"the salesperson at the lighting store said the bars wouldn't be bright enough"
Nonsense. I have the 24" Tech Lighting Lufe which puts out 1,676 lumens (3000K, CRI 90). Without a dimmer, the room would be bright enough to make movies. You don't have to spend a lot. This Hampton Bay 21191 (1,345 lumens) isn't bad at $90.
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