Lighting, Light Fixtures, Ceiling and Exhaust Fans - Fluorescent light: how to make it warm?

Hi,

I recently moved to a new studio (I'm an artist), and the problem is that the new studio receives almost no natural light and it has very bright fluorescent lamps installed hanging from the ceilings. It's bright but VERY uncomfortable because the light is way too cold and dry.

What would be a good way to fix this? I've heard that there are "warmer" type of fluorescent light bulbs available. Would that make a big difference? Should I take it down and install incandescent lamps? If I cover the lamps with translucent fabric or something with warm color would that compensate incandescent lamps? Please let me know. I would really appreciate any suggestions and your thoughts.

Many thanks!

DA

Visit a home center or lighting store with a good selection of fluorescent bulbs. You have many choices. A good store will either have a display showing you what each bulb looks like, or at least a description of the light quality of each bulb. Look at the more expensive bulbs--they will be more likely to suit your needs than the cheaper bulbs.

And as an artist, remember that different lighting sources give off light which is not a pure white light so it will affect how colors are seen. For instance, fluorescent lighting generally gives a green tint and incandescents red. Halogen, I believe is the closest to "white" light.

Thanks for your suggestions. That's great that there are many options for warmer fluorescent light. I am also going to look into halogen lamps.

Design Agent

a "warmer" light is typically a light with more red in it. Fluorescents start around 3000 kelvin and I have installed some 6800 Kelvin (daylight bright white).

There is a secondary number to be conderned with as well. The CRI (color rendering index). Sunlight is 100 and the number used is the percentage of correctness provided by the light in question.

There are "full spectrum" fluorescent tubes available.

What is the warmest fluorescent light available and what is the longest tube? The I need are about 100 inches long. Thanks!

DA

You have 8 foot tubes, right - 96"?

yep, it's actually 96".

DA;

The 96" tube come in 3 type of system you have to watch out when you get the correct tube[s]

I will type down the type and describe what they look like on the end

First verison it called slimline it have single pin in the end and they do come in T-8 or T-12

the T-8 mean one inch diam tube and T-12 mean 1 1/2 inch diam size wise

and the wattage of the slimline usealy either 60 or 75 but most used 60 watts to save little more electric but it will flicker when it pretty cool or turn on first few min.

The second verison of this it called High Output it will useally come in either 90 or 115 watts and the pin look very diffrent than slimline they have black base with very small recessed double concat in there [ i will explain little more in a min with other verison ]

the thrid verison it called Very High Output both HO and VHO can interchangable but a strict warning just dont do it because of wattage and current is diffrent and genrally you will not see not too many VHO at the Big box store at all due the cost and avabilty

but for standard HO and slimline's they do have pretty good slection of bulb " colour " you can choose from.

the best place to get correct bulb colour set up is get from the Lighting centre they will have pretty good slection and colour temp to choose to your need for your working sisuation

Merci , Marc

Why not just install incandescent?

Thanks Marc for all the details. I'll look for lighting center by my studio to see if they sell those.

Wayne - regarding the installation of incandescent; it's not that easy because first the ceiling is really high, second I have to first take down the Fluorescent lamps and then buy the incandescent lamps to install. But of course I think that would be the ideal...

DA