Here’s Your “Lightbulb Moment!” A Comprehensive Guide to Sewing Room Lighting
Have you ever purchased fabric in a store, and when you got home, the fabric looked like a completely different color in your sewing room? It may surprise you, but lighting can significantly affect what colors look like in person. Finding the best lighting for sewing room needs is essential for sewists who want to match colors perfectly every time.
We’re going to look at different kinds of light and a little science behind the importance of light, and then I’ll show you some great options that you can add to your sewing room.
Why Does Light Matter For Sewing?
I know what you may be thinking. “Why does light even matter for sewing and crafting?” Well, light is an interesting phenomenon. It allows our eyes to view colors, but depending on the light’s temperature, we may see colors differently.
For example, if you look at fabric in direct natural sunlight, you will see the color in its most natural hue. However, if you were to take that same piece of fabric and look at it in a garage with old yellow fluorescent bulbs, the color is going to be completely different.
Another reason sewing light is so important is that your workspace should be well-lit, or you may succumb to eye strain and even headaches.
Let’s face it; when we are in the groove of creating something extraordinary, we don’t take the breaks we should or check to make sure our sewing room lighting is adequate. This can lead to significant eye strain, obnoxious headaches, or, even worse, migraines.
Trust me; it’s best to figure out the best lighting for the sewing room now so you don’t have to worry about it in the future.
Types of Lighting Options For a Sewing Room
Before we look at specific lighting for sewing room ideas, let’s discuss the different types of lights, light temperature, and what to consider when shopping for the best option for you and your needs.
First, let’s look at the types of light. There are four types that we will look at today.
- Ambient lighting: This is the light that brightens the entire room. Also known as “general” light, this will be the main light in your workspace.
- Accent lighting: Accent lighting draws attention to a specific room or area. The most common accent lighting is used to showcase artwork or another decoration in the room. You could use such a light to highlight a piece of textile art you made or your beautiful fabric display.
- Task lighting: These are lights used for up-close work where you need to see every detail. Task lights are extremely popular in the crafting and sewing realm, and we’ll discuss a few in detail in a little bit.
- Decorative lighting: You can probably guess what decorative lighting is used for. This light doesn’t solve a problem or brighten an entire room, but it can look beautiful if placed strategically in a room.
The Science of Lighting
Now let’s dive into light temperature, shall we? I’m a bit of a nerd and went down quite the rabbit trail to learn about temperature, Kelvin vs. lumens, coloring rendering index (CRI), and all that is involved with how our eyes perceive color.
However, for most of us, all this info isn’t necessary. The main points we need to know are whether the lightbulb puts off warm or cool light (temperature/Kelvin) and how many lumens (brightness) are in the lightbulb.
Ideally, wouldn’t it be amazing if we all could have gorgeous natural light in our sewing rooms every day? Unfortunately, that probably isn’t possible for most of us, so we need to supplement with lighting.
Daylight is best for viewing a color’s truest hue, so it makes sense to use lightbulbs closest to daylight’s temperature and brightness. LED lightbulbs will be your best friend if you want a bright neutral light similar to natural light.
You will need a lightbulb between 5000K-6000K (the “K” stands for Kelvin, the measurement of the temperature of the light) to have natural daylight light. The lower the number, the warmer(yellow) the light will be. The higher the number, the cooler (blue) it will be.
Lumens measure the brightness of the light. To determine how many lumens you need for your sewing room, the standard way to figure it out is to have 130-150 lumens for every square foot of the space.
If you’re able to, I would suggest putting in a dimmer switch for your lights, so if you want to adjust the brightness, you can easily do so.
What Are the Best Lights For a Sewing Room?
Now that we know a lot more about the importance of lighting in a sewing space let’s check out a few options that can make a huge difference in your everyday sewing. Lighting can be an excellent tool for all kinds of sewing.
Here is a super popular LED neck light with over 81,000 reviews on Amazon! This is an excellent choice if you do a lot of hand embroidery or other needlework.
The lights have three temperature settings and three brightness levels. The rechargeable battery lasts up to 80 hours and can be charged using a USB Type C charger.
Pros
- Rechargeable
- Great price
- Several different settings
Cons
- Limited use if you do a wide variety of crafts
The Daylight Company is a leading lighting company in the crafting community and is gaining traction for all kinds of sewing projects. This beautiful, minimalist floor lamp for sewing would be a great addition to your sewing space since it won’t take up too much floor space.
The light features 28 LED bulbs that will shine evenly while you work. The neck of the light is moveable so that you can adjust the angle and height of the light easily. It also features four brightness levels.
Pros
- Great price for a floor lamp
- Adjustable brightness
- Touch switch for on/off
Cons
- Won’t light up a huge work area.
OttLite is another well-known lighting company in the sewing realm. This sewing floor lamp is unique in that the head of the light can split into two lights that you can move by changing the angle.
The light also includes a charger that you can use to charge electronics while you work and a stand for your phone or tablet. The height is adjustable and has four brightness levels to choose from, along with its signature “daylight” natural light. I’ve owned an OttLite lamp for years, and I love it.
Pros
- Great brand
- Lots of custom adjustments from height to the brightness
- Charger and stand for phone or tablet
Cons
- A bit pricey
- You must purchase replacement bulbs from OttLite.
Here is another LED task lamp by OttLite, but this one is a desk lamp with a wireless charging station on the base. It also has the Good Housekeeping Seal of approval, so if you purchase this, you know you’re getting a good product.
This light has three color modes: natural daylight, warm light, and bright white. You can also adjust the brightness to three different levels. The neck of the light is flexible, so you can change the angle of the light and move it around for your various needs.
Pros
- OttLite Daylight technology to reduce eye strain
- Good price
- Wireless charging included
- Adjustable brightness, color, and neck
Cons
- The cord is a bit short.
I searched all over Amazon for the best overhead lighting for a sewing room and found this inexpensive track lighting kit by Huryee. What I love most about these light kits is that they’re reasonably easy to install, and the heads are adjustable and can be moved independently.
These would be great to go over a large sewing table or longarm quilting setup. Another reason why I chose this light kit, in particular, is the four heads are broken up into sets of two on two moveable arms. So not only can you move the light heads, but you can adjust the position of each arm to move the light where you need it. All you need to do is purchase the bulbs!
Pros
- Flexible heads and arms
- Great price
- Great reviews on Amazon
Cons
- Lightbulbs not included
- Assembly is required
I hope you had a “lightbulb moment” with at least one of these light options and you learned something from this post today. Thank you so much for reading to the end!
If you need help with your sewing room organization, check out my blog post, where I give tips and tricks for keeping everything organized and easy to find.
Until next time: Happy Stitches!
