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Learning, Sharing, and Teaching => Ask a Mustachian => Topic started by: MayDay on August 18, 2015, 07:49:14 AM

Title: I need a bright dining room light.
Post by: MayDay on August 18, 2015, 07:49:14 AM

We have a fairly large dining room (about 18x20 feet) with 2 windows, but both are under a covered porch.  The room feels fairly dark even in bright sunlight.  The room currently has a standard "boob light", the flushmount fixtures that look like breasts.  I have no idea what they are actually called. 

The fixture takes 2 bulbs, and when we moved into the (rental) house, it came with 60 watt equivalent CFL's.  We also put 2 lamps that we already owned along the walls, each with a single 60 watt bulb.  This is not sufficient. 

Option 1 would be to buy brighter CFL's or LED bulbs for the current fixtures.  I am concerned that we will spend a bunch on bulbs and it still won't be bright enough. We spend a lot of time in the room, and I don't want it to be dark this winter.

Option 2 would be to swap out the ceiling light to something with more bulbs.  I don't mind spending a bit (maybe up to 50$) and just leaving the new light with the house, IF it is is really bright enough. 

I tried to check out inexpensive fixtures on HD's website and couldn't find a good way to search by light output.  I don't know if they will have anything cheap enough anyway.  The other option is CL or the Restore, but we live outside a city, so that may be quite a bit of driving, to discover they either have nothing (Restore) or the fixture is not bright enough.  CL is generally slim pickings in our area. 

WWYD?  Suffer?  Spend some amount, and how much, on a new light?  Add more lamps?  We would have to buy more lamps, so money would still be spent with that option.  Buy brighter bulbs? 

If your answer is to try to find a new fixture, how bright do you think is reasonable? And/or what is typically the brightest I can expect to find? 

Title: Re: I need a bright dining room light.
Post by: bobechs on August 18, 2015, 08:02:30 AM

Cheap and bright:

Can be had in LED for more money

(http://www.utilitechlighting.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Portable-Halogen-Site-Lights.jpg)

http://www.harborfreight.com/portable-halogen-shop-light-66433.html

Title: Re: I need a bright dining room light.
Post by: geekette on August 18, 2015, 08:50:42 AM

Torchiere lamps throw a lot of light up to the ceiling and brighten up a room.  I had a 400 watt halogen that would light up our large vaulted ceiling living room, but I hated to run it because of the high wattage.  I replaced it with a 26 watt CFL torchiere lamp which is sufficient, but not nearly as bright!

A boob lamp (and yeah, we call them that as well) is fine for a hallway but silly for a dining room.

Title: Re: I need a bright dining room light.
Post by: 2ndTimer on August 18, 2015, 08:54:32 AM

I am following because I have a similar issue.  No boob lamp (never heard that description, love it) in my case but trying to figure out how to light my music/study area better.

Title: Re: I need a bright dining room light.
Post by: Greg on August 18, 2015, 10:54:54 AM

You might try some LEDs instead.  A couple of 100w equiv. LED bulbs (I'd go for warm white) and a dimmer switch might be the easiest thing.

Title: Re: I need a bright dining room light.
Post by: MayDay on August 24, 2015, 06:21:11 AM

Thanks all.  Off to Lowes today to check out options.  The lack of light is really making me crazy.