Fluorescent tend to give off a cold light which isn't really appreciated in an intimate residential space. I haven't seen any examples of it.

i also believe that the value of a fluorescent light is that it uses less energy especially when the light must be on for hours at a time - like in an office or school environment. At home lights go on and off so often that the efficiency is greatly reduced. I could be wrong here though.

Thanks. I am familiar with the basic pros/cons, but its been a while since I researched the technologies and how they are mimicking the color temperatures of incandescents.

Theoretically, they should be able to make them look the same, I've just never seen it.

Efficiency is not a driving factor here, purely aesthetic.


Since these are "for sale" units, what people perceive is as, if not more, important than the reality.

Some of the newer fluorescent lamps do a decent job of putting off a warm color of light. The biggest problem I've found over time, though, is when you have a fixture or cove light with a series of multiple tubes, and the owner replaces the tubes piecemeal as they burn out, usually without bothering to select the correct color temperature. You then end up with a messy patchwork of very warm and very cool color temperatures in the space.

as some states have been considering restricting the sale of incandescents in favor of compact fluorescents, g.e. has been campaigning against such legislation because they're currently in r&d (and spending lots of $$$) for incandescent lamps - with the color/warmth most of us prefer - in a form more energy efficient to compete with cfl. legislation would greatly hinder the roll-out of a potentially preferable product...

I use pieces of lightly yellow-orange died paper (like the expensive-ish archer art paper) and roll it into a tube a rubber band it over the fluorescent bulbs-- works even better if you add a few drops of essential oil to the dye water so that the lights smell pretty.

Good point about replacements. Last thing we need ti someone not being happy down the road (and blaming us).


I'll keep looking for examples, but so far seems a tad risky (and I don't think scented oils will help much in the sale of a half million dollar unit!).

incandescent because it gives you a full electromagnetic spectrum of visible light frequencies. flourescent tries to emulate that but can't.

Trace... if the dynamics of retail design tell you anything... citrus scents and pink lights will make people buy thousand dollar pants.

Engaging people through all 5 senses is a proven sales and marketing tactic. I know of at least one real estate agent who drips essential oils of different smells on different light bulbs in different rooms to create "zones." It makes each individual room have its own impact.

I have not used fluorescent residentially because I'm fearful of bad color.

However, I stayed in hotel room recently where one fluorescent sconce light was ghastly and the other quite nice. So I took off the shades and checked the bulbs:

Ugly CFL: 5000 Kelvin
Pretty(enough) CFL: 2700 Kelvin - the bulb was Greenlite 13w/ELS-M/Z2700K

One of my recessed PAR lights burned out not long ago - when I replace it, I'm going to try an LED PAR. I've been fearful of it too as LEDs tend to be icy cold, but I'm going to try it.

depend where you live...
in certain countries, fluorescent, "bar" type and "circle type", is widely used since 15-20 years ago in residential than incandencent.

most energy used in incandescent, about 80%, is converted to heat instead of lighting. it results incandescent has much lower efficacy than FL. (Incand.=15 lm/watt, FL=80lm/watt). That's the reason why in certain countries, especially in hot climate, they don't use incand. since they dont need additional heat from incand.

However, it's true that the FL can't provide as good as incand in CRI, but the question is whether you need really high CRI in residential use. In my opinion, CRI of FL will be sufficient for residential use and activities.

About aesthetics, it sometimes depends on culture and custom.
My professor, a electrical engineer not an architect, told us that when he was in UK, it's easy to recognize which rooms in dormitory that are occupied by students from asia. He said the ones with FL are most likely occupied by asian students. :)

For retail lighting, theaterical lighting, chinese restaurant that sells bbq pork/peking duck or diamond store, you most likely will need incadescent type to enhance the appereance of the products.

just my 2 cents and sorry if there is any mistake in my english

Actually, trace, I take that back: I HAVE used fluorescent residentially, in fact I used this fixture twice because it's so lovely (click the smaller image at the bottom of the page, it's easier to see). The fluorescent color on it is bright white indeed, but maybe since it's combined with the MR16s it ends up being overall attractive.

Liberty: I just did a house where we used recessed cans with flourescent bulbs. The owner was ripping mad because of the
white light. I checked the bulbs and sure enough 5000 kelvin
which is what is found in office lighting had them change it out
to a 2700 kelvin and the owner was happy. Incandescent bulbs
are in the 2700 kelvin range. So the light is similar. I kind of doubt it is exact because a flourescent bulb thens to need to warm up.

This makes me think of a project in Bank Project in Phoenix. It was
the coporate office built on property adjoining the Biltmore Estates,
next to Ned Sawyers great office building. Anyhow the lighting consultant was a wonderful guy named Wally and he is know for a number of exciting projects including "Lighting Up the Pope" when he came to Phoenix back in the 80's. Anyhow they have this grand ballroom which is part of the project and they want to light it up as a show place so he gives them a lighting package which will make the Crystal Shine when it is set on a table. The project goes out to bid,
and it is over budget. So what happens is there is, "Value Engineering", and the lighting package is changed to flourescent bulb
fixtures. They have the grand opening with 500 set of crystal and damn there isn't even a sparkle in crystal. The next week he gets called into the Bank Presidents Office and gets hammered cause he promised them sparkling Crystal. He explains to the Bank President and the CFO how it was changed during the value engineering portion of the project and he was never brought into the conversation. So next thing you know.....they are changing all the fixtures after the fact to a incandescent fixture. and low and behold they have Sparkle.

lb - cool, that's pretty similar to what we were thinking of:



Interesting story snook. All this is more or less confirming what I thought - fluorescent will be very risky.

Wally was a good Egg.....always wore bright red tennis shoes and Hawaiian Shirts, and a mop of hair. He actually has three companies in Phoenix. One is a technical lighting company, one is a design company, and one is and electrical installation company. He was the lighting director for the National Canadian Theater, but for the life of me I don't recall his last name.

So trace is that a fluorescent tube with incancesdents between? Would it be possible to order a fixture or two to test and see how the light looks? And what kind of ceiling is this going into, surely not the ACT-type shown in your image above?

yes, that's a fluorescent tube between two MR16s that can pivot.

they would be going in a gyp ceiling ;-), that's the only photo I could find.


we'll be talking to the lighting guy on Monday, i'll see what they can do. This is a option for the regular fluorescent.

i would seriously recommend bypassing both florescent and incandescent and look more into LED. i am not sure what your budget is, but LED lighting costs have come down considerably in the last couple of years and we have been getting great lighting colors out of them.

in a nightclub i am working on now, we are doing some light boxes where we had the option of using a mini strip florescent that was 7 watts per foot and was 3000 kelvin (but still looked a little too blue), or and LED track fixture where each module was 1 watt and 1 module put out just as much light as the mini strip, and was much warmer. plus, with the module you can easily add more modules by just snapping them in place...takes about 1 second to do it.

yes, it might cost a little more to do it now, but it will save you tons of money down the road and they are much more versatile.

Thanks, but "it will save ... tons of money down the road" translates into cost us money for someone else to save.
More cost = less profit and less potential to do the things, design wise, that we are excited about.

We are looking into LED recessed lighting and would certainly look at any possibility, but most likely any savings is a good savings.


If this were my house, I'd go for the cost/benefit, but for sale units it doesn't really add much value.

<sigh>