<p>White is the best option for colored bulbs. Anything else would be more limiting. I have a video about this subject, but I have recieved complaints on this site for posting links to my videos, so...</p>

<p>Anyway CreationEdge is absolutley correct about the difference of additive vs subtractive rules of color theory. However, they have neglected the question of human perception of color.</p>

<p>Humans decern "3 primary colors" because we perceive color variation through cone cells in our eyeballs. We have three different types of cone cells, each type is receptive to a very specific range of light waves. When light waves are presented to our eyes that stimulate different types of cone cells, we see compound colors.</p>

<p>When it comes to the issue of "how colors make us feel," and why are some colors brighter than others (e.g. Lime green vs violet), things get much more interesting. This is due to the fact that between the 3 different types of cone cells in our eyes (short, medium, and long), we do not have an even distribution of cone cells. Therefore, cone cells that are in great abundance, will be sending much more signal to the brain when stimulated, than cone cells which are fewer in number (like the ones receptive to "blue").</p>

<p>And then there's the issue of cellular stimulation fatige. So for example, when you stare at "red", you see it very quickly and brightly, it stands out (which is why we use that color for alerts), because the cone cell type responsible for perception of this wave lenghth of ligh is in great abundance. But these cells get quicky fatigued, and eventually the "red" object begins to appear "green".</p>

<p>Getting back to your original question, concerning colored light reflecting off a colored object, there is no greater resource than Leonardo Da Vinci "On Painting." He discuses in great detail, the subject of reflected light. I also recommend Joseph Albers' book (the title of which escapes me at the moment) and Goeth "Optics".</p>

<p>I hope that helps.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-02-22T15:53:28.773Z
2017-02-22T15:53:28.773Z
Vasqi
<p>I have recently installed LIFX colored light bulbs in my room.  However, my wall is currently painted a fairly saturated blue, against which some of the bulb colors strike me at least initially as unpleasant. For unrelated reasons, my room will be painted soon, but the new bulb acquisition will surely influence my paint color decision.</p>

<p>Presumably a very neutral, unsaturated, light paint color would look best with the widest range of bulb color settings. Do colored bulb owners typically opt for straight, untinted white wall paint, or would some sort of neutral off white/khaki/gray/etc. work as well? What range of paint colors would be commonly considered viable for such a room?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-02-21T22:57:17.777Z
I'm not certain but I'd bet that anything on the pure white-grey-black spectrum would work.
Catija
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-02-22T20:18:21.617Z
This seems like an interesting question but I believe the close voters are correct. This really isn't a good fit for us. I wonder if it would work on [diy.se] maybe?
Catija
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-02-22T20:46:25.163Z
OK, so not DIY... we're working on finding a home for it, though. :D
Catija
<paint><color-theory><lighting>
What range of wall color options would be generally considered aesthetically viable for a room with colored light bulbs?
user1638
# What range of wall color options would be generally considered aesthetically viable for a room with colored light bulbs?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-02-21)

I have recently installed LIFX colored light bulbs in my room. However, my wall is currently painted a fairly saturated blue, against which some of the bulb colors strike me at least initially as unpleasant. For unrelated reasons, my room will be painted soon, but the new bulb acquisition will surely influence my paint color decision.

Presumably a very neutral, unsaturated, light paint color would look best with the widest range of bulb color settings. Do colored bulb owners typically opt for straight, untinted white wall paint, or would some sort of neutral off white/khaki/gray/etc. work as well? What range of paint colors would be commonly considered viable for such a room?

**Tags:** paint, color-theory, lighting

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: I'm not certain but I'd bet that anything on the pure white-grey-black spectrum would work.  
> **username_1**: This seems like an interesting question but I believe the close voters are correct. This really isn't a good fit for us. I wonder if it would work on [diy.se] maybe?  
> **username_1**: OK, so not DIY... we're working on finding a home for it, though. :D  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2017-02-22. Score: 1

White is the best option for colored bulbs. Anything else would be more limiting. I have a video about this subject, but I have recieved complaints on this site for posting links to my videos, so...

Anyway CreationEdge is absolutley correct about the difference of additive vs subtractive rules of color theory. However, they have neglected the question of human perception of color.

Humans decern "3 primary colors" because we perceive color variation through cone cells in our eyeballs. We have three different types of cone cells, each type is receptive to a very specific range of light waves. When light waves are presented to our eyes that stimulate different types of cone cells, we see compound colors.

When it comes to the issue of "how colors make us feel," and why are some colors brighter than others (e.g. Lime green vs violet), things get much more interesting. This is due to the fact that between the 3 different types of cone cells in our eyes (short, medium, and long), we do not have an even distribution of cone cells. Therefore, cone cells that are in great abundance, will be sending much more signal to the brain when stimulated, than cone cells which are fewer in number (like the ones receptive to "blue").

And then there's the issue of cellular stimulation fatige. So for example, when you stare at "red", you see it very quickly and brightly, it stands out (which is why we use that color for alerts), because the cone cell type responsible for perception of this wave lenghth of ligh is in great abundance. But these cells get quicky fatigued, and eventually the "red" object begins to appear "green".

Getting back to your original question, concerning colored light reflecting off a colored object, there is no greater resource than Leonardo Da Vinci "On Painting." He discuses in great detail, the subject of reflected light. I also recommend Joseph Albers' book (the title of which escapes me at the moment) and Goeth "Optics".

I hope that helps.


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