“Try Claim to Flame, a brilliant terra cotta nude nail polish with rose undertones by Essie. Achieve the perfect nude nail look this summer with this classic shade.”

For a private dining room in a soon to be opened project, the interior designer chose a beautiful cut crystal decorative fixture and created a field of these over the long feature table. The fixture is LED, and only offered in a 2700-degree Kelvin color temperature. There was a time we considered 2700K warm, but with advances in LED technology and the addition of warm dimming, 2700K just doesn’t cut it anymore.

The client asked us to make the fixtures warmer. We dimmed the fixtures as low as possible before they flickered. We applied a theatrical gel, but it wasn’t right. Because the light source is integral to the fixture, there isn’t the option to replace the lamps with warmer LEDs or incandescent bulbs. So, we used an old theatrical trick, paint.

Years ago, when LED rope light and tape light emerged as a tool for millwork lighting, we used to spray paint it orange to get that warm amber glow. In a pinch though, and for a small source, nail polish works just fine.

A light coat of a warm, peachy nude color can add just the right amount of saturation to mimic the amber glow of a dim incandescent. And lucky for us, in New York City, there’s always a 24-hour Duane Reade just around the corner.