Thanks for the information. There is a lot to think about. Sounds like a
brilliant set of solutions. Just a few supplemental questions...



_________ _
| _ O|_| is bulb and fitting mounted sideways on a shelf
|__0|_| The ceiling is lit up diffusely,
| the bulb is not seen, but the fitting is.
|
| -- wall

Won't the bottom of the fitting look ugly? Or is this covered with
something?


Finally I'd suggest using 2 foot tubes, as theyre small enough to fit
lots of locations, easy to store, their light output per fitting is
sensible, so they can also be used in every room if you want, and the
tubes are common. 4 foot is the next best. 3' tubes are harder to come
by, 6' are almost obsolete, 5' are too bright to look good in home
use, and 8' are impractical for house use.

Do you get more light output per watt with a larger tube rather than a
smaller one?

If you like the downlighter look, a good half way is to add some
miniature very low power downlighter-style fittings (just 2w to 5w),
arranging them to direct the light towards eyes rather than the floor.
This way they give the same appearance as downlighters, but consume
next to nothing. There are many other options too.


Sounds like a great idea. I don't suppose that you have any idea where they
are sold? Would LED's do?... or not bright enough.

Thanks, Colin