Choosing the correct colour temperature is critical factor for the look, feel & application of any area. Warm white sets a more relaxing mood & is best suited for bedroom/lounge areas, whilst daylight & cool white light are better for office/workspace areas where clarity is more essential. Cool white can compliment modern finishes & also works well in kitchens/bathrooms/laundries. It is also important to keep colour consistency so try to stick to one colour in open plan living/dining/kitchen areas otherwise the lighting can clash.
Note that there is a consistent understanding that a cool white LED will produce between 5%-10% more lumens than a warm white LED of equivalent power & this is reflected in the image below. The cool white can also appear blueish when juxtaposed with warm white or daylight but when viewed by itself it appears more white.

The visible colours of light and LED lighting are usually expressed as colour temperatures which are measured in kelvins(K). Kelvins are simply the scientific measurement used for temperature instead of degrees. Although there is a difference it is not relevant for the purpose of this post. Colour temperature is the colour a metal strip turns when heated to a temperature measured in 1000's of degrees. This colour is then used to describe the various shades of white light. There are 3 main colour temperatures of white light. Warm white, cool white & daylight. Although their colour temperatures do not fit a strick definition they can be defined by a kelvin range which varies slightly between manufacturers. Warm white (2700K-3000K), cool white (6000K-7000K) & daylight (4500K-6000K). LED technology is available in the widest range of colour temperatures and wavelengths & with the mixing of the 3 primary colours of light (red, green & blue), any colour in the visual spectrum can be achieved.