Exposed light bulbs are great in the office or the kitchen. It's a trend that's here to stay, but if you're sick of the Edison bulb and want to give a fixture new life in your home, here's five unusual bulbs that are guaranteed to make any space brighter.
Diamond bulb: This bulb by Eric Therner is incredibly beautiful with the lights on and off. Unfortunately, this bulb is $50+ dollars each, but if you've got a little extra to spend then this is a great choice (Pictured above from Eric Therner's website, $51.80 each)
Radio Tube: If you like the vintage look, but want to try a new shape, check out the Radio Tube. It could easily replace the standard candelabra in a large chandelier or hang from a pendant light. (Pictured above at top left, from 1000 Bulbs, $3.98 each)
Silver bowl globes: I've always thought globe bulbs were hideous, but check out these silver bowl bulbs. Much more trendy and the metallic coating casts a softer light. They're also available in a standard shape. (Pictured above at top right from 1000 Bulbs, $1.67 each. Standard bulb size is available for $1.99)
Faceted: If you can't afford the diamond bulb, but can't get enough of the chiseled look - then check out faceted vanity bulbs. They're less than $10 a piece and come in both micro and macro sized facets. (Pictured above at bottom right from Amazon, $8.29)
Pastel pink: Normally I would never pick a colored bulb, but these pastel pink bulbs by Slyvania are great for a little girl's room. (Pictured above at bottom left from Slyvania, $3.95 each)
(Photo Credit: As mentioned above)
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I love the pink bulbs. They give off a very subtle, warm and flattering color. I used to buy peach tinted ones that were even better, but have since been discontinued. The pink ones are kind of hard to find, but I still like to use them in some rooms, especially during the winter.
Diamond Bulb!!
Those Sylvania bulbs look different than the ones they used to make- but they've previously made very subtle bulbs which cast an incredibly gorgeous light- particularly for the bedroom!
Don't forget the Plumen bulb!
http://plumen.com/
I'm disappointed in the lack of energy efficient options. I just bought the Plumen, which is nice enough (and HUGE, btw), but I'm left wanting. There just isn't much out there.
Funny that this post has garnered so little attention. I came back hoping for more ideas, because that Plumen bought? Horrid. The light it casts is just awful in my dining room. I miss my 6 incandescent chandelier bulbs, but I'm committed to using something more efficient in a fixture that is almost always lit. So. Help? Any ideas for warming or brightening CFL lighting? Anyone wanna buy a plumen at half off retail?
tmoore,
may I recommend LED chandelier bulbs by SEXY LEDS as an energy-efficient alternative to plumen? These LEDs serve as a 40 watt incandescent bulb replacement with the light output almost identical to incandescent (watch video at candelabrabulb.com to compare).
What kind of Plumen do you own? Regular or Baby Plumen?
SEXY LEDS are equivalent to Baby Plumen in brightness, but it's hard to tell if they are comparable in color temperature. It's stated on Plumen website that the color temperature is 2700k, which is exactly the color temperature of SEXY LEDS (2700k). But compact fluorescent usually tend to emit cooler (more blue-ish or green-ish) white than incandescents (and SEXY LEDS)
So if you are looking for better "quality" of light, SEXY LEDS could be right for you.
Although if you are looking for a brighter than 40-watt incandescent light bulb equivalent, SEXY LEDS won't work, because in general LED bulbs (especially LED chandelier bulbs) are not brighter than 40 watt incandescents.
In fact, SEXY LEDS are one of the brightest LED chandelier bulbs on the market in chandelier category.