to fluorescent lighting around 2006 when I was 12. My dad always seemed to think of it as an upgrade because of the energy saving, lets just say he's a lot less sensitive about aesthetics than i am.
100%! Headlights & driving lights also have this same issue. Apart from the leds being so bright & easily misaligned (or the oncoming car is on the slightest pitch or bump), they completely ruin the romance of any nighttime streetscape.
The term “fill light” is a method which brings out the shadows. White balance is what changes the yellow in a picture, bringing it up from blue.. So it seems to me Season 7 has too much fill and the white balance changed. And I agree, because I like soft yellows too, Adding to this fluorescents, oh my! They flicker and I’m highly sensitive to that. I have a headache if I’m in a room with a fluorescent and no one can understand why. Then the LED hurts my eyes.
As someone who had severe body dysmorphic disorder from like 12-about now (just starting to get over it at 32), I know everything & anything about warm lighting & the perils of 'cool' daylight (such to the extent I 'accidentally' broke/said it didn't work anymore a $5 cool daylight globe "whoops", oh but look I have already bought a warm white replacement - and suddenly everyone in the family was saying how much better everything looked). I truly wish it was illegal (or v. difficult) to buy cool daylightbulbs, they are so awful & unnatural, they' give me panic/depression attacks if i had to walk through an area lit by them. Horrible, aeful things, as are the people that claim you need to have super bright lighting for your employees to work (at night, no less). Ugly & anxiety inducing coldness!
Fun fact with a reminder and tips! LED’s make for great grow lights. Reminder: Spring is nearly here, get some seeds and start growing veggies and herbs with a desk lamp! Tip - look into appropriate distances for seedling stages until safe for outdoor planting. Bonus tip - I used a discarded plastic bottle that I poked holes in the cap to gently and neatly water indoors. I know it works, I grew the best tomatoes ever last year starting this way, They were over 12ft tall at the end and I started a little late. Strangely enough, I am planting those seeds today. Happy growing!
I'm working on my house and its decoration so that's such a very informative video ! I understand better why I prefer warmer tones for everything. Warmer lights, unpainted wooden furniture, beige and wood-like wallpaper,... Wouldn't change a thing ! I live for the cosy vibes.
That's the type of vibe I love too. Sort of a 1930's aesthetic. I'm so sick of everywhere nowadays being overly bright and sterile like the inside of a laboratory or something.
New to the channel and love your video on toilets. I wanted to add to the collection of thoughts: accessibility in lighting. My partner has low vision and excessively cool tone blast your socks off bright lighting has plagued my mood for the last 8 years. I updated our kitchen and his bathroom with high contrast decor - white and black. I am a use all the colors kind of gal. Our house has basically two vibes - colorful chaos with stripes painted on the walls in my spaces and the brightest white and black in his. I could care less about resale. This is our home where we live laugh love our best lives 😂. Glad I found your channel!
Not only is the background brighter than it used to be, the background in many of these shots is brighter than the foreground and the subjects! Look at 1:31, my eyes immediately are dawn to the pile of stuff on the table in the back left as if it holds some special secret
Background competing with foreground subjects! Seems like that would be one of the basics everyone learns in Photography 101. How does a director of photography end up doing that? Either no skills or some producer or sponsor insisted on that sort of look.
Yup. The difference has absolutely nothing to do with colour of light. It is rather the amount of light. There is a background lamp on. At 2:09, again, there is an under cabinet lamp that is on.
That change, reminds me of what I suddenly saw in the late-2010s, especially the very-late-2010s, when stores changed over to LEDs at 2:46 Especially if it looks different, and the floor looks brighter!
Very glad someone did a video on this as thoroughly as you did. After rehabbing (literally removing mold and asbestos) my basement, I spent days researching new lighting fixtures. I wanted something warm, color accurate, and NOT OMNI-DIRECTIONAL. PAR lights - often used in floodlight scenarios - pointing downwards illuminates the floor and surfaces but leaves contrasting pools of shadow above and on the walls. It's been a wonderful addition and I'm thoroughly happy down there, now. For rooms where you aren't afforded unfettered access to basement joists so you can tabula-rasa install light fixtures and wiring, track lighting has been a really helpful retrofit solution for all the damned boob-lamps in the home. With PAR or even MR type bulbs, they cast rays of light onto surfaces and leave contrasting shadows on the top of the walls and the ceiling. It's moody. Amber lighting has been really hard to find, though. I bought a set of lightbulbs that were marketed as amber but really just had an orange film on the lens.
My aunt has THE brightest, coldest LEDs in her home and they make me rather uncomfortable. She even has them on during the day. There's literally no shadows anywhere, since there's light sources everywhere. Under the counters, couches, on the wall trim, etc.
Kendra Gaylord: Thank you SO MUCH. For the “bright light incoming” warning you put up at like 13:15 ish. People don’t take photosensitivity seriously, and boy have I been struggling with it since I nearly died from blood poisoning. I enjoyed this video so much. Xx
I picked all my led lights specifically because they came with kelvin sliders so I could adjust any of them to whatever I wanted… as long as that’s between 2700k and 6500k with about 1000k between options. Also important is CRI with higher numbers indicating how much of the color spectrum is replicated. Generally I tune them based on where they are at in my home with kitchen and other work spaces having higher temperatures.
oft unmentioned is the incredibly deleterious effect of harsh overhead blue and especially florescent lights on people with migraines. Which, these days, is like most people. It can even affect people with epilepsy too. Why are we putting lights in all our buildings that trigger some of the most common neurological conditions?
The change in lighting brings to mind some other trends I've noticed over the last decade or two. There seems to be a fear of pauses, shadows and gaps influencing some artists. In the GG examples, the background is brought up, filled in, made even with the main subjects. Lamps and fireplaces subdued to match brightness. Nothing stands out! Reminds me of the "Loudness Wars" in audio production. Mix engineers were bringing up the singer, bringing up the guitar solo, bringing up the little drum bit, bringing up the slick synth intro, bringing up the piano in the background between the singing and solos, bringing up EVERYTHING so that nothing stood out. Incessant acoustic power, no relaxed pause between highlights. Made boomboxes seem more powerful. Maybe it was a marketing thing to increase sales among young people with no taste, I suppose. Then in editing, especially what I notice with UA-cam videos, is a style of editing where there's not the tiniest pause between the end of one sentence and the start of the next. No time to mentally swallow what I just heard and already the next bit is shoved in. A fear of gaps? My fellow students and I learned in radio/TV production school to "edit tight!" but not like what I'm hearing. It's unnatural for a speaker to not take a quick breath every few words, and it's just as unnatural for the listener to take in continuous talk with nary a millisecond to absorb it. Likewise, our eyes need a bit of relief in the scene. Michael Price (and almost all competent cinematographers, photographers, and artists) knew how to use a few small-area lights to light the subjects, with shadows, with side lighting, and let the background be visible but subdued, in the background except a few small highlighted objects to make a pleasing composition. A few dark blotchy areas of no-content to help define the important elements of the scene. And let the lamps and fire burn out, clip the signal, to stand out as bright! Seasons 6 & 7 have what looks like more front lighting, not from the side to emphasize contours, but broad area lights illuminating everything fully, clinically, and with too high a color temperature. Lighting of the background that competes with the stars of the show. Ugly!
When we moved into my current place right before the pandemic started, I quickly looked through all the lights in the house that I could and replaced them with LEDs if there were any incandescents (or too cool toned LEDs) still around for keeping costs down (and cooling excess heat). We have this big gaudy mid 90s chandelier in the staircase that has way more lightbulbs than is necessary, and all the bathrooms have the 5-6 socket light fixtures above the large mirror. I only kept around two of those lightbulbs in use, spread out on the edges of the sockets for best lighting. When I ran out of warm LED light bulbs and only had some cooler older LED lights left, it was a game of swap/match to strategically remove extra light bulbs from unnecessary spots like the chandelier, match bulb colour tones and designate any cooler toned LEDs that were still necessary lighting to places like the outside patio light we just turn on to do recycling or the storage hallway corner that gets packed with stuff so the light gets dimmed anyways. We also have 4 smaller versions of the crystal gaudy chandeliers our main floor that still had incandescent bulbs for the first year 'cause they weren't the standard bulb size but instead two different smaller bulb sizes. 😒 The first summer in the place we avoided using those light fixtures at all because with 4-6 bulbs per fixture, you could *feel* the added heat radiating from those bulbs soon after turning them on. Thankfully IKEA had a warm-toned LED lightbulb sale the following year with the right sized smaller lightbulbs around 25 cents USD each. We got so many bulbs! And am very glad we were able to replace them affordably.
Architecture and design were never something I thought about or noticed much prior to watching your channel but now I consider it often, thanks for sharing your knowledge and enthusiasm for the topic.
Great video and makes so much sense! When we moved into my apartment, my landlords put bright white lights in every hardwired light fixture. Needless to say I NEVER turn any of them on unless there's, like, an emergency. I've spent a lot of money on lamps and warm lights, worth every penny! The thing is that our building was built in the early 1900s/1910s, and originally had gas lighting. I think it must have been so gorgeous with that lighting, especially since I've found remnants of warm dark red paint and linoleum, and really dark stained wood molding and floors from that early era. I've also found remnants of midcentury pale blues and green paints, which is actually what I have repainted the walls to be now. In the early 2000s, the apartments were all painted white, and so on. So you can totally see the layers of paint colors matching up with what was used for lighting at the time.
Yeah *face* the electrician working on this house put it all "daylight" LEDs. We have a vaulted ceiling (which I detest) with recessed lighting (which, up there, I loathe) so getting him to swap them for nicer bulbs is going to be interesting. He's already insulted that we don't share the same (shtty) opinion that "daylight" bulbs are the best.
yep! i realized this a couple years ago when really bright lights in my classes and rooms would just give me headaches, i switched over to those strip led lights for my bedroom and if i needed extra lighting i found a lamp, BAM! my bedroom is now awesome to be in :) whenever i turn on the overhead light i recoil in horror
I accidentally switched out a lightbulb in my room with a LED one and recoiled in horror. The color of my room with that light on was SO unsettling. I learned a valuable lesson about using warmer temps.
Cold white is the new fad. I can't grasp why people want it in their houses. 2700K for almost everything, maybe 3000K for brighter lights. Another huge thing for me is indirect lighting. ALL my lights point at the ceiling/wall. So there are no bright spots when you're looking around, and you don't get hard shadows on work surfaces. Brightness can have an effect as well. Once I turned on a 20,000 lumen light in the room and everything looked absolutely terrible. Every bit of dust, dirty surfaces, etc. were all visible. It was utterly depressing.
Hotpoint! That was the brand of our old stove/oven and the old fridge we bought well used 30 years ago. We've updated the fridge due to energy expenditure concerns.
The light bulb screw sizes in my country are called E27 for 27mm and E14 for 14mm and the E stands for Edison. I was 49 years old when I learned that just recently. 😁
In my country a lot of kitchens have fluorescent lights (thoose with two long bulbs in parallel ) some are covered others aren’t, every kitchen and bathroom here is covered in mosaic with exception of the ceiling, in older houses cabinets,doors are darker meanwhile new house are lighter wood but nowadays they all use color from grey,red ect, most windows and doors were aluminum without color nowadays they are usually white but theres some brown ect
This video made me realize that the popularity of dark academia is a reaction to the fact that most of us have had all of our educational experiences conducted under fluorescent lighting.
this is such an interesting point!
Makes sense!
Omg yes dude. The romanticism of writing an essay by candlelight. Or an oil lamp. So intimate and yet solitary. Journeying inward
It makes no sense whatsoever why children are forced to get their education at a hospice looking monstrosity
Astute observation! 🤔
To anyone who doesn't just hate cool-toned light but also has an issue with "warm-toned LED" because they still make everything appear desaturated and sad: look for a high CRI! (Color rendering index)
A high CRI (97 or higher) indicates that there is a good amount of red light, which will in turn bring out the warmer tones in your skin, your surroundings... once I changed my bathroom lightbulbs, I looked so much more alive and healthy, it was baffling.
This is something that galleries and museums prioritise too, since showing colour well and evenly is important. I'd rather light my home like an art gallery than a hospital.
A lot of companies do not indicate what the CRI even is. Steer clear and look for the ones who declare it, demonstrating that they actually care about light quality as much as you do!
🫡
You nailed this! I've been trying to figure out why I hate being in certain rooms even when bringing in warmer light. I'll have to look at the CRI for the bulbs (if it was even on the box)
Uh, I hope this helps me, for a year or so my dad has been replacing lights around here (and for savings reasons disabled the incandescent ones I used instead since they were the only ones that were comfortable for my eyes) and almost all rooms have this eerie vibe to them, and it became even worse when he bought some weird orange LEDs! I have a LED lamp that does okay but in general everything just makes me really uncomfortable and drained
Thank you. We literally went back to incandescent, because I realized that ALL of the LEDs are really unpleasant to me. But last year they actually BANNED incandescent bulbs, so it will be a limited time that I can still get them.... 😒 I feel bad for people who get headaches and stuff from weird lights.
A friend and I are using the same contractor for our renovations. My friend went with the builder grade potlights, while I specified much more expensive 97 CRI potlights, since I had horrible memories of 80 CRI potlights of the past. It turns out most current builder grade potlights are not 80 or 85 CRI, but are actually 90+ CRI. After comparing our two potlight grades in real finished rooms, I actually think the 90+ CRI potlight quality is very decent, and leaps and bounds better than the old 80 CRI potlights. My 97 CRI potlights may be a bit better but the incremental improvement is probably overkill for most people, especially given the much higher extra cost. (All is not lost though, since mine have a lifetime warranty, whereas the builder grade ones don't.) Interestingly, even though mine are 97 CRI, they don't actually advertise them as such. They are advertised as 90+, but if you dig down into their unadvertised 3rd party test results, at 3000K they are rated at 96.9. Also, another thing to remember is that the CRI scoring system itself is problematic in some ways.
BTW, although some recommend kitchens, workspaces, and bathrooms, have higher colour temperature lights (like 4000K), we went with 3000K for all the potlights, and 2700K for some other lights like the kitchen island pendants.
The main thing I don't like about LEDs is dimmed lighting usually stays the same colour temperature. I still prefer dimmed lighting to become warmer like incandescents. I may try some auto warming LEDs in the future, but those would be for light bulbs. It's too late now for the potlights.
I used to frequent a coffee shop and it was soo cozy with red velvet booths and carpeted floors. They renovated it with white floor tile, grey granite countertops and of course the cool lighting... my welcomed and comfortable coffee shop, turned into a tired and rushed corporate office. I never returned after it re-opened.
I believe this is the reason why coffee shops are dying in the USA.
Light and noise, the dual horrors of modern spaces. I dont go out anymore, i invite people to my warmly lit place with wood and soft furnishings.
@@0.-.0At least part of it, yes.
tell them
Jeez, might as well take it all the way and have a drop-ceiling with ceiling-tiles. They did what saved them money up-front but don't realize that they're running off customers by ruining the vibe of the place. It's like saving money by putting the cheap motor oil in your car. Problem is, you're making it so that your car only lasts another 50,000 miles instead of 200,000 miles. So what did you save? NOTHING. I can picture the shop owner standing out front of the place locked-up, dark, for-sale sign in the window, saying, "This place use to be hopping, what happened?"
You know where LED's make me the saddest? On my pre-lit christmas tree. I remember the magical sparkle of the tiny lights making the ornaments come alive back in the incandescent days. Now the lights light themselves, but the ornaments are in the shadows somehow, even amongst all that light. I know LED's have improved, but I don't know whether they can produce that glow and sparkle I remember.
We keep one of those fake birch trees in our living room year round and it has very small lights on each branch tip that look like candle light, so those LED's do exist. We just love the ambiance. : )
@@SweetStuffOnMonarchLane Yes, also if they're the main component, you can appreciate their sparkle, whether or not they are casting light on anything else. I hope they HAVE gotten better too, though.
Not just incandescent tree lights, but the variety and uniqueness of the colors of the bulbs, and their wider coverage vs. the way an led works.
Don't get me started on "twinkling" lights that appear to be having a seizure at a disco.
#Ihatethe21stcentury
Yeah, I agree. The light cast by fairy-light LEDs is very different in quality in a way that's not easily definable. In part, it's probably something to do with the spectrum, but I also think those tiny pinpoints of white light just aren't the same as a filament a couple of millimetres long. That difference in size I think has a huge effect on how the light is scattered. I find textured fairy lights to be better (e.g. that have a little jewel glass cover similar to the way the incandescent bulbs just had to) because they scatter the light better.
I still use incandescent because it can't be beat. Even as outdoor lights, the LED are nice for accent lighting, and I do like them for halloween, but the main character is my incandescent C9's on my house. Next to all the LED decorated houses, mine pops with that classical Christmas glow. I go all out 😂
I always notice how “cosy”, healthily warm light was prevalent in shows in the 90s and that’s partly what made shows like Friends or Buffy feel so welcoming and homely. I still come back to them for that warm feel, and I wish shows would come back to that now at least partially.
The fact that most TV was shot on celluloid film adds to the warmth as well.
"Elementary" had this in the 2010s and made the show dramatically more appealing.
I'm an electrician and I get a lot of customers that are unhappy with their LED lighting for the same reasons you describe in this video. LEDs can look just fine and create the right ambiance in your room if you install them correctly. They are also far safer, non-toxic, don't produce heat, and are up to 9x more energy efficient than older styles of light bulbs. I see a lot of homes where the wiring is burnt from halogen lights, causing a fire hazard. Due to the high power draw of incandescent bulbs, people overdraw their circuits, causing more fire hazards and costly repairs. Compact fluorescent bulbs contain mercury gas and are highly toxic if broken.
Please just stick with LEDs. If you are unhappy with their appearance, consider the color temperature, lumen output, and diffusion of the LED bulb. Low color temperatures like 2700K or even 2100K can make a room much, much warmer. Higher ones like 5000K can look ultra bright and sterile like a hospital. Many LED fixtures can change their color temperature with the flick of a switch built in to the top of them. Read the lumen output on the box before buying your lightbulb. Lumens are a measurement of light output, but a lot of consumers don't understand what a lumen is, so manufacturers will say "65 watt equivalent" or such on the package so you can compare it to the light output of an incandescent. However, this a poor comparison. Just think of 250 lumens as dim, 500-600 as medium, and 1000 or more as bright. Finally, think about how the light is being diffused. Is the glass frosted or not? What shape is it? Is the lens glass or plastic? How thick is the plastic? Is there a baffle in front of the lens or diffuser that spreads the light?
Please try to learn more about how to make LEDs work for you. Save your electric bill, save yourself from costly repairs and fire hazards, and save yourself from having annoying electricians like me show up to your door and lecture you for hundreds of dollars and hour.
Love this! The solution is not to return to the old bulbs but to be more thoughtful about using new and demonstrably better technology.
thank you!
Thanks so much for this information!
This is the correct take - LEDs aren't necessarily sterile. Figure out what look you're going for and work from there.
Electrician working on our house put in all "daylight" LEDs. We all HAAAAAAATE them. Yeah, it's nice to see what I'm doing but it's adding to my already shtty mood (moving is insanely stressful) so we're swapping out for better bulbs very soon. Idk how much more of this I can take. I mentioned it to him and he was baffled and appalled that we didn't agree with his (shtty) opinion of "daylight" bulbs.
Star Trek: The Next Generation went in the opposite direction. For the first two seasons, the show had a hard, high contrast lighting style. When Melvin Rush took over running the camera in Season 3, the lighting look for became more theatrical, with pools of light around the characters and more shadowy backgrounds. That became the signature look of the series.
Yes! I never noticed what changed but now that you mentioned it. Totally! The scenes when they played poker for example. Very different lighting in later seasons.
Wow, Next Generation was the first TV series I thought of. It turned into just an photon retina assault. As opposed to the original series, or the brooding dark of the first ST movie.
I will have to watch for that!
oh maybe thats why the first seasons felt off to me when i wanted to rewatch it, so different from what i remembered
The fact that I hadn't personally pinpointed this change in lightbulbs and connected it to the shift from wood to white/grey... AHHHHHHHHHHHH... I literally had ALL of this knowledge, some of it professionally... and never put it together. I knew it was a thing for ME to consider. Never put it together as part of larger trends. Thank you!
Yes!
Yep. Part of The Plan :-/
@@katie7748 ...the plan?
@@adora_was_takenprobably the plan to make us all like mindless sheep or robots, a la 1984. (conspiracy theories. I don't believe in it but I see it in some comments, connected with I**uminati, B*ilderberg grp, etc.)
they switched out the streetlamp near my bedroom window with an LED a few years ago, and i’m still shocked by it some nights. it feels like there’s a helicopter search light outside, instead of the comforting honey-coloured light that was there before.
A church did that to the parking lot near me and now I know that god watches my every move!! He can see all, the whole night long and on cloudy days too. They are a hell fire and brimstone type church and I long for the homelike feel of the old hell.
I have a streetlamp like that where Iive. It's a basement apartment, so image the angle the light comes in. I haven't lived here long enough to know what was there a few years ago. I don't know why LED lighting designers love to make their lights to prickly pointy to stab our eyes like that!
@@rosevan7845 If Satan is truly in charge of Hell and isn't slacking off, he'll have LED lighting of the sort we had from ten years ago installed everywhere in the underworld.
@@DrunkenUFOPilot Satan may be in charge of hell now but in a few he will be given a run for his money with the incoming power mad bunch we are breeding.
That can be an especially jarring transition because older street lamps are typically high pressure sodium discharge lamps. They have a very very yellow kind of light, which comes out at something like 2000 or 2200K. Much yellower than even incandescents. Most warm LEDs are 2700K, so a fair bit "whiter", not to mention cool white LEDs.
Ok I just realized why I always hated sitcoms even growing up--the lighting! It didn't encourage intimacy or realness no, it was cold one liners being delivered under a disorienting sky that made me feel like I was one of those yellow posts in-between worlds. The lighting and the characters somehow mirroring eachother's vapid souls that gave me existential crisis feelings even as a young kid. I have a million other reflections on lighting too that this sparked/validated inside my mood lighted soul. Spiritual!
Most sitcoms were filmed with a studio audience on a stage and used three cameras and a static array of fill-lights. That's why they were so flat looking and you only saw certain angles of the rooms.
Switching out all the bulbs in my apartment was the best decision ever. Now everything is warm & everyone looks pretty lol.
The worst lighting situation is always fluorescents in changing rooms.
Truly! Years ago I was in a Victorias Secret store and horrified there were fluorescents in the changing room…nobody looks good under fluorescents…and you never wear lingerie in that kind of lighting!! Needless to say…I didn’t buy anything! I did go to a different lingerie store and they smartly had soft warm lighting in the dressing room, and I bought many items. 😀
Stores are beyond stupid. They spend millions on advertising and lose sales because they are too dumb to make the fitting rooms flattering and comfortable.
@@JoaninFloridaProbably because it’s men in charge of that sort of thing and they don’t even think to think about these kind of things.
@@linmonPIE Men never hear women when we tell them anything. They automatically default to whatever other men do and stick with that. But there should be enough women in marketing now that, at this point, the dressing rooms are ridiculous. Macy's is on the brink of bankruptcy and they've had decades to get a clue.
@@JoaninFlorida You would think. Probably if anyone ever did speak up about it it wasn’t considered important enough so they defaulted to what they think is best for their bottom line, as always 🙄
Ugh, I hate cold light indoors. Give me the old Gilmore Girls esthetic. When I'm at home by myself, my living room is lit by a single lamp with a warm bulb. Plus a reading light if I'm feeling retro and reading an actual book. If I should win the lottery and be able to feel comfortable about spending some real money on renovating my bathroom, I'm going for the warm look in there, too. And a tub, I guess, because in a bathroom like that, I wouldn't mind hanging out for a few hours.
Ah, you’re gonna wanna keep the neutral “white” (but not blue) lights in the bathroom though! It’s great to have a soft glow night light in there, but for daily use a “day” light is essential - to help wake you up in the morning but also to truly see your face and body in the mirror. You don’t want to miss a random hair or a spot or something on your teeth just due to poor lighting.
@@Liusila Proper lighting is also rather important where there is high risk (it may not seem like, but water makes anything slippery). That is why hospitals, factories and laboratories have bright white lights; seeing well helps reduce risks.
I know I sound weird about it, but you are not supposed to "live" in the bathroom. Leave warm lights to where you actually stay: living room, bedroom, dining room... Maybe I am just kinda paranoid?
This video gave me an epiphany about my childhood. My family joined an Amish cult for a few years, and even though I'm aware that many aspects of our life then were messed up, I still remember the spaces I inhabited then as feeling very idyllic and warm. Guess what they were lit with? Sunlight, oil lamps, and Coleman-style gas lamps. Of course they felt cozy and magical.
I am not entitled to answers, but if you ever want to elaborate on that story I have a few questions.
@@thepinkestpigglet7529 Sure! What would you like to know? /gen
Crazy epiphany, I think that's why memories of my grandparents place somehow hold a cozy feeling. Shamefully inhumane scenes lit entirely by a wood fire stove.
theatrical lighting designer here and i love this! color temperature affects our lives in so many ways!
Yes and that's exactly why They are doing this to us :-/
Yes, really.
Yes. Not enough colour temperature is rage inducing when you try to see something.
I have noticed this. I really feel like this is part of why the world feels so different from my childhood, everywhere.
I went to university in Glasgow so not only am i super familiar with Kelvin since everything ever is named after him, my enduring image of him is his sitting statue in Kelvingrove park that always and forever had a traffic cone on it (the university is right next door, also Glaswegians have a sense of humour), he always looked like a wizard on a throne.
When a cosy, local Italian joint renovated, they updated their chairs to the WORST back breaker (but esthetically pleasing) metal, made to look like wood. My friend group, who had previously hung out there countless times. We went back once, tipped well, went home and wrote polite cards predicting their downfall, and the reason.
We wanted to stay. We wanted to try all the appies, order more wine off the lovely new cellar. We would have stayed for all the desserts and espressos and after dinner cordials. This was our joint, we adored it, and we WANTED to stay and bling out. But our backs and a$$es couldn't take it. Halfway through dinner we asked for to-go boxes and got the hell out of there as fast as we could. We reconnoitered at a coffee shop nearby and consoled each other. We resolved to each go back and let them know why we didn't enjoy what should have been a bomb-ass time together.
Turns out, this was not a bug, but a feature. The new manager told one in our group that table turnover was too slow prior to the renovation, so they purposely purchased chairs that were less comfortable. Because they can't ask people to leave, only hint at it. We argued that the cost per patron should increase rather than try to turn the tables over like a greasy spoon diner. We didn't go there to feel chased away. They lost lifetime patrons over some shītty chairs and a dumb business idea.
Out beloved cosy spot went under in less than 4 months. Rather than swap out the chairs, they rode that pony all the way to the grave. They had opened for the holidays and were closed by Easter. The food was fantastic! But it was torture to dine in. What a waste.
Oh - the lighting in the renovation was designed by a local theater company - it was exquisite! But alas, not enough to ensure repeat customers.
Okay, you’re spot on! This is something I’ve literally had to convince people of…and when they see it, it’s a game changer. I’m sensitive to light, and cold temp lighting is a soul sucking thing…grew up in the 80s where incandescent bulbs were still king, and that’s how I light my place today. Warm temp is so much nicer, and people who visit, feel cozy and comfortable here.
Great vid, enjoy your content!
I foresee a faux-incandescent revolution on the horizon. I saw TruTone (i think its spelled that way), which are LED christmas lights that are made to look exactly like incandescents but of course more energy efficient and safer (less heating), and I was so happy. I think it will become much more popular soon!!!
I do so agree with you here - when I moved into my apartment I couldn't figure out why I never wanted to be in my Kitchen, I cooked there and left, that's it. But then it dawned on me, it was painted white and had glossy white cupboards with only one strong light from above so it was just so cold and uninviting - So I painted it warm yellow and put lots of colourful pictures on the wall and put little warm lamps in every corner and now it's so cosy and warm and I love it there.
I always noticed that the lighting changed on GG, but never knew the details. The departure of the cinematographer midway during S5 is when my love for the show wanes. I think everyone looks good in amber lighting and my home is filled with bubbles of soft, warm light. So much so, that a friend who prefers to live in 10000K light said my place was a cave.
We needed 2 new lightbulbs in our bathroom. My husband replaced all 6 bulbs in the fixture with a much whiter light, I immediately recoiled and he had to get new bulbs of a softer color. So I totally understand how you felt about your kitchen. The change must have been shocking and off putting.
Haha, my boyfriend "helped" me by replacing a burned out bulb in my bathroom with something insanely bright and white. He was miffed when I screamed in horror and immediately removed it.
i use hue, i can choose dim candle for early mornings, warm white for getting ready and 6000k for cleaning, all within a button press
The problem is, that the cool white LEDs that I saw installed in the late-2010s in buildings, looked off, honestly liked the cool white T8 fluorescent bulbs that they had before!
Must be a trend with the guys - my husband did the same exact thing in 'his' bathroom. I bought my own lovely bulbs for 'mine ' idk why they do this or like this so Weird ❤
I wonder if this bright, cool lighting helped contribute to the trend of organizing/displaying things in homes like a store (TikTok pantries, closets) or if the lighting was chosen because it's more store-like?
I bet! If you have a bright shiny white kitchens with white countertops and a white backslpash and bright white lighting, everything standing around will look like clutter. If you have cosy lighting you just won't see most of the clutter. It vanishes in the shadows. 😁 Great observation! 👍🏻
I think the organisation trend is more linked to the ease of overconsumption and perhaps also how our homes need to be camera-ready imho, but I would be interested to see the link between at-home filming and selfie-taking and lighting. Even just the fact so many people own studio lighting such as ring lights now!
I imagine the organisation trend is more connected to the trend of buying more stuff than anyone really should have imho, and perhaps also because we now live in a time when our own homes need to be "camera ready" backdrops. I would be interested in seeing the link between at-home filming though! Even just how so many people own studio lighting such as ring lights!
When I was a child my parents entertained frequently. There were lots of cocktail parties, dinners and buffets. These were jolly well attended affairs: once they had a cocktail party for 100 people but only 125 could make it. The last thing my mother would do was change all our regular three-way b🎉ulbs in the entertainment areas to G. E. "Dawn Pink" bulbs. When I asked why, she said "It makes the guests look beautiful".
1910s Ladies Home Journals are a DAMN GOOD TIME
As a (probably too) passionate proponent of warm light I really enjoyed this, including the deep dive into the last 100 years of lightbulbs. Side note, Can we also acknowledge how disturbing the cool LED twinkle Christmas lights are? My kingdom for them warm incandescents!!
Every year I see my neighborhood's xmas lights become more and more LED/cool toned. It breaks my heart & I can't even fathom the future of xmas decor if everyone eventually goes to LED :( It's to the point that I want to drop off cookies w/ a note to all the neighbors that have really classic looking lights to hopefully encourage them to stay faithful to them 😅
Yes! I can't stand those kind of Christmas lights!
Yes! I can't stand those kind of Christmas lights!
Don’t fall into despair! There is a movement of LED lights starting to (faithfully) replicate incandescents! Look up Tru-Tone lights!
technology connections made a fantastic video about christmas light colors!! i'd definitely recommend it if you liked this video :)
I’m grateful that my parents hated overhead lights. We weren’t at all fancy but we ate dinner every night with a kerosene light in the center of the table. No, I’m not 150 years old 😂 my parents just liked the light.
I don’t like overhead lights and fluorescent lights give me migraines. So I’m finding this fascinating. Thank you!
Maybe the migraines are from sucking down kerosene fumes all childhood
@@EricLS No. Flourescent lights trigger migraines in many people and I have a family history of. Your comment is mean and ignorant.
These reasons are all why I swear my smart bulbs that have a wide range of colors. Yes, they are expensive, but when you get migraines and have lots of mental health problems, it’s great to have total control over the exact tone and brightness of your house lighting. I’m all for a warm yellowish light most of the time, though. This was such a great video!
What's your smart bulb of choice?
@@m0kkn049 I like hue, but that’s just what I started with and stuck with it. I’m sure they’re all similar enough that it doesn’t really matter which brand. It’s definitely good to stick to one brand though so they’re easy to control as a unit
Dimmers also work for this
from a fellow migraine sufferer, try green light! studies showed that it was the only colour of light that didn’t make migraines worse, so i gave it a try and it’s had a hugeeee effect! it can be the difference between having to lie in bed in the dark and being able to actually open my eyes and function
I was just talking about this in another comment. LEDs are the bane of my existence as a migraine sufferer. For me it's both color temp and flickering, and so far Sengled and Roku smart bulbs are the only ones that seem to be flicker-free enough to where I don't feel like dying every day.
I wish there was an ADA accommodation for migraines, I wish I could show my LED-exemption card at the hardware store and they'll bring out the stash of incandescents lol.
I’m highly sensitive to colour temperature (well, to everything really) and being in spaces that are not warm feeling make me straight up depressed. I have been debating taking on the huge, expensive task of repainting since the lavender colour I chose hasn’t felt right, and too cool. Now I realise the issue might be with the lighting, not the wall colour, so thank you so much for another equally entertaining and informative video, and I will be replacing my bulbs.
Totally with you on that. I always felt like I had to over-explain that I wasn't exaggerating by saying that I found too cool-toned a space depressing. It extended to the fact that I was terribly dissatisfied with the first three cars I owned, because they had grey interiors, and I wanted a tan interior. FINALLY was able to get a car with a tan interior, and it honestly makes so much difference.
For my new apartment, all walls are white and the furniture dark/shades of grey/black.
Then I can adjust the colours with the Hue lighting.
That said, I'd probably use 6500K as standard and something deep red for preserving night vision and keeping away insects on the balcony. I wonder when the neighbors start complaining.
At least for me, it's not just depressing, it's also annoying and migraine-inducing.
A friend and I moved into a new place in august and the lights in the kitchen had two bulbs out. I always prefer warmer lights so I bought the warm versions of the bulbs and when we turned them all on my roommate and I audibly gasped. It was just so much warmer and more inviting it was actually unbelievable!
This makes me think of In Praise of Shadows by Jun'ichirō Tanizaki. He starts the book talking about how shiny and bright western homes are - and it makes me want soft lighting and paper light shades
I’m a photographer and I used to get so confused whenever I would buy lightbulbs because the Kelvin for lightbulbs is the opposite of the Kelvin white balance for cameras.
I looked into it and it turns out they’re opposite because the camera Kelvin is meant to counteract or “balance” the difference between your camera sensor and the light you’re shooting in.
I'm not really familiar with who you are or what your channel is about, but you slayed this. I can't stand the intensity of LEDs, especially in the workplace. Your soft tone, easy speaking cadence, presentation, is a pleasure to watch and listen. The subject is well researched, no loud music, or cuts, no agitating graphics or sensationalism, just really good information. Add some little sarcastic bits but nothing edgy or negative, and this is a winner. You have a gift for this and I hope your get really popular.
If there are any CityNerd fans here, I want to highlight the shoutout to the "fine dining establishment" that is Cheescake Factory lol
Thank you for adding another voice to those of us who have been screaming from the top of our kitchen countertops that lighting matters! I could never understand why so many people wanted to live in the prison world from THX 1138. Between Freshman and Sophomore year the college went through and replaced all the soft diffuse incandescent lighting in the dorm rooms with a single 4 foot dual fluorescent 565 equivalents. Constant flickering and having a roommate coming in late flip on light that singed through your eyelids meant you seldom got to sleep through the night. And yet, so many students wanted this new lighting everywhere! To this day, I push back every time someone claims we are getting better and better light with LED. True natural light is sunlight which includes Infrared radiation. It warms you and you feel it. True natural nighttime light always came from fire which includes infrared radiation. We feel it. That is why LEDs are NOT a replacement for incandescent lighting and will never mimic actual sunlight. This better light campaign is all about money and environmentalism and has nothing to do with better light or our mental and physical health.
Another bit of info: white LED light is a known trigger for migraines.I didn't know this until I thought I was being creative several years ago at Christmas. I twined a length of green garland with white LED Christmas lights and draped this around the large doorway into our living room. Had a migraine every day for a week. Turns out there are multiple articles out there on LED lights and migraine, and yet no warnings are listed on the labels. Something to consider if one is prone to migraines.
Yes. They trigger migraines for me too
That is most likely because of poor construction. If LED lights are improperly wired and connected to AC, they will strobe at 50/60Hz (depending on mains frequency). That is too fast to notice when you look at them directly, but still perceptible in your peripheral vision. It can lead to a sense of unease or discomfort in most people, while most people are unable to articulate what exactly they think is wrong with the light except that it makes them unwell. It is pretty common for cheap Christmas lights, those often have no rectification at all.
my gf has that very issue.. the bluelight part of the light is the issue.
As a lifelong sufferer of migraines (into my seventh decade) I had not actually noticed that about LED bulbs, but then again they are not my choice of bulb. What I did notice, decades ago, was that halogen bulbs would trigger my migraines.
Flicker is probably a big factor with that, cheap LED lights will have flicker due to a cheap driver circuit with less filtering. The higher CRI ones usually also have less flicker.
We put in a 3000k light in our kitchen, and it was one of those drop ceiling panel lights. Holy shit, I can’t imagine what the CRI was, but everything was GREEN.
Now I have nice warm spotlights, what and insane difference it made in the winter months.
15:40 “the heart of where the magic happens in the home” 😂 I see we still have PTSD from all the AD home tours
theres a really good line in the book "remains of the day" by kazuo ishiguro where the butler (main character who is deeply in and out of memory all the time) talks about the gas to electric light transition in a similar way
quote,hopefully fair use excerpted "it is always something of a memorable sight to see that magnificent banqueting hall employed to its full capacity and that evening was no exception. Of course, the effect produced by unbroken lines of gentlemen in evening suits, so out numbering the fairer sex, was a rather severe one; but then again, in those days, the two large chandeliers still ran on gas - resulting in a subtle, quite soft light pervading the room - and did not produce the dazzling brightness they have done ever since electrification."
That's a great insight that cool LEDs led to the shift away from wood colors. I've been using 2700K LEDs everywhere since day 1 so I never made that connection.
I don’t know if you’re going to see this but one of the most beautifully lit TV shows in history is “That ‘70s Show”. Absolutely gorgeous use of light that Gen-xers like myself are very nostalgic for b/c warm and sunny interiors are what we grew up in.
This video arrived at a critical time for me. I'm contemplating a lighting upgrade for my Tiny Double-Long Cozy Van (or Class A RV) from 1990. It is impressively cozy in here with lots of carpeting and incandescent lights. It looks like a Meth Lab on the outside, but it is super comfy inside. I wasn't previously appreciating the importance, and contributory cuteness, of the incandescent color temperature. Thank you so much for illuminating my knowledge gap! I loved the copper pipe in your old kitchen.
Update: I was able to find LED RV light fixtures that fit stylistically, in 3000k! They look so good. So bright too, like wow. They're perfectly warming in my cozy cottage in the woods on wheels.
Nice discussion! I think the other big impact that lighting can have is due to the lighting CRI or color rendering index. While there are some better metrics, this is the most common one that you can look for as a consumer, and it will tell you how well the bulb will show colors compared to an ideal light source like the sun or an incandescent bulb. Many cheap CFL and LED bulbs have terrible CRIs so everything looks dull and uninviting. Reds are especially dull under these lights. I strongly suggest that everyone looks for LED bulbs not only with the appropriate color temperature, but also with a high CRI. Phillips Ultra Definition are great bulbs all around, and they aren't that expensive either.
Great point on CRI! I will have to test out the bulbs you mentioned!
THANK YOU for posting this, I've felt depressed by LED bulbs for years but no-one else seemed to notice, now i can get better bulbs!
And since skin tones have tons of red, those crappy bulbs make people look tired or unhealthy.
Reading this, I realise that as an artist, I've habitually kinda 'hacked' my own CRI lighting by combining warm toned lamps with a blue-white overhead light (or vice versa), which always felt like the right mix of colour to me. Really interesting to find that has a scientific basis!
I love how this video came together. I need to buy some lightbulbs.
This video is one half typical Kendra Gilmore Girls content and one half Technology Connections. 10/10
Wow, you made me a subscriber the moment you pulled out a copy of "A Pattern Language." It was required reading back when I was in architecture school.
Architect here. In case of LEDs much more important than the temperature is the CRI value (Color Rendering Index). It can be also refered to as "Ra". It's how close a light is in rendering colors to sunlight. When you get a lightbulb in a local store it almost certainly will be CRI 80. If you get something slightly better (i.e. IKEA in Europe) it will be CRI 90. Personally I think it's worth searching for CRI 95. The difference between CRI 80 and 95 is basically the comparison you gave at 3:15. Always check the datasheet when you get a lightbulb - if the manufacturer doesn't publish CRI you can be certain you will get CRI 80 or worse. Also it's worth checking the R9 value in the datasheet. It's one of the components for calculating CRI representing a deep red color. This is the one that ususally drags the whole CRI value down since it's the hardest to get right with LEDs. R9 should ideally also be above 95, but anything above 90 should also be okay. The color of the lightbulb in my opinion is secondary and it depends on the context. Office space would be totally fine with 4000K. Kitchen and living room would probably be best with 3000K. In bedroom you can go all the way down to 2700K for extra coziness. Bathroom I would do 3000K for ambient and 4000K for makeup. One extra note for high-CRI LEDs: You usually want them to be 10-20% weaker in lumens compared to the 80CRI equivalents. Due to the better color rendering CRI95s feel brighter than their lumen value would suggest.
You are absolutely brilliant! No pun intended. 😂 I can’t believe you made the transition from Gilmore Girls to light bulbs to Kelvin to homemakers! 🙌🙌🙌
Her intelligence and capacity to correlate seemingly unrelated topics never ceases to both astound and endear me, in equal measure. 🖤
When we moved into our new place a couple of years ago, we gave a lot of thought to the lighting when renovating. Basically, we have two types of lights: 2700K lights and 4500K lights. When we need to see things clearly or want to be more awake, we use the 4500K lights. In the early mornings and evenings, though--especially when it is approaching bedtime--we exclusively use the 2700K lights. We also use the 2700K lights when we have guests over because we don't want our flat to look like an office. We have both types of light in the bathroom as well, because if I happen to wake up in the middle of the night and need to use the bathroom, I don't want to be blinded. I use the 4500K light when I am taking my shower to help me wake up.
There are 3000k lights, which are not quite as yellow as the 2700k, but are MUCH warmer than 4500k or 5000k. I prefer the 3000k because when you look at something white under them, it appears white rather than yellow. At the same time, they still are plenty warm. We have 3000k all through the house other than in the bedroom, where 2700k helps us get ready to sleep at night. In our bathroom the lights are on dimmers so you can just enough light to see when you go there in the middle of the night.
I have smart bulbs with an app that lets me change the color temperature. So I set them for a little cooler early in the evening and warmer and a little dimmer later at night.
"now thats a power bottom" the gasp i gusp
you're "oh... i'll let him know" during the kelvin bit was impeccable
This is fascinating. I’d noticed cooler lights trending and the cold/white/minimalist trend but never connected the two! It makes sense though that as cool LED bulbs get into homes, people shift to cool-toned decor.
I think the rise in social media and people taking photos of themselves has made a big difference too- while in person warm lighting is cozy and pleasant, in photos it can easily be too dark and make you look jaundiced, while bright cool lighting works better for trendy Instagram pics. A hotel in my hometown that did a lot of conventions actually changed their carpeting and lighting to be bluer/cooler because of how much people complained about their photos turning out poorly!
I’m definitely going to play with lighting more in my new apartment, warm lighting is a lifesaver in the long winter months here too
Loved this video! I remember my mind being blown the first time I saw someone with a really cute lamp on their kitchen countertop… I was like “wait… yes… cozy!!!” Most of my time going into the kitchen is to make a cup of coffee or tea, to grab a snack, or to get water. It’s nice to make it a super cozy and relaxing space for that! Why not treat it, at least part of the time, like a part of your home that you want to feel relaxed in?
Back in the 90s when I was a teen I bought “soft pink” light bulbs. They were eventually discontinued but I really loved them! My house is an 1883 farmhouse. Those bright white bulbs make it look scrappier and scrubbier than it is. I avoid at all costs.
Can always tell the newer younger apartment condo residents moving in...they put 6000k LED bulbs in everything, and every window looks like there is some sort of construction project going on inside!
New subscriber. You are iconic!
Love the Gilmore Girls examples. I think a large change in the seasons lighting also had to do with their transition from film to digital which happened in season 6-7 I believe. ASP held out for quite a while, and the look makes a difference.
Hello! Thank you for being here!!
I am not sure the camera actually shifted, just a tighter budget. In 2009, Supernatural (also on the CW) switched to digital. Gilmore Girls last episode was in 2007. So I think GG and digital cameras just missed each other
This video was fabulous, thank you! My mother and I have these long, rambling, incoherent conversations every time we're in the light bulb aisle because we both definitely understand that you need the "right" bulbs, but neither of us has any clue how to pick. This video should be played on repeat on little screens in every light bulb retailer worldwide, it would save so many people so much difficulty!
This channel is the most niche thing ever and I adore it. ❤❤❤ I bought the Not So Big House book I saw on one of her recent videos and I’m so glad I did. Literally 1/2 the reason I watch these videos is for the book recommendations.
This makes me so happy!
"I can show you scenes that will make you gasp.." You showed and I gasped @_@
I liked how you used your own kitchen as an example! It was also interesting to see how you analyzed Architectural Digest kitchens, Home Edit, and how brighter lighting makes decor "hard mode".
I thought I painted my dining room a light grey with darker grey trim. After letting in sunlight and the (at the time) daylight bulbs were turned on, my walls became shades of purple. To keep my walls grey, I switched the whole house to warmer bulbs, which I like better in general anyway for their coziness. Lighting matters!
It’s crazy that you posted this today. I generally believe the colder lights go with colder colors, so I was using cold lights in my kitchen where there’s a slight bluish tint to the paint. But I decided that I just like warm lights so much better and they go better with the wood in the floors anyway, so (just today, mind you) switched the bulbs out for warm bulbs.
I love your videos on a more human approach to architecture, Kendra 💚
Your videos continue to be a gem in my subscription list. I wish there was a reason for you and Technology Connections to do a colab but it would be 20 minutes about very strong christmas light opinions.
Another thing people don't realize is how goddamn bright the sun is. Even on cloudy days its so much brighter than the most powerful lightbulb you can get. Only once I became a photographer did I realize that even when a room feels bright, it's still pretty dark
You are my favorite creator, bar none. Where you LED, I will follow.
I found your video very interesting and informative.
When I went led in my kitchen I purchased one of the first led panels. So it was just white. But when I turned it on it was so bright I thought I was getting blinding. My solution and that I still use today because I am too lazy to replace the panel was to use a piece of plexiglass and cover it with window tint.
The reason for the extra layer of plexiglass which is held on with velcro was so that if I wanted to remove the tint easily and put it back I could just pull the plexiglass from the velcro. But I have never done that. With the window tinit I toned down the brightness to a comfortable level.
11:14 no, no, Kendra on the left was correct, I immediately thought of plants too
I always use warm lighting in my living room. But I noticed that when. I am crafting. I constantly feel like it's too dark. Once I changed my light bulbs to a more blue toned light, it suddenly felt brighter.
Yep, I've always had the warm lights and it's been so dark. Recently put in the blue toned bulbs in a few spots and can see so much better.
It might be worth looking smart bulbs! Although I don't find them as cozy as classic warm light bulbs, they allow you to change the color from cool to warm & adjust brightness. They have become much more affordable recently as well. Just a thought!
Yeah that's what I have, smart bulbs. They're super versatile! I love them, especially for throwing parties
With cold lighting (as in low colour temperature, often falsely labeled "warm") you miss out most of the colors. Even if it's bright, you don't see everything. And your brain must work overtime to do the white balancing.
I use a warm-light table lamp and a lit candle to give me a relaxing atmosphere for when I shower. I only use the overhead when I need to wake up in the morning. It’s nice to have the option.
Oh there's an equivalent of Lahaina Noon I found - ""daylight"" in the polar circle during the dark month of the year.
Because sunlight reflects around the clouds and snow, it scatters and becomes really even. Even if the sun never actually rises, there's still light, and it's this hazy no shadows as if you turned off the graphics kinda light.
Oh my gosh!! You just explained the rise and fall of gray.
I always thought this when my house switched from yellow to fluorescent lighting around 2006 when I was 12. My dad always seemed to think of it as an upgrade because of the energy saving, lets just say he's a lot less sensitive about aesthetics than i am.
Late-'00s= The era of "barf-yellow" warm CFLs!
100%! Headlights & driving lights also have this same issue. Apart from the leds being so bright & easily misaligned (or the oncoming car is on the slightest pitch or bump), they completely ruin the romance of any nighttime streetscape.
The term “fill light” is a method which brings out the shadows. White balance is what changes the yellow in a picture, bringing it up from blue.. So it seems to me Season 7 has too much fill and the white balance changed. And I agree, because I like soft yellows too,
Adding to this fluorescents, oh my! They flicker and I’m highly sensitive to that. I have a headache if I’m in a room with a fluorescent and no one can understand why. Then the LED hurts my eyes.
As someone who had severe body dysmorphic disorder from like 12-about now (just starting to get over it at 32), I know everything & anything about warm lighting & the perils of 'cool' daylight (such to the extent I 'accidentally' broke/said it didn't work anymore a $5 cool daylight globe "whoops", oh but look I have already bought a warm white replacement - and suddenly everyone in the family was saying how much better everything looked). I truly wish it was illegal (or v. difficult) to buy cool daylightbulbs, they are so awful & unnatural, they' give me panic/depression attacks if i had to walk through an area lit by them. Horrible, aeful things, as are the people that claim you need to have super bright lighting for your employees to work (at night, no less). Ugly & anxiety inducing coldness!
Last year I changed all my light bulbs and nightlights to yellow/amber and it has been actually life changing
This video was fascinating. Thank you
Fun fact with a reminder and tips!
LED’s make for great grow lights.
Reminder: Spring is nearly here, get some seeds and start growing veggies and herbs with a desk lamp!
Tip - look into appropriate distances for seedling stages until safe for outdoor planting.
Bonus tip - I used a discarded plastic bottle that I poked holes in the cap to gently and neatly water indoors.
I know it works, I grew the best tomatoes ever last year starting this way, They were over 12ft tall at the end and I started a little late.
Strangely enough, I am planting those seeds today.
Happy growing!
what light temperature do you use?
I'm working on my house and its decoration so that's such a very informative video ! I understand better why I prefer warmer tones for everything. Warmer lights, unpainted wooden furniture, beige and wood-like wallpaper,... Wouldn't change a thing ! I live for the cosy vibes.
That's the type of vibe I love too. Sort of a 1930's aesthetic. I'm so sick of everywhere nowadays being overly bright and sterile like the inside of a laboratory or something.
New to the channel and love your video on toilets. I wanted to add to the collection of thoughts: accessibility in lighting. My partner has low vision and excessively cool tone blast your socks off bright lighting has plagued my mood for the last 8 years. I updated our kitchen and his bathroom with high contrast decor - white and black. I am a use all the colors kind of gal. Our house has basically two vibes - colorful chaos with stripes painted on the walls in my spaces and the brightest white and black in his. I could care less about resale. This is our home where we live laugh love our best lives 😂. Glad I found your channel!
Not only is the background brighter than it used to be, the background in many of these shots is brighter than the foreground and the subjects! Look at 1:31, my eyes immediately are dawn to the pile of stuff on the table in the back left as if it holds some special secret
Background competing with foreground subjects! Seems like that would be one of the basics everyone learns in Photography 101. How does a director of photography end up doing that? Either no skills or some producer or sponsor insisted on that sort of look.
Yup. The difference has absolutely nothing to do with colour of light. It is rather the amount of light. There is a background lamp on. At 2:09, again, there is an under cabinet lamp that is on.
That change, reminds me of what I suddenly saw in the late-2010s, especially the very-late-2010s, when stores changed over to LEDs at 2:46 Especially if it looks different, and the floor looks brighter!
Very glad someone did a video on this as thoroughly as you did. After rehabbing (literally removing mold and asbestos) my basement, I spent days researching new lighting fixtures. I wanted something warm, color accurate, and NOT OMNI-DIRECTIONAL. PAR lights - often used in floodlight scenarios - pointing downwards illuminates the floor and surfaces but leaves contrasting pools of shadow above and on the walls. It's been a wonderful addition and I'm thoroughly happy down there, now.
For rooms where you aren't afforded unfettered access to basement joists so you can tabula-rasa install light fixtures and wiring, track lighting has been a really helpful retrofit solution for all the damned boob-lamps in the home. With PAR or even MR type bulbs, they cast rays of light onto surfaces and leave contrasting shadows on the top of the walls and the ceiling. It's moody.
Amber lighting has been really hard to find, though. I bought a set of lightbulbs that were marketed as amber but really just had an orange film on the lens.
My aunt has THE brightest, coldest LEDs in her home and they make me rather uncomfortable. She even has them on during the day. There's literally no shadows anywhere, since there's light sources everywhere. Under the counters, couches, on the wall trim, etc.
Kendra Gaylord:
Thank you SO MUCH. For the “bright light incoming” warning you put up at like 13:15 ish.
People don’t take photosensitivity seriously, and boy have I been struggling with it since I nearly died from blood poisoning.
I enjoyed this video so much. Xx
So glad it helped! I had trouble while editing that clip so I knew it was too bright and needed a warning.
I picked all my led lights specifically because they came with kelvin sliders so I could adjust any of them to whatever I wanted… as long as that’s between 2700k and 6500k with about 1000k between options. Also important is CRI with higher numbers indicating how much of the color spectrum is replicated. Generally I tune them based on where they are at in my home with kitchen and other work spaces having higher temperatures.
oft unmentioned is the incredibly deleterious effect of harsh overhead blue and especially florescent lights on people with migraines. Which, these days, is like most people. It can even affect people with epilepsy too. Why are we putting lights in all our buildings that trigger some of the most common neurological conditions?
The change in lighting brings to mind some other trends I've noticed over the last decade or two. There seems to be a fear of pauses, shadows and gaps influencing some artists. In the GG examples, the background is brought up, filled in, made even with the main subjects. Lamps and fireplaces subdued to match brightness. Nothing stands out!
Reminds me of the "Loudness Wars" in audio production. Mix engineers were bringing up the singer, bringing up the guitar solo, bringing up the little drum bit, bringing up the slick synth intro, bringing up the piano in the background between the singing and solos, bringing up EVERYTHING so that nothing stood out. Incessant acoustic power, no relaxed pause between highlights. Made boomboxes seem more powerful. Maybe it was a marketing thing to increase sales among young people with no taste, I suppose.
Then in editing, especially what I notice with UA-cam videos, is a style of editing where there's not the tiniest pause between the end of one sentence and the start of the next. No time to mentally swallow what I just heard and already the next bit is shoved in. A fear of gaps? My fellow students and I learned in radio/TV production school to "edit tight!" but not like what I'm hearing. It's unnatural for a speaker to not take a quick breath every few words, and it's just as unnatural for the listener to take in continuous talk with nary a millisecond to absorb it.
Likewise, our eyes need a bit of relief in the scene. Michael Price (and almost all competent cinematographers, photographers, and artists) knew how to use a few small-area lights to light the subjects, with shadows, with side lighting, and let the background be visible but subdued, in the background except a few small highlighted objects to make a pleasing composition. A few dark blotchy areas of no-content to help define the important elements of the scene. And let the lamps and fire burn out, clip the signal, to stand out as bright!
Seasons 6 & 7 have what looks like more front lighting, not from the side to emphasize contours, but broad area lights illuminating everything fully, clinically, and with too high a color temperature. Lighting of the background that competes with the stars of the show. Ugly!
When we moved into my current place right before the pandemic started, I quickly looked through all the lights in the house that I could and replaced them with LEDs if there were any incandescents (or too cool toned LEDs) still around for keeping costs down (and cooling excess heat).
We have this big gaudy mid 90s chandelier in the staircase that has way more lightbulbs than is necessary, and all the bathrooms have the 5-6 socket light fixtures above the large mirror. I only kept around two of those lightbulbs in use, spread out on the edges of the sockets for best lighting.
When I ran out of warm LED light bulbs and only had some cooler older LED lights left, it was a game of swap/match to strategically remove extra light bulbs from unnecessary spots like the chandelier, match bulb colour tones and designate any cooler toned LEDs that were still necessary lighting to places like the outside patio light we just turn on to do recycling or the storage hallway corner that gets packed with stuff so the light gets dimmed anyways.
We also have 4 smaller versions of the crystal gaudy chandeliers our main floor that still had incandescent bulbs for the first year 'cause they weren't the standard bulb size but instead two different smaller bulb sizes. 😒 The first summer in the place we avoided using those light fixtures at all because with 4-6 bulbs per fixture, you could *feel* the added heat radiating from those bulbs soon after turning them on. Thankfully IKEA had a warm-toned LED lightbulb sale the following year with the right sized smaller lightbulbs around 25 cents USD each. We got so many bulbs! And am very glad we were able to replace them affordably.
Loved the bulb confusion joke😭
Architecture and design were never something I thought about or noticed much prior to watching your channel but now I consider it often, thanks for sharing your knowledge and enthusiasm for the topic.
"they looked like my skin in February"... best description ever!
Great video and makes so much sense! When we moved into my apartment, my landlords put bright white lights in every hardwired light fixture. Needless to say I NEVER turn any of them on unless there's, like, an emergency. I've spent a lot of money on lamps and warm lights, worth every penny! The thing is that our building was built in the early 1900s/1910s, and originally had gas lighting. I think it must have been so gorgeous with that lighting, especially since I've found remnants of warm dark red paint and linoleum, and really dark stained wood molding and floors from that early era. I've also found remnants of midcentury pale blues and green paints, which is actually what I have repainted the walls to be now. In the early 2000s, the apartments were all painted white, and so on. So you can totally see the layers of paint colors matching up with what was used for lighting at the time.
Yeah *face* the electrician working on this house put it all "daylight" LEDs. We have a vaulted ceiling (which I detest) with recessed lighting (which, up there, I loathe) so getting him to swap them for nicer bulbs is going to be interesting. He's already insulted that we don't share the same (shtty) opinion that "daylight" bulbs are the best.
This is another reason "What we do in the shadows" is so great. So "warm" and soothing.
yep! i realized this a couple years ago when really bright lights in my classes and rooms would just give me headaches, i switched over to those strip led lights for my bedroom and if i needed extra lighting i found a lamp, BAM! my bedroom is now awesome to be in :) whenever i turn on the overhead light i recoil in horror
I accidentally switched out a lightbulb in my room with a LED one and recoiled in horror. The color of my room with that light on was SO unsettling. I learned a valuable lesson about using warmer temps.
Cold white is the new fad. I can't grasp why people want it in their houses. 2700K for almost everything, maybe 3000K for brighter lights.
Another huge thing for me is indirect lighting. ALL my lights point at the ceiling/wall. So there are no bright spots when you're looking around, and you don't get hard shadows on work surfaces.
Brightness can have an effect as well. Once I turned on a 20,000 lumen light in the room and everything looked absolutely terrible. Every bit of dust, dirty surfaces, etc. were all visible. It was utterly depressing.
3000K, is like the bright tungsten bulbs. (whether the totally classic tungsten, or the halogen-encapsulated filaments)
Hotpoint! That was the brand of our old stove/oven and the old fridge we bought well used 30 years ago. We've updated the fridge due to energy expenditure concerns.
im just happy that my favorite lighting and gilmore girls youtuber is also based and walkable-pilled
There are so many iconic lines in this video but one of my favorites is, "Is this post in the ground or is this an episode of Blue's Clues?"
The light bulb screw sizes in my country are called E27 for 27mm and E14 for 14mm and the E stands for Edison. I was 49 years old when I learned that just recently. 😁
E27 is for the >200V countries. for NA with 120V, it is E26.
In my country a lot of kitchens have fluorescent lights (thoose with two long bulbs in parallel ) some are covered others aren’t, every kitchen and bathroom here is covered in mosaic with exception of the ceiling, in older houses cabinets,doors are darker meanwhile new house are lighter wood but nowadays they all use color from grey,red ect, most windows and doors were aluminum without color nowadays they are usually white but theres some brown ect