I have the same problem as you. I hate that bright white light from non-incandescent bulbs, but I'm also concerned about a good use of energy at my home. I've got some incandescent bulbs at my house, but for small lighting I choose halogen light, which spends much less energy and is warmer. And I've got a bedside lamp with one of this bulbs from Ikea:
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/80060603
These bulbs give a very warmer light than normal non-incandescent bulbs, but saving energy.
I hope I've been helpful. :-)

You can get daylight bulbs in both fluorescent and incandescent. They provide a nice, even spectrum of light, leaning toward bright and clean, rather than dingy.

I think one really helpful thing to do is to change all your bulbs to low-energy at the same time. Because the colour is different to incandescent bulbs and if you are going from a room lit by incandescent bulbs into a room lit by low-energy bulbs then the transition is awful. But if your whole place is lit by low-energy bulbs then every room is the same "colour" and so you don't really notice the different colour to the light.

Don't buy bulbs that are coiled (like the one pictured), buy ones that have a smooth bulb as they give a better colour light in my experience. Also don't buy "softtone" bulbs as they give a really quite orange light, whereas the normal low-energy bulbs give a more white light.

The light can be very harsh though and I think it works better if you can diffuse it through a fabric shade or by bouncing it off a wall or ceiling. Polypropelyne lightshades do a great job of softening the light, but otherwise I would steer clear of any white shades (especially white glass). For some reason lower wattage low-energy bulbs seem to give off a whiter light, so even though they are dimmer they are not softer. Again I would recommend polypropelyne shades which soften it up nicely.

(By polypropelyne I mean plastic, like for example the Ikea Fillsta - http://www.ikea.com/ie/en/catalog/products/40154415)

I agree with the shade solution. I too hate the light from the low energy bulbs, but because they are well, low-energy I have started using them. I find that with really great lamp shades (I covered my plain ones with really great Trina Turk fabric) you don't notice the brightness of the light and the shades are so pretty!

Try LED bulbs. CFLs are actually bad for your health and I personally hate being in a room with them (though our apartment has over 18 of them somehow). I've been wanting to get LED bulbs for a while now but they're expensive -- about $50 a pop. But they will literally last you for the rest of your life. Literally. You will probably be able to pass them down to your children. Try getting one or two for your most-used rooms maybe, if the price is daunting. They come in lots of different temperatures. Try here: http://www.kuuala.com/

I meant to add that they're even more energy efficient than CFLs so it pays off, unlike incandescents. So even though there's a big upfront cost, your savings are in your energy bill.

Also, if you have a Home Depot or Lowes you can go to they have a display area in the light bulb section that shows the different colors of light. I got CF bulbs that give off the same shade of light that my incandescent blubs used to. -Before I saw the display I purchased some that were terrible (practically blue) and I had to offer them on free cycle.

I got the ones I have all over my apartment at Costco. The brand is Feit Electric, I think, and I got the pack of four 100W replacements that use only 23W. They are the coil style and don't turn on immediately, but there's only a second or two delay and I barely notice it anymore. I love these bulbs. The back of the box lists the color temperature as "soft white," and my lampshades are all creamy linen colored so the light is just soft enough for me. They even look great in the bedroom!

I saw a bunch of options at Target when I was out looking for these, but I ended up going with the ones from Costco simply because they had a rebate that made them cheaper.

We bought this one: http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-202530170/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

Its crazy expensive, but warm and bright. And it will last 10 years. After trying 2 types of LED, one CFL, and the standard incandescents, this was the winner.

Thanks for all this info. The "new" bulbs make me feel like I am going blind, not appreciated! I didn't realize there are all these options out there.

I also hate CFLs. I have made peace with them in some places, but I went out and bought incandescent bulbs for all my sconces...for CFLs I have found one that I like better than others (in lamps, not overheads), details at http://tiny.cc/egltc

There is a new range of CFLs that come in soft white and daylight. Both are MUCH better than the cold old style. I particularly like the soft white; it lights like an incandescent. We found ours at the neighborhood hardware store.

My partner and I are also starting over after a devastating fire. I feel your pain. I also have a strong preference for incandescent light. We are twins!

In my opinion, I think Verilux bulbs are the best. You can get them at nearly every hardware store in the city, but Bed, Bath & Beyond has slightly better prices.

I actually think the best price is direct from Verlux.

http://www.verilux.com/incandescent-bulbs/standard-base

I'm also a STRONG believer that every light should have a dimmer switch.

Does anyone have suggestions for chandelier light bulbs? I can handle CFLs in lights with a shade of some kind, but I'm at a loss for the light fixtures that have an exposed bulb.

I think lighting is very personal. The only way to figure out what you like is to try different things. The advice to go check out a hardware store with lit bulbs on display is great. Personally, I despise warm, yellow light and prefer a very bright, white light. The problem I've had is finding CFLs that are bright enough for me. The lower wattage ones (equiv. to 40 or 60 watt incandescent bulbs) are very common, but the higher wattage ones (equiv. to 100 wt incandescents) are harder to find. I've used many different brands, from GE to IKEA, and am fine with pretty much all of them.

I haven't tried it yet but plan on getting the Zetalux warm (they make a cold and a warm). It is an LED which is the most efficent and earth friendly and doesn't have a warm-up time like CFLs which is endlessly annoying. Plus you can get it in a warm light, which I also prefer. It looks like they are cheapest here - they apparently last for 10 years +.

http://www.ecodirect.com/ZetaLux-EarthLED-s/272.htm

I can't stand the institution glow of the coil bulbs. I actually light my house with traditional high energy, non cost savings light bulbs. Call me crazy.

The trick to using CFL or any flourescent in a "homey - warm" space is the Kelvin, or color temperature, of the bulb you purchase. It should be listed on the box as a 5 digit number followed by a K.

The lower the number, the warmer the light emitted by the bulb. DO NOT purchase "daylight" labled bulbs, this is a very loose term, and in some cases will give you much cooler light than you may expect. "warm white" is more preferable, but to be sure, check the Kelvin. Should be 2700K - 3100K for warmest light. Anything from 3100K - 4700K is going to give you those nice grey-blue tones we all avoid.

Be especially careful on the Kelvin in kitchens or near mirrors. High K bulbs will make your skin and food appear grey - not pretty or appetizing.

I made the CFL switch 10 years ago when I built my house, and have never looked back.

Good luck!

Oh, and if you want to go efficient with exterior bulbs and live in cold climate, spend a little more on LED which performs much better in the cold. Fluorescents must "warm up" to put out max light. LED's have naturally cool light output, the technology is coming along to correct this, but still iffy, and LED's are 3x as expensive as a comparable CFL.

I think that this prejudice is based on outdated technological limitations. When you go to a store like Home Depot, you will see that florescent bulbs now come in several different temperatures of light, as TSPInteriorDesign has already explained. The difference is not between the coil ones and the ones with an extra shell around them, the difference is based on the chemicals inside the coil.

Also, @adam_stl, there are now CFL lights with frosted casings (for lack of a better word) that hide the coil. These come in chandelier sizes, too.

I'm all for saving energy, but avoid CFL's like the plauge. My daughter pulled a lamp off a table, breaking the bulb. It is a HUGE undertaking to clean up the possible mercury contamination!!

I've tried a lot of different CFLs and at this point, I have two gripes about them, in addition to the color issues which I keep encountering (even with supposedly warm ones):
1. they don't last *nearly* as long as they are purported to, making their higher price tag really obnoxious, and
2. their weight tears up any fixtures not built to handle it, which in a 50 yr house includes the porch light, the kitchen ceiling fixture, etc. Nor do the halogen "bulb" bulbs, drat it!

<sigh>

At the very least, for the CFL haters, next time your light bulb dies, switch to halogen bulbs. They don't have any of the CFL downfalls (they are warm, instant on, and dimmable) but save about 30% the energy of an incandescent bulb. Ikea has a line of them, but you can find them at home depot as well.

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/80176123

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/30176130

However, CFLs are great. I use CFLs on almost every single switch, and the halogen ones on just 2 lamps that I want dimming on. I love CFLs. I have no issues with them. Mine are all pretty much instant on, and have lasted me years. I honestly think I've replaced 1 single cfl since switching over about 8 or 9 years ago.

My pal Christian recommended n:vision in Soft White on his blog. I have yet to try these, but I too hate the Harsh White and we're in need of many bulbs in our new home, so I think I'll give these a try. A commenter mentioned some drawbacks, but as I understand it many efficient light bulbs need to be disposed of carefully anyway. You can buy these on Amazon.

Oops, looks like my Amazon link is actually for an inferior product, boo!

I have tried all ranges of kelvins in full spectrum CFLs (probably 15 different varieties) and still cannot find a CFL that makes me feel like I'm in an institutional cafeteria.

I can't wait to try the suggestions above!

Unless you are strapped for cash in the short term, you should spring for LED light bulbs. Current prices are very manageable $20-40 for these super-efficient bulbs, and you won't them have to change for many years.

Warm light LEDs are easily found at any big box store like Home Depot. I recommend the Philips 12 watt Ambient LED or Philips 7W LED. They both provide wonderful warm light and won't emit the skin-scorching heat like CFLs, Halogens, and incandescents do.

I like GE Reveal CFL bulbs. They make a nice, bright light that looks good even if other lamps in the room are incandescent. GE Reveal CFLs are 2500 Kelvin.
See this page for color temperatures of other CFLs.

I also hate CFLs, and have not made the switch as a result (I know…). But my big issue is that I have dimmers on almost every fixture in my house. And I don’t think CFLs support dimmers. Can anyone speak to this?

There are sone CFLs that work with dimmers now, but I can't name the brand/type, sorry, but look for them.

Beware halogens in a fabric or paper shaded lamp that you want brightly lit. Halogens get HOT--very!

When building a new small cottage we made the decision to install nothing but CFLs and now, at the 7 year mark we have only had 3 losses. One simply burned out at about 4 years. Another only lasted a few weeks but was a yellow "bug light" in an outdoor fixture. (?) The third my DH dropped taking it new out of the box! ;-D.* When people claim they don't last hardly any longer than incandescents I wonder what is really going on with them or their fixtures....?...

I imagine it depends on the brand, but I got some "daylight" ones that were so blue-bright that I put them in utility areas or inside closets because I don't like cold white light.

Remember: Energy conservation might mean there will not be a new NUKE power plant going up near you!

*Yes a small amount of mercury escapes when one breaks...I wonder what someone meant by "HUGE UNDERTAKING" in cleaning up? The amount of mercury in one CFL is this much >>>>> . <<<<< the size of a period at the end of a sentence. It leaves the broken bulb as gas. Open a window and leave the room (closing the door if possible) for a while. Then clean up the broken bits. Even if you don't do this, you might consider that you are probably exposed to more mercury if you eat a lot of tuna. How often do you break a bulb?

Another problem/peeve I have with CFL's is that most of them are not dimmable. I've found some that are supposedly dimmable in a very limited range but when used with a dimmer burn out much too quickly.

I'm hoping someone can offer some suggestions. I find that florescent lights make me extremely dizzy. As a result, I have yet to switch my home over to CFL's. Does anyone else experience this? Have you found CFL's that don't cause dizziness? Also, are CFL's and regular old Type "A" incandescents interchangeable or do we have to change something within the light fixtures to make them compatible? Thanks!

We've been purchasing our CFLs from Costco for about 10 years. The light they give off is indistinguishable from incandescent bulbs.

EcoSmart & Feit ECOBulb are great! http://bit.ly/hjLpvt http://bit.ly/g0dC7X
Choose 40 to 60 watt equivalent for incandescent room ambience, per taste; color:soft white for both – affect is just as ‘soft’ as incandescent, though they have to ‘warm up’ a minute or two when first on. Got these in my Lvg and Dng rooms - no one knows the difference!

We use the Megaman Liliput.

http://www.megamanuk.com/megaman-products/lamps/sku.php?series_id=5&sub_series_id=14&scroll_order=1

It has a warm white 2700 k color temperature. When you turn it on it's not very bright but warms up slowly and spreads a warm light that I have not seen from low energy lights before.

If you buy anything in the 2700-3500 Kelvin range it will have a similar warm/ cozy feeling that you get with normal incandescent lamps. Also the fixture dictates the lamp then from there most brands have the same quality with the brand names (GE, Philips and Osram) being viewed as the highest quality but the most expensive. Here is a good guide to kelvin color. http://www.planetbulb.com/pages/What-is-Kelvin-Color-Temperature%3F.html

A bit on the late side but if you guys haven't found lights you're comfortable with yet, I would recommend retrofit Halogen Energy Savers.

(And no, despite my name I'm not selling them, I'm just concerned about the toxins in both CFLs and LEDs and the poorer light quality and hope that there will be enough of a demand for halogen lamps for manufacturers to keep making them.)

Halogen lamps are improved incandescent lamps, only smaller and made to make it last longer. Halogen Energy Savers look like regular Edison incandescent lamps, except for the little halogen lamp in the midddle, and use up to 30% less energy.

All halogen lamps have exactly the same top quality light as other incandescent lamps, with 100% color rendering, dimmability and consistent light flow over time and light up immediately. Only drawbacks are that they get hot (so keep away from children and pets) and that the clear bulb type can be rather glaring if not used with a shade. But they contain no toxins.

They come both in standard A type bulbs, the thinner chandelier type, PAR and floodlight reflector models.

Can probably be found at Amazon if not in your local stores.

I recommend SEXY LEDS chandelier bulbs , obviously :) if you need any candelabra base light bulbs for your project. They produce 400 lumens of soft, warm white light (2700K) creating the perfect atmosphere in your living room. Or wherever you install them. They are also sexy-looking. If you know what I mean :) well, there is no ugly LEDs sticking out.