2700K, 3500K or 4000K? Choosing the light inside your cabinetry

What the K means

The colour of light is measured in kelvin (K). Lower numbers are warmer and more amber; higher numbers are cooler and whiter.

• 2700 K is warm, close to the glow of an incandescent bulb or candlelight.
• 3000 K to 3500 K is a soft white: still warm, but cleaner.
• 4000 K is neutral white, closer to daylight on an overcast day.

None of these is right or wrong. Each one flatters different materials and suits different rooms.

Warm light, around 2700 K

Warm light is generous to wood, brass and leather. It deepens walnut, makes oak glow and turns a glass display cabinet into something you want to sit and look at in the evening. It is the natural choice for living rooms, bars and dining rooms, where mood matters more than accuracy.

Soft white, around 3000 K to 3500 K

This is the all-rounder. It keeps a room feeling warm without turning whites yellow, which makes it a good choice for kitchens with pale stone, or for cabinetry that has to look good by day and by night.

Neutral white, around 4000 K

Neutral light shows colour as it really is. That is why it suits closets and dressing rooms, where you want to tell navy from black, and kitchens where you prepare food. It can feel cool against dark woods, so it pairs best with lighter finishes, lacquer and stone.

Two more things to ask for

• Colour rendering. Look for a CRI (colour rendering index) of 90 or higher. Two lights with the same kelvin can make the same fabric look very different.
• Dimming. A dimmer lets one installation do two jobs: brighter for getting dressed or cooking, lower for the evening.

See the difference

On our Halden cabinet you can slide between 2700 K and 4000 K and watch the shelves, the glass and the plinth change. Try it with dark walnut and then with natural oak: the difference is the best argument for choosing your light at the same time as your finish.