How to Find Energy-Efficient Bulbs That Give Off Not-Horrible Light

Back in 2005, Oprah got on TV, with Leonardo DiCaprio and his Prius, to warn us all of the dangers of global warming, urging us to swap out incandescent bulbs for more energy-conscious compact fluorescent, or CFL, light bulbs. Not long after, my parents installed a set of CFL bulbs, and it was a nightmare. The CFLs  buzzed over our kitchen table, casting a cool, blue light that made everyone’s  dinners look deeply unappetizing. It made us all a little sad, even though the lights were as bright as sunshine. My dad quietly reinstalled our less  sustainable but much prettier incandescent bulbs, and we never really talked about it again. That doesn’t mean LED light bulbs aren’t immune to the same issues with color temperature. 'Both LEDs and CFLs can cast a far cooler, bluer light than regular incandescent bulbs, and that’s fine for a store or office, but at home, it does feel unnatural,' explains Homepolish interior designer Olivia Stutz.