How to choose the right light bulb for your space 💡

April 29, 2025

The bulb you choose to light your space provides the function and sets the mood. Gone are the incandescent bulbs of yesteryear, and in its place energy-efficient LED's and beautiful decorative bulbs!

Cold White, Cool White or Warm White - which colour bulb do I need?

A bulb produces a colour scale that ranges from a warm yellow light to a slightly bluish, bright white light. These colour variances of white are measured on the Kelvin Scale. Because Mr Ralph specialises in decorative lighting, 90% of the bulbs we sell are warm white (2000k -3000k), the perfect choice to create a relaxed and inviting atmosphere. Cool white (3100k - 4500k) is more commonly used for task lighting as it creates a more alert and motivating atmosphere. However, personal preference and the type of shade you have will also determine which colour you choose. For example, cold white (4600k - 6500k) is a bright, almost blueish white light that can look fabulous in an opal shade.

Room by Room Guide

The first thing you need to ask yourself before choosing your lightbulb is what you need the light to do. For example, there is nothing more frustrating than insufficient light in the kitchen, so you'll likely want task lighting and plenty of it! But keep in mind how you use the space - will you be hosting people around the kitchen island? This is where a dimmer switch comes in handy. Living areas are where you relax, so this is where accent lighting comes into play in the form of wall lights and lamps.. If you're looking to soften and mellow your space, remember, light that surrounds you is far more relaxing than light above you. Our top tip for lighting? Install a dimmer switch so you can easily transition from task to calm 💡

Opal, clear, or coloured bulb glass - what to use, and why?

Opal:As a general rule, we recommend Opal/Frosted bulbs in any of our white pendants - 'The Gang'. the Bubble Collection, and our range of Opal Glass pendants. If the Bulb won't be seen, the a60 frosted bulb is the best option for these - it provides a bright, even spread of light, and the colour temperature can be switched from warm, to cool. We also have some beautiful opal/matt white decorative bulbs that are designed to be seen, such as the Luna, Eclipse, and our Opal Dolly. Opal glass is beautiful on or off, reduces glare and looks stunning bare bulb, or as a contrast in a Rattan shade.

Clear Glass: Our range of classic, clear glass bulbs can be used anywhere - they look great and are designed to be seen - the exposed filaments are a nod to the much loved vintage edison bulbs of the past. The LED Teardrop is designed to fit into most of our pendants, and is a great shape in our smaller pendants - think Indie small& our small metal shades. They also are the perfect match for our textured glass pendants. Our range of Dolly bulbs provide a similar amount of light as the teardrop, but the shape takes up more space, making them a great option in larger shades. We have both cool and warm colour options available.

Decorative/coloured: This is where we have some fun! We have a huge range of decorative bulbs, with different filament shapes (Filament is the LED Light source inside the bulb) and different coloured glass. These look great as bare bulb pendants or wall lights, or you can pair them with a large glass shade (Indie Wide, Apothecary). Our range of decorative bulbs are generally all a warm toned, soft lights designed for mood lighting - think beside the bed, over a kitchen island, or as a soft bathroom light.