Lighting and color influence our day-to-day functioning and wellbeing. By understanding the impact of different light colors, we can create more welcoming spaces. Your porch light color can play an important role in conveying a message or influencing your mood. While most people typically use a soft white color for their outdoor lighting, that’s not your only color option. Depending on the mood you want to create, you have many other choices.
Since colored lighting can impact our mental state, it’s not surprising to see its importance in a home’s exterior design. For instance, we can now use different LED lighting colors to emit a certain message or create a special feeling. With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at porch light color meaning, and the psychology of porch light and color.
Porch Color Light Meaning
Blue Porch Light Meaning
Choosing a blue porch light can either mean autism awareness or honoring police officers. Blue officially became the symbol of World Autism Awareness in 2007 by the United Nations General Assembly. It was declared as a color to spread awareness in April so it’s common to see this color appearing on porch lights to support autism. April is the month of autism awareness and you’re likely to see your neighbors keeping their blue porch lights on throughout this month.
Blue lights also convey messages of solidarity and respect for police officers and their families. This is another reason you may see lit up blue porch lights in your city.
Green Porch Light Meaning
Veterans Day is honored every November 11th by the US residents. It is on this day that you’ll often see your neighbors tuning their green porch lights on. Some may even keep their green lights on all month. In March, the green porch lights typically represent St. Patrick’s Day.
Green may also make a reappearance two months later in the month of May for Lyme Disease Awareness. It is important to note that green porch light meaning isn’t just a nationwide occurrence; the whole world recognizes this color as the symbol of spirituality and incurable disease awareness like lyme disease.
Red Porch Light Meaning
Some people may turn their porch light red a couple of times a year depending on the occasion. In October, for example, red porch lights represent Halloween, while in February, those who celebrate St. Valentine’s Day will often opt for red porch lights. This color is also associated with American Heart Health.
In some US cities, you may come across red porch lights in February, which brings awareness to heart health so you might want to join in solidarity.
If your neighbor has a red porch light, it may mean something completely different. It’s worth asking them what the color specifically means to them. According to urban legends, it was long believed (since 2016) that red porch lights mean you have no guns in your home as part of the gun reform belief.
But around 2 years later, it was found that the message behind the gun reform was false. So if you see a house with a red porch light, it is more than likely not linked with gun reform. It will most probably be representing American Heart Health instead.
If you’re not keen on the idea of red lighting, combine it with blue to allow your outdoor plants on the porch to thrive. The cool fluorescent light combination of red and blue is great for growing outdoor plants, without having to convey a special meaning.
Purple Porch Light Meaning
Another porch light color that you may have come across is purple. This color represents Domestic Violence Awareness. Since 2007, the Washington, DC. The Domestic Violence Task Force ran a campaign to raise awareness about domestic violence. This campaign was called Purple Late Nights.
Most households turned on their purple porch lights in the month of October to support this cause. By changing their porch bulb color to purple, they bring awareness to domestic violence as well as remember the victims and the survivors of this horrific act.
In the UK, purple represents Epilepsy Awareness and many people turn on their purple porch lights in March to support those suffering from this illness.
After black, purple or violet is the next highest-energy light in the color spectrum. Violet and purple lights have shorter wavelengths and as a result, use a lot of energy.
Blue and Green Porch Light Meaning
Green is the color of well-being and hope while blue promotes calmness and tranquility. When combining blue and green for your porch lighting, you are conveying the message of veteran recognition by valuing them as members of your community. This color combination is intended to spark conversation with regards to this subject.
The Subconscious Effect of Colored Porch Lighting
Color is an important part of lighting to create a vibrant feel in any environment. Whether it’s used to raise awareness, support a cause or represent the holidays, there is no denying the role of color in lighting. Now that you know a specific color on a patio light can have a particular meaning, you may be wondering if it has a subconscious effect on your daily life. It is important to understand how the effects of colored lighting are helping people all over the world. This is why I have listed the most common lighting colors and their general effect on one’s mood so you can choose the right hues for your porch lighting.
White
This is the color of purity, cleanliness, and innocence. Because of its resemblance to sunlight, soft white is the most common lighting choice for porches. Some people may think that white is bland and boring, but that’s not the case as there are many different white lighting options, such as natural, bright, or warm white.
Blue
The color that promotes calmness, trust, and loyalty. Cool blue lighting has long been known to have a positive effect on the body. It conveys strength and responsibility, connected to spirituality and peace. In different cultures, the meaning of blue lighting depends on the chosen shade. Light blue, for example, is relaxing, while bold blue is refreshing. Blue LED lighting is a great idea for porch and other outdoor spaces as it helps increase blood flow and promotes healing. In fact, this color’s relaxing nature works very well in both indoor and outdoor spaces.
Warm yellow
This color is another highly popular lighting hue after white. It promotes brain function and creates optimism. The lighter shades of yellow are associated with sunshine and happiness. By installing yellow LED lighting on your porch, you will encourage communication and unity, thus making this color a great choice.
Pink
While it is quite rare to see pink patio lights, this color, nevertheless is warm and feminine. It works as an accent hue to bring glamor to an outdoor space. But if the shade is too bright, it can be a turn off so always opt for soft pink LEDs.
Green
After blue, green is the second most calming color that conveys hope and healing. This is one of the most visible colors to the human eye and instantly catches attention. Since green is a warm tone, using it as your outdoor lighting can create a relaxed and cozy atmosphere on the porch.
Orange
To create a welcoming and friendly atmosphere, orange makes a great lighting choice for the porch. This color means endurance, creativity and friendship with some shades of orange being associated with the earth and changing seasons. When you choose orange LED lighting for your porch, you give the message of commanding attention without the overwhelming feelings that are connected with red. In fact, orange is an ideal porch light color to make your guests feel welcome.
Light purple
Feelings of inspiration and wisdom are generated by this color. While dark purple lighting can make people feel frustrated or sad, cool purple, on the other hand, sparks creativity and eccentricism. This enchanting and magical color gives a sense of wealth, especially when light hues of purple are used. Purple porch lights are the third most popular color after white and yellow.
The Psychology of Color Temperature
Every light source features a specific color temperature – even white light. The differences in color temperature are measured in kelvins. These measurements account for various shades of light that are closely linked to human psychology.
For example, lower color temperatures of between 2700 and 3000 kelvins are classed as warm colors, such as orange and yellow. These are the colors associated with sunrise and sunset, which often make us feel relaxed.
Higher color temperatures, on the other hand, consist of 5000 kelvins or more and are classed as cool colors, such as blue. Higher color temperatures help increase our concentration and make us feel more energized.
The other common color temperatures include warm light, which is mostly commonly incandescent light bulbs. These bulbs emit a warm light color temperature that ranges between 2700 and 2800 kelvins. You will often find these lights imparting a clear white tone with or without hints of blue.
Cool white light bulbs are typically around 4500 kelvins. These fixtures offer a hint of blue and are ideal for porch lighting. The same can be said about cool blue light bulbs, which are another excellent light source for porches.
Taking into account all the above, there is no denying how colored lighting is subconsciously helping people all over the world. While each color has its own meaning, it also has a separate feeling that affects our mood in our everyday situations. This is why choosing your porch light color is of utmost importance if you want to feel good in your outdoor space.
Direction of Light
Paying attention to the direction of your porch light is just as important as the color you choose. Lighting that’s positioned above the eye level can impact the way you and the people around you feel. It creates a feeling of a formal atmosphere, so it’s not recommended. It is best to position the porch light below the eye level to create a more relaxing atmosphere.
Quick Tips on Choosing the Right Porch Light
- Your porch light should attract guests not moths so be sure to choose a warm, soft glow that’s not too bright. Otherwise, it will be the moths rather than your guests partying on your porch.
- If your porch light is too small or big, it can detract from your home’s character. To find the right size outdoor lights, make sure you check their dimensions before buying.
- Porch lights shouldn’t draw too much attention in terms of color. For example, white is a popular hue that doesn’t draw the eye while pink will definitely cause a stir. Softer light colors like cream or beige work perfectly to create subtle interest for dark porches plus they won’t attract unwanted attention from burglars.
- As a general rule of thumb, the maximum brightness of your porch light should be 70 watts so as not to upset the neighbors. The compact fluorescent light bulbs are a better option to leave on all night as they are more energy-efficient. What’s more, they last longer than incandescent bulbs, although the latter produces a warmer and softer glow.
- While both fluorescence and incandescent bulbs are bright, LED lights are more durable and last much longer. LEDs aren’t as bright as their traditional counterparts, which makes them ideal for subtle, long-term lighting on the porch.
Conclusion
As you may have realized by now, different porch light colors represent different meanings. From paying respect to veterans to raising awareness. But at the same time, each color evokes a certain emotion within us. So the next time you decide to change your porch light’s color, think carefully about its potential meaning and psychological effect on your mood. Now that you have a better idea of what each color means, you’ll be able to make a better choice!
