2014 began with some changes for consumers on the light bulb front in the US. Due to more stringent regulations, the 40 and 60 watt incandescent bulbs of the past (which generate light through a filament source) were put to rest. Longer lasting, higher efficiency incandescent bulbs are now out in the market. This great article over at Remodelista breaks the changes down in great detail.

As a designer I understand the importance of good lighting and what a difference it can make to how you feel in a space. So of course I was curious about this new generation of bulbs and couldn’t wait to test them out! Here’s the bulb used for this review:

I have to say I wasn’t expecting to see such a noticeable difference in my humble abode.

After installing the GE Reveal bulbs, we’ve been using our living room for longer hours and were inspired to reorient some of the furniture to make the space more conducive to reading/working. It almost feels like a new space now!

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Here’s what I noticed and you’ll be able to see this in the shots above:

• These bulbs filter out the unsettling yellow-ish color seen in the ‘Before’ shot.
• The light emitted resembles day light which I really like. The color seems to fall somewhere between fluorescent and halogen which is a good balance in my view!
• My living room and all the objects/furniture it contains look cleaner and sharper.

Not to mention the bulbs use $28% less energy which would definitely amount to some savings if your fixtures use multiple bulbs like mine. Apart from the above, the GE Reveal family of fixtures have a variety of options depending on what you use: LEDs, CFLs, track and recessed light bulbs as well as vanity and pendant light bulbs. You can find more information on them here.

At the end of the day you should decide what kind of lighting is most functional and appealing for your space and I hope this review is helpful to all of you in making that decision :)!

Disclosure: I received the GE Reveal Halogen Bulbs free of charge from GE Lighting. No monetary compensation was received for this review and the opinions expressed here are my own.