Guides · Colour
Choosing a colour temperature. Why warm white wins outdoors.
Colour temperature, measured in kelvin, decides whether a property looks warm and inviting or cold and commercial. Here is what each number looks like outdoors and how to choose.
The short answer
For most homes, 3000K.
Warm white around 3000K suits most homes. It flatters stone, brick, wood and foliage, reads as welcoming rather than security lighting, and is close to the warm look people remember from halogen.
2700K is warmer still and suits older brick and very traditional homes. 4000K and above read as cool white, which can make planting look grey and a house look commercial. What matters as much as the number is consistency: every fixture on the property at the same colour temperature.
The numbers
What each colour temperature looks like outside.
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i.
2200K to 2400K.
Amber, candle-like. Atmospheric on a patio or for very low accent light, but can look orange on a facade.
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ii.
2700K.
Warm white, slightly golden. Suits traditional brick, warm stone and heritage homes.
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iii.
3000K.
Warm white with a little more clarity. Flatters most materials and planting; the most common choice for residential landscape lighting.
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iv.
4000K.
Neutral to cool white. Can suit very modern architecture in small doses, but tends to make foliage look grey.
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v.
5000K and up.
Cool, bluish daylight. Looks like security or parking-lot lighting at night and attracts more insects.
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vi.
Colour-changing (RGB).
Useful for occasional events, but full-time coloured light rarely looks designed. If you want it, keep it on separate zones from the warm white.
Beyond the number
Three things that matter as much.
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i.
Consistency.
Every fixture at the same colour temperature, ideally from the same product line, so the property reads as one design.
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ii.
Colour rendering.
A higher colour rendering index (CRI) shows foliage and stone in their true colours rather than washed out.
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iii.
Output and shielding.
Even the right colour looks harsh at full output. Lower output and shielded fixtures keep light on its target and out of the sky.
Colour questions
Answered plainly.
Is 2700K or 3000K better for landscape lighting?
Both are warm white. 2700K is slightly more golden and suits traditional brick and warm stone; 3000K is a little crisper and suits most materials and planting. 3000K is the most common choice for residential landscape lighting.
Is 4000K too bright for outdoor lighting?
Kelvin measures colour, not brightness. 4000K is a cooler, more neutral white. Outdoors it tends to make foliage look grey and a house look commercial, so most homes look better in warm white around 3000K.
What colour temperature does SMART Outdoor Lighting use?
3000K warm white on every fixture, shielded and aimed for dark-sky compliance, so the whole property reads as one consistent design.
Can I change the colour of my landscape lights later?
Colour-changing fixtures exist and can be useful for occasional events. If you want them, put them on their own zones so the everyday warm-white design is not compromised.
Keep reading
More guides.
Landscape lighting techniques · Brass vs aluminum landscape lights · How to choose a landscape lighting company
All guides PricingSee it in person
See 3000K on your own stone.
On the evening demo we light your property with the same 3000K brass fixtures we install, so you can judge the colour on your own house, after dark. Free, 45 minutes.
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