With Earth Day 2010 fast approaching I have been doing a little exploring regarding “energy saving” lighting options. Typically, I walk quickly past any fixture boasting such claims as “energy saving”. Why, you ask? No, I am not against a little energy saving – or the planet. Heck, I spend just as much time as the next guy shutting off lights, breaking down boxes and recycling old magazines and stacks of catalogs (maybe more – since I get tons of them). However, I have never been an advocate of energy saving light fixtures. In all honesty, I’ve always detested the light of a “fluorescent” bulb (and that is what energy savers tend to use). You may, or may not know this, but to many designers fluorescent lighting is…well, The ENEMY! Out to destroy a perfectly happy space! Why would I want to use an awful, harsh, “flickery”, “people greening” light bulb at the cost of destroying the warm atmosphere in which we strive to create? Sadly, as a result of these views, I often went out of my way to avoid energy saving fixtures and bulbs. At least that was the case, until this past weekend.
I am not going to lie, I was up and down aisle after aisle, in and out of showroom after showroom, and still half way searching. You know how it is. Some days are just not GOOD shopping days! Then I saw a fixture that I liked. Too bad, it was an “energy saver”! Surely, I don’t want one of those! Then I looked a little closer (beyond the fixture), and started to compare the colors of the light. This may not be that important to you, but it should be! The color cast from a light can completely change your space and the way that people respond within it. I started to compare fluorescent bulbs and their “light color”. I had previously read about different types of bulbs and how they compare to watts. I’ve also heard and believed that they would save you money. However, it was not until I was attracted to the color cast from a fluorescent light bulb that I actually believed an energy saving bulb could offer a similar light quality to that of an incandescent (or regular bulb). Although it was merely coincidence, that this event took place the week of Earth Day 2010, it was a breakthrough nonetheless –
I must confess, I didn’t purchase it, but I came very, very close!
Check out this website to learn more about the types of compact fluorescent lights and see examples of the types of color they cast. If you find one that will enhance your atmosphere you may be able to convert and change the bulbs in your existing fixtures today. I have decided to get a few CFL’s and give it a try in my house! Let me know if you decide to try, and which you prefer.
