This study looks tit the perceived quality of light-emitting diode (LED)-based lighting of various colors. The objective was to find out whether LEDs could provide better (i.e., more relevant and acceptable) lighting than that which is obtained with standard halogen or fluorescent sources. The perception of objects was assessed under different lighting schemes. Subjects were invited to add red, cyan and/or amber to white LED-based light to match the halogen and fluorescence rendering on specific targets: a color chart and a painting. The.), were also asked to rate the difference between the two. and to express their preference. The results obtained for the perception of LED-based lighting were quite positive. Color blendings of LED light were found to provide illuminated situations similar to halogens or fluorescent sources. These blendings were well accepted, and indeed often preferred, although the color rendering index (CRI) was always low. This indicates that the CRI as it stands is inadequate to characterize the color rendering of solid-state light sources. and needs to be updated. LED-based lighting systems seem to have considerable potential for use in shops and display units, where they may well outperform existing lighting systems. (C) 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 34, 310-320, 2009: Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/col.20507