Don't bother with the fancy stuff. Get the basic lights with the most wattage you can find. You want either the daylight or the warm light bulbs (6500K or 2700K color temperature), preferably a mix of both unless you're growing strictly leafy foliage, in which case the daylights will do you best. Daylight bulbs are "bluer" light, which is good for vegetation. Warm light bulbs are "redder" light, which is better for flowering/fruiting. But for the latter you want to have a good amount of both kinds. For most plants you need a lot of light - a LOT of light. I like to put at least 3 if not 6 standard 100w equivalent (23w actual) CFL bulbs per plant for most things. In my experience conical reflectors aren't much good. CFLs put out more light to the side than they do out the end, so you're better off putting them horizontal over your plants and using a batwing style reflector, even if that means building your own.

You people in southern California obviously aren't paying attention. I have posted several times on this forum where to get fluorescent light fixtures and CFLs cheap but apparently no one is reading the posts. Right now Southern California Edison is subsidizing the costs of fluorescent light fixtures so you can get a 4 foot long single tube fixture that can use either a T12 or T8 tube for the ridiculously low price of $1.99. They are also subsidizing the cost of CFLs so you can buy them for an equally ridiculously low price of only 20 cents each, that's cheaper than an incandescent bulb. I bought two cases of them, so I now have a lifetime supply. Someone on Craigslist is selling used T8 and T12 fluorescent tubes in good condition that they got when the redid the lighting system in a large building for only 50 cents each. You have to look at the total cost of your lighting. Why use an expensive light fixture and bulb when two cheap fixtures and cheap bulbs will cost a fraction of the price and emit more light. Think!

I just got my under cabinet lights installed yesterday and the contractor used cool white bulbs. When you think of "fluorescent light" you are thinking of cool-white bulbs. If you get warm white (as ours will soon by replaced to be) it will look just like halogen or incandescent. Look for warm white on the package or anywhere between 2700-3000K (K stands for Kelvin which describes the "color" of the light). Your granite will look beautiful. You will save energy and money and you will not heat your kitchen with all that light in the summer. Best of all, you don't have to take our word for it. Go buy a CFL (compact fluorescent) bulb that says warm white or (2700-3000K) and try it over your sample. Be sure to give the bulb a minute or so to warm up to see its true color. You can try a halogen bulb right next to it and you'll see. If you want to see the stark difference of "regular" fluorescent try a cool white CFL too. - Jim

Cara Lewis-Watts I love how you think! I was just reading a bit more about west/north lighting and thought Sea Salt might work. I had it for a different room and it was so washed out - but that room had a lot of natural light. I had just added Sea Salt to my list when I saw your notification! I would love it that worked - it would soften everything. I tried a few greens but they all seem so "yellow-green" and harsh. I tried BM Soft Fern (which we had some extra from painting a small office upstairs). It didn't look great with the brick. The one right above it on the color chip, I think it's BM Silken Pine was way too light and didn't look good at all by the brick. I love the idea of Sea Salt and I hope it works! Thanks for the suggestion! As for the room, we are only using it as a utility room at the moment and haven't set it up at all! I probably should have explained that better in the post. The black rug was only to cover the black and white floor temp and help our dog who has a bad knee so he didn't slip. They were on super sale at HD and are "utility rugs" - we needed something quick and efficient. Definitely not staying! We just had so many other projects we were spreading ourselves thin (the joys of a fixer upper). There is no tv on that side of the room - Bathroom door, open doorway to a closet/office and the door to the patio. This room has a lot going on - that wall alone has only about 4' of wall before there's another doorway. Oh, and w are def going to do a flush mount for the new fan too! The previous owner said the fan is from 1985 and we want it gone. Again, just triaging the repairs. I don't know if you can see it in the pictures but there's also some hideous track lighting aobve the fireplace. We are going to fix that too maybe a hanging lamp of some kind. Haven't through too far. Just trying to figure out paint before we decorate (backwards I know). The couch is covered in a canvas drop cloth and we will probably not keep it. Thanks for your suggestions. They are so helpful!