Office interior design depends as much on how a space is lit as it does on how it is furnished — and most business owners are choosing the wrong bulbs without knowing it. Robin Pasley breaks down the three lighting metrics that actually matter — Kelvin color temperature, lumen output, and Color Rendering Index (CRI) — using a real showroom story to show how lighting can completely transform the perceived color of a space. Business owners who understand these three numbers before their next lighting purchase will make better decisions and protect every investment they've made in their commercial space.
[Randi Lynn Johnson]: When you said warmth and cool in our earlier episode, my mind went to lighting, which is a perfect segue because that's where we're headed now. When is it appropriate to use daylight bulbs? I don't like them, but I'm sure they have their place, and I'd love to hear from a professional.
[Robin Pasley]: Not as much as people think. Too many people are using that daylight bulb on a daily basis. It does have its place — it puts out light that is similar to the sun, and I think that's what people reach for. When they're at the store, they think, "I want it to be really bright," so they grab that 5,000 Kelvin bulb without understanding that it actually carries a color to it. That color is a blue hue, and if you're not careful you begin to tone everything in the room to that blue cast.
Here's a real example. I was in a furniture showroom for a major manufacturer — this is why it's noteworthy, because I was at the manufacturer's own showroom. I wanted to pull the showroom manager aside, but I was with someone else and we were looking at a set of chairs. Above them was track lighting with two different Kelvin bulbs. Quick note: when I say Kelvin, if you look on the back of your light bulb box, it will say 2,700K, or it might show a spectrum with a red side and a blue side — that's where they list the Kelvin, and that is the color temperature of the bulb.
Back to the showroom. We were standing there looking at two chairs — exactly the same fabric — and the person I was with said, "Oh look, it comes in beige or gray." I said, "No, it comes in beige." They pushed back, and I said, "Just look up." We looked up and you could clearly see that the bulb over the chair that looked gray was a 5,000K, and the one over the other chair was a 2,700K. The lighting had completely changed the appearance of that fabric.
[Randi Lynn Johnson]: That choice makes a huge difference, especially if we're talking about comfort.
[Robin Pasley]: Absolutely. If you want a space to feel warm and glowy, you definitely do not want 5,000 Kelvin. For reference, 2,700K is the color temperature of a traditional incandescent bulb — most people in the U.S. have grown up with that as the baseline. If you're younger — say 15 to 20 years old — you've experienced more LED and even fluorescent lighting throughout your life, so you may actually be more comfortable with 3,000K.
If you are from Asia or parts of Eastern Europe, fluorescent bulbs were standard for a long time and those register between 4,000 and 5,000 Kelvin. That is what those environments feel comfortable with, and it's completely normal. So preference is somewhat subjective based on what you grew up with. But in America, if we're talking about tuning business spaces —
[Randi Lynn Johnson]: So if I'm thinking about a business, what do I need to do?
[Robin Pasley]: The lumen output of the bulb is critically important in a workspace. We actually have standards that electrical engineers must adhere to in order to ensure adequate light output for the function of the space. A lounge is going to require fewer lumens than an office will, because in an office space people are looking at documents and screens throughout the day.
To reach the required lumen count, there is a school of thought that you may need to raise your Kelvin to get there. But it really depends on the fixture itself, because you might be able to reach the lumen count you need and still keep the color temperature you want. 3,000K is the safe choice for office interior design. It's not quite down to 2,700K — which in LEDs can sometimes look yellow — and it's not all the way up to 3,500 to 4,000K, which will read as blue. It's a solid middle ground.
[Randi Lynn Johnson]: Perfect. File that away, all you business owners who are listening. Next time you're in Home Depot or Lowe's — 3,000.
[Robin Pasley]: 3,000K. Every time.
[Robin Pasley]: Another thing they don't always put on the box — but I think is really important. If you are investing in new lighting for a new space, check the CRI number: the Color Rendering Index.
It makes a significant difference. Cheaply made lights will often come in at 80 or below, and what that does is tone the light — it will lean pink or green, and those are the two colors it actually shifts toward. There is a standardized test to determine that number, and the best you can look for is 90 or above. At 90 or above, you are getting more of a true white light — it is not going to carry a color cast.
This matters enormously. You've spent time building a branding wall. You've dialed in your paint colors. You've actually invested in your space and your commercial interior design. Then you go and purchase whatever low-cost bulbs, lamps, or LED fixtures were the bargain option — with a low CRI — and your whole space may end up with a pink hue. I walked into an office and thought they had painted the hallway pink. It was the CRI of their hallway fixtures.
[Randi Lynn Johnson]: So if I'm understanding correctly, CRI is a completely separate metric from Kelvin and lumens?
[Robin Pasley]: Correct. To hit all three quickly: CRI is the Color Rendering Index. Think about it this way — the sun scores a 100 on the CRI scale, meaning it contains the full color spectrum. Your eye sees white because everything is present. A low CRI — below 80 — means your eye is missing something in that light, and it will perceive whichever colors are absent.
[Randi Lynn Johnson]: The cheap light bulbs.
[Robin Pasley]: Exactly. Kelvin is the temperature of the light — running from warm to cool, which reads as more yellow and warm-glowy at the low end to cooler and more blue at the high end. And lumens is the actual output of that lamp or fixture — how much light it is putting into the space. You'll sometimes see "delivered lumens" on a fixture specification, which refers to how many lumens are actually delivered at a certain distance.
[Randi Lynn Johnson]: All of that truly does make an impact on how comfortable you feel in a space. It really is a balancing act, and if I don't know it, I'm going to Robin — because she knows the things.
*Recorded in our studio at 616 N. Tejon St., Colorado Springs, Colorado, 80903
PASLEY COMMERCIAL INTERIORS is Colorado's trusted partner for growth-focused commercial interior design. As a woman-owned, NCIDQ-certified firm based in Colorado Springs, we blend spatial branding, client experience design, and turnkey interior solutions that help businesses make powerful first impressions and win their ideal clients. Our direct-to-manufacturer dealership simplifies the commercial furniture procurement process — reducing costs, cutting lead times, and delivering measurable ROI for every client. With deep expertise in workspace strategy, branded environment design, and commercial space planning, we transform business identities into client-converting spaces that inspire loyalty and drive revenue. From boutique and medical aesthetics buildouts to hospitality, multi-family, and franchise commercial projects, PASLEY COMMERCIAL INTERIORS delivers both impactful aesthetics and bottom-line results — because your space should work as hard as you do.
H.B. Pasley, Branding & Business Growth Advisor
616 N Tejon St
Colorado Springs, CO 80903
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