What's the Best LED Color Temperature for Under Mount Lighting?

When we begin to decorate our kitchen, the first thing we would consider is the under mount lighting. However, there are so many choices on market and we will be confused. How to choose the under mount lighting? Firstly, we should know the color temperature for under mount lighting. What is the best color temperature for our under mount lighting?

The color of light is represented by a metric called color temperature. Color temperature is measured in 'degrees Kelvin'(K). As the color temperature changes, the color of light changes along the spectrum of visible light as shown in the diagram below. The general rule of thumb is that lower temperatures are closer to the red color while higher temperatures are closer to the blue color.

There are two led color temperatures that are optimal for under mount lighting, usually warm white and cool white. When choosing under mount lighting, make sure you look for the color temperature on the packaging. Under mount lighting generally range from 2700K-5000K temperatures. If you're looking to create a look that is close to the traditional incandescent light bulbs, pick a color temperature close to 2700K. If you're looking to create a whiter, daylight effect pick a color temperature close to 5000K.

The most important factor in your choice of color temperature for under mount lighting is the materials used in your kitchen. The color temperature of the under mount lighting fixture affects how these materials will appear. Warm stone worktops are enhanced by lower temperatures (2700K-3500K) while white or gray worktops look better in cooler temperatures (3500K-4500K).

The term cooler, by the way, has nothing to do with heat, but rather with how white the light looks. The 3500K for under mount lighting produces a slightly whiter light than the 2700K and will cause the colors of objects that it lights to appear much more vivid than surrounding objects illuminated by warmer. Sometimes, if you want to make different atmosphere of kitchen, you can choose different color temperature for under mount lighting. You will have different feelings.