Bulb type definitely matters, maybe even more than paint shade sometimes. From personal experience:
- Warm bulbs (around 2700K) can make grays look more beige or purple-ish, especially at night.
- Cooler bulbs (4000K+) tend to neutralize undertones, giving a cleaner, more accurate color.
- LED vs incandescent also makes a difference—LEDs often have a more consistent color temperature.
"Had a similar thing happen with a soft gray in my bedroom—looked cozy during daytime, but at night it turned almost purple-ish."
Had the exact same issue... switched bulbs before repainting, saved money and hassle.
Had a similar thing happen in my living room—painted it what I thought was a neutral gray, but at night it always had this weird beige-y, almost pinkish tone. Drove me nuts for weeks. Finally swapped out the bulbs for something cooler (around 4000K), and boom, problem solved. It's kinda wild how much lighting can shift your perception of color... learned my lesson the hard way, haha.
Lighting really does make a huge difference... I've noticed similar things with sustainable building projects I've worked on. We often choose paint colors under natural daylight conditions, but once artificial lighting kicks in, the whole vibe can shift dramatically. One trick I've found helpful is testing paint swatches on different walls and observing them at various times of day before committing fully. Saves a lot of headaches later, trust me. Glad you found a solution though—4000K bulbs offer a nice, balanced feel that's easy on the eyes.
Good point about testing swatches at different times of day—it's surprising how much colors shift. I've had clients fall in love with a color at noon, then hate it by evening. Curious if you've found certain color combos that hold up consistently under both natural and artificial lighting?
"Curious if you've found certain color combos that hold up consistently under both natural and artificial lighting?"
Honestly, I'm not sure there's any combo that's totally foolproof. Lighting can be tricky... I've seen neutrals like warm grays or muted greens perform pretty consistently, but even those can surprise you sometimes. Better safe than sorry—test thoroughly!
