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Compatible Lighting for Recessed Cans for Art Studio
I have a small room I use for an art studio. The room size is 8 by 10. It has 9-foot ceilings and windows on two of the four walls. Installed are four overhead recessed lights for lighting on cloudy dim days and at night. I have 2 problems. One is the incorrect temperature of light, and (2) shadows on my work table from the lights above. Can you recommend bulbs/lamps for my recessed cans that will be best for the art studio and diffuse the light to minimize the shadows?
First of all, regarding the color temperature, we recommend using either 5000K or 6500K color temperature lamps under our NorthLux brand to ensure that the light color matches the natural light color coming in through your windows. For recessed light fixtures, the BR30 lamps are generally the most popular option.
We're uncertain if your current lights are for residential use (e.g. 2700K or 3000K), but a daylight-calibrated color temperature of 5000K or higher will ensure that the light appearance will match that of natural daylight.
Since you mention that you have two windows, we assume that at least one of those would not be north-facing. As such, the 5000K may be a better fit for you, rather than the 6500K. Here is an article that you may find helpful in further refining your options:
https://www.waveformlighting.com/art-painting/difference-between-5000k-and-6500k-bulbs
Finally, as far as the shadows and light distribution are concerned, unfortunately, the fixed positioning of the ceiling fixtures will limit our ability to address this issue directly. As an alternative, we would recommend supplementing the light from the sides of the studio space as much as possible, as this will help "fill in" any shadow spots that are cast by the overhead ceiling lights.
A simple solution might be to use our A19 lamps in a floor lamp fixture, but many of our customers have used our T5 linear fixtures which offer a more versatile installation option.
Question posted under:
Art studio lightingT5 linear fixturesA19 Bulbs (60 watt equivalent)BR30 BulbsCeiling Fixtures