Before deciding on a light fixture, ask yourself some questions. What will people be using the space for? Do you need to accommodate a dimming your lights? Or need a space to crowd over one paper? Think about how lighting will affect the productivity. Think about the movement within the space. How will the shadows move? Will your employees be able to move around in the space and still see clearly?

The technical aspects of lighting dive much deeper into numbers and calculations, so consulting a professional to help you in your decision can be extremely helpful. Look at color temperature, illumination, and light output to decide which type of light is best for your workspace.

The color of your light is extremely important. It can be extremely technical with calculating the “temperature” of the light, which appears as a color. Breaking it down, there are a few different standard types of lighting temperature/color. It’s measured in degrees Kelvin. The higher the number on the scale, the cooler the light looks. Think of a campfire where the flames near the bottom are slightly blue. The hotter the temperature, the cooler it looks. On the cooler side, think of daylight. On the scale it’s about 5600K (although it changes depending on whether it is sunny or cloudy, time of day, etc.) 5600K gives you a good starting place. 

A typical light bulb, called incandescent or tungsten, has that warmer tone to it, putting itself on the scale roughly at 3200K. Every bulb is different, and they will become warmer if the lamp is dimmed due to the change in voltage. Tungsten bulbs, with an orange or yellow hue, are the least stressful on the eyes.

Your typical fluorescent bulbs are typically around 4000K or 5000K, but can be nearly any color temperature. Fluorescent bulbs also have an incomplete color spectrum. Having an incomplete color spectrum is what gives fluorescent lights that ugly, muddy tint. It’s because they are missing one of the colors from the spectrum that creates light, so it becomes off balanced. Color corrected fluorescent bulbs are available.

Daylight bulbs can look beautiful in a steril space, keeping it clean to match any daylight that infiltrates the office. The cooler color of daylight keep you awake due to the natural likeness to sunlight. However, spending time with blue lights, depending on which lights you choose to put in your office, can also have unfortunate health effects. Blue lights have eye damage potential due to how the light travels through to the back of your eye, and can damage your light-sensitive cells. It can also cause headaches because of that stress. Not only that, it also influences your sleep quality. It causes the brain to decrease its production of melatonin, and disrupts your circadian rhythm. Having blue lighting isn’t just from the lighting in your office, but from your computers, phones, tablets, and some televisions. Use this knowledge by protecting your eyes with a night mode on your electronic devices, or by wearing blue light protective spectacles.

Today, there are many different types of bulbs with adjustable color, many by remote control on your electronic device. There are also many environmentally-friendly bulbs and light fixtures that promote healthier spaces, protect the earth, and more energy-efficient. LED bulbs compared to incandescent bulbs have a slightly different look to them, even if their color temperature is matched exactly to an incandescent bulb of the same temperature.