Incandescent Light Bulbs Have Not Been Banned!

Thanks, guys, for the loveliest comments the other day. I have to say I love that dining area, and I’m glad some of you do too.

However, there was one comment that sparked this blog post about incandescent light bulbs.

It was from Lisa D. She said:

 

I can tell you put a great deal of time and thought into all of your posts, Laurel, and it shows. All of the ideas look lovely to me, so it would be not easy to choose. I have to say that every time I look at any photos of your home, they are just stunning. Your home has such an ambiance. Thank you for the response to my lighting and color question.

I much prefer incandescent lights too, however, unless you are aware of some secret source that the rest of us aren’t, they are, sadly, no longer available.

***

Thank you, Lisa!

I love topics like this because this world is so full of erroneous information. In this case, the mistaken notion is that incandescent light bulbs have been banned from the land. (In this case, the U.S.)

What if I told you that you can buy ALL of the incandescent light bulbs your heart desires?

 

Oh, Laurel, please stop teasing us!!!

 

Make no mistake. I’m not above a little cheeky jab now and then, but not when it comes to incandescent light bulbs.

Guys. No one has banned them. Well, not all of them.

 

Please stop looking at me like I’m on a day pass from the nursing home.

 

I still have all most of my faculties, and ran up and down the stairs 18 times yesterday. Okay???

 

It’s true.

The problem is that you don’t know what to look for or where to look.

Well, I bet some of you do, but the majority of you don’t.

 

Here’s the hard, sad truth about incandescent light bulbs.

 

It’s a fact that the standard general-service incandescent bulbs (the old 40/60/75/100W pear-shaped A19s (the diameter) E26 (the base), which were readily available everywhere, for over 100 years were effectively phased out in the U.S.

However, not ALL incandescents were banned.

No.

 

You can find them in the “specialty” categories; those are readily available which is why these incandescent light bulbs are:

 

• Sold in different shapes, but still have the necessary “E26”, (or “E12” if a chandelier) base that most lamps, fixtures, and many sconces require.
• These incandescent light bulbs are marketed as “antique,” “Edison,” “decorative,” “specialty,” “appliance,” “tubular,” (because they are!) or “candelabra.”
• Sometimes they are lower wattage or have unusual filament designs. 


The idea is that these are exposed light bulbs and therefore need to be more decorative.
• Or, sometimes, they are a smaller version of the old “A19” bulb that we all enjoyed for over 100 years before the lawmakers said. “Sorry, you can’t have those any longer.”
• You can use an E26 appliance (A15) lightbulb in light fixtures, too! They’re just a smaller bulb than the A19s we’re used to.

 

Please let me be clear that 
I am not anti-technology or anti-lowering energy consumption. Both of those are good things.

 

However, just as I am anti-bad architecture, I am also anti-bad lighting.

And while I certainly gave LEDs the “ol’ college try,” I’m telling you today, 13+ months after they were installed, that most of the LEDs suck. The only way that they don’t suck is that they last forever and don’t get hot.

For practical reasons, I used the warmest ones (color-wise) I could find for fixtures that require a team of electricians just to change the bulbs. I’m exaggerating, of course, but the point is that for every bulb that is difficult to change, those are LEDs.

 

However, incandescent light bulbs are in most of the fixtures, all of the lamps and most of the sconces and the bell jar lanterns downstairs.

 

 

 

The lighting always looks so white in the kitchen, but it isn’t. It’s beautifully warm, and I love it.

I am not going to go into all the reasons why I’ve grown to disdain most LED lighting. We already covered most of that in this post.

There’s all of this crapola about Color Rendering Index (CRI). However, I’m not buyin’ it. I used warm LED lights, but still, when my high CRI LEDs are dimmed, they still go a bit gray. Not as gray as the hideous recessed lights I can’t change. The only way to avoid the gray is to turn the light nearly all the way up.

However, I’m not trying to land a jumbo jet in my living room. Ya know?

When incandescents are dimmed, they go warmer, not more gray.

’nuff said about.

Bottom line. Incandescent light bulbs are not dead. Indeed, there’s a workaround our lawmakers aren’t letting you know about.

But, Laurel.

Oh dear. I know what’s coming. Don’t tell me. You don’t think 25 watts is enough light.

25 watts is a bright light.

For me, 100 watts is like a migraine headache on acid. Sure, my entire living room at its brightest is probably about 100 watts, but it’s all spread out, not concentrated in one blindingly bright source.

 

Here’s what a 15-watt incandescent light bulb looks like.

 

In fact, because these are 130 volts, they’re actually only 13 watts.

Below is the lamp viewed normally.

I love these little lamps that I got at Serena & Lily! I always have it further to the right, directly in front of the outlet.  It’s closer to the sink for the photo.

 

Below is the same 15-watt light bulb in one of the dining area lamps.

However, there’s a 25-watt bulb in the other lamp, but it’s actually dimmed a bit. I found another 25-watt bulb and put it in the lamp above. While the 15-watt is fine, the 25-watt, which is dimmed, is even better.

 

Anyway, there are many incandescent light bulbs from 15-60 watts available.

There’s no secret source. I found all of these on Amazon, Wayfair, and Home Depot. There’s an asterisk by all of the incandescent bulbs I have used in my home. All of them, I got on Amazon!

Okay, here’s the widget with 20 terrific incandescent light bulbs readily available.

 

 

You can still purchase your beloved incandescent light bulbs. They might look a little different, but behind the lampshade, no one will ever know the difference.

There is also time to get gifts online for Christmas. Many businesses have a thing where you can buy online and pick up in the store, if the store is convenient for you.

xo,

 

***Please check out the big sale going on of my rockin’ interior design PDF guides. They are all 20% off (bundles are even more!) The sale is ending December 28, 2025, at 11:59 PM

 

Prices increase on January 1st. If one of these guides has been on your wish list, now is a good time to order. They make great gifts, too!

Below are the guides with a short blurb and links to more info, which will also take you to the order page.

 

 

Clicking on the links in gray will send you to the pages to learn more about each guide.

 

 

Laurel’s Rolodex

Just released, the fully updated 10th anniversary (volume 12) edition! A unique shopping guide that shares hundreds of my favorite sources and especially for decorators and designers, tells you the best sources that sell directly to the design trade. Updated annually — all purchasers receive lifetime updates. 
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The Essential Paint Color and Palette Collection (two volumes)

This is a bundle of two guides, created over a span of 18 months. 144 fabulous paint colors + 40 wonderful palettes and much more!
As of October 2025, there is a newly released 2nd edition with 12 new no-fail paint colors you’ll want to know about. All owners receive lifetime updates.
 Money-back guarantee. This is a must-have guide for anyone struggling with paint colors. If you don’t believe me, there are dozens of testimonials from readers who purchased these guides and loved them.

 

 

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This should be required reading for everyone who has a website and wishes to get the most out of it for their business. You do not need to be a heavy-duty blogger. But, once or twice a month consistently will do wonders for your business. However, there are some things you’ll need to learn that I did not know in the beginning. Believe me, when I say, in the early years, I made every mistake and then some.

 

 

333 Decorating Rules & Tips You Need to Know

There is so much information, and much I’ve never seen anywhere else. The window treatment glossary alone is several pages. There’s space planning for every space, art placement, window treatments, lighting info, proportions for mantels and much more. The price for this guide will go way up in January. This will be your last chance to get it at this price forever.

 

 

The Annual Etsy guide just came out on November 30, 2025. It’s over 200 seriously cool vendors.

If you missed the shortened blog version, please read it here to get a sampling of what’s inside.

Etsy is known for exceedingly helpful, personable vendors and great pricing.

All of my design guides are on sale through December 28th.
 Prices increase on January 1st.

 

PS: Please also check out the newly updated HOT SALES and HOLIDAY SHOP

 

Thank you so much for your wonderful support this year — I appreciate every one of you.

xo,