I’m hoping you folks can help me choose a light bulb for a ceiling fixture in our living room. It is a hanging Moroccan lantern with an open bottom. Light comes out through the punched holes in the sides of the lantern but also through the bigger open hole on the bottom. The fixture is situated directly above our coffee table. The existing light bulb in the fixture is this one:

https://www.1000bulbs.com/product/203443/TCP-10125.html

The bulb is nice and bright but unfortunately with the open bottom of the fixture, we get a lot of glare hitting our coffee table. My wife likes to do jigsaw puzzles on the coffee table and the glare off the puzzle pieces is pretty bad, making it a much less enjoyable process for her. So I was hoping to find a bulb that would diffuse the downward light while still providing enough light to light the room. The existing bulb is 1600 lumens. I was looking at this one:

https://www.amazon.com/HOAM-Lighting...07PMNWTCJ?th=1

That looks like a very nice bulb, and being dipped, it should cut down on the glare on the coffee table, but I wonder if it will be bright enough to illuminate the table and the room well enough for her to do her puzzles. I thought perhaps using this bulb and then lining the inside of the top of the lantern with some reflective metallic material or adhesive styrene might help direct diffused light downward... Anybody have experience with the dipped bulbs or have other potential solutions for me?

 

The Edison light will help a little. But any bulb be it incandescent or LED will reflect glare off any shiny surface. That Edison bulb is a lot less brightness but is much higher contrast or color (2700Kvs 4000k). Not sure it will give you what you want.

My suggestion, don't use the overhead lamp. Use a standard lamp with a wide opening on top to reflect off the ceiling. One of those torche(sp?) lamps with a LED bulb in it.

 

Thanks, Norm. Your idea probably. would be the best way to go. We'll have to see about getting a new lamp (and finding a place for it). I may have to try a few other bulbs first though. Perhaps my idea about putting some styrene in the inside of the lantern, along with the dipped bulb? Or perhaps some sort of diffuser that I could put in the bottom opening of the lantern? I tried sticking some wax paper in there and it helps a little. Looks like crap though...

 

That bulb you linked to should stop the downward glare
but will it still give you enough room lighting ?

 

The bulb you say is in it is dimmable so perhaps installing a dimmer would work.

Try taping off the bottom of the existing bulb.

 

How about the same bulb with less wattage and lower lumens, I don’t like the styrene idea.
post a pic of the fixture.
Geo

 

manden - it actually is on a dimmer, and when the dimmer is lowered there's just not enough light. Taping off the existing bulb is an interesting idea though! I could try just taping the very tip of the bulb. What sort of tape would you use? It's an LED bulb so it doesn't get hot, but I'd want to choose something that would look at least half-decent since the bulb is pretty visible.

Geo - as with dimming the existing bulb, a bulb with lower wattage/lumens is just going to be too dim. You're right though - the styrene idea would be tough to implement and would probably look like crap. I've attached a pic of the fixture. Currently there's a piece of wax paper in the bottom over the hole. This has helped a little bit.

 

I do not know what tape would be best.
Ideally you want something that lets some light through.
Or you could use something like electrical tape and cut out small squares.
Then place them in a pattern on the bottom of the bulb till you get the downward light reduced the correct amount.
You do not want it too sticky because if you do not like the effect you will have to remove it.
Or cut out a disk from the bottom of a margarine container etc. and glue it to the bottom of the bulb. I would use a small dab of clear silicone.

I would put the bulb in another lamp or fixture so you can work on it easily.
Facing up if possible.
Installing and uninstalling it into your lamp continually till you get the right effect will be a pain.

 

Great ideas. I'll get on that this afternoon. Thank you!

 

Just to follow up - cut a disc from the bottom of a Ben & Jerry's container and siliconed it to the bottom of the bulb. Seemed to help quite a bit. I was actually surprised how well it worked. So thank you again, manden, for the suggestion.

 

For the benefit of those who may come across this thread in the future with the same need, what flavor did you use?

 

Haha. Chocolate chip cookie dough, of course!