Posted by
Elana Safronsky, Managing Editor
Wednesday, October 26, 2011 1:35 PM EDT
Yesterday I attended an event for Philips LED interior bulbs, hosted by the lovely Samantha Pynn. Sam, as we know, is the face of Pure Design, the show that subtly encourages eco-conscious decor choices. But if you know Sam, you know it's never at the cost of looking fabulous!
All the more reason to pay attention when she endorses advancements on the green decor front, the latest of which are Philips innovative LED interior ambient light bulbs.
The word on the street on energy saving bulbs is not exactly clear. Fluorescents while affordable and great at saving us money on energy bills can be toxic to our health, due to ultraviolet rays, the mercury content and their penchant for shattering into a million little pieces if dropped. To a detail-oriented style wrangler such as Sam Pynn, the look of energy saving bulbs is just as important, and up until recently, the look was, by most discerning accounts, not good.
The news of an ambient LED light bulb that mimics the heretofore unmatched appeal of an incandescent bulb, is therefore indeed worthy of a note. Released late last year, Philips' patented array of LED interior bulbs replace among others, the 60W incandescent bulb, with a similarly pleasant white light at 80% less energy (12.5 W!).
They're lead 
and mercury free, incredibly durable if dropped, and last up to 25 times longer (15 years for one bulb!) than a regular bulb. A significantly longer lifespan means less bulbs in the landfill and no mercury means no toxic hazards when it comes to disposal.
Available at Home Depot, $29.99
Sam, of course, is ecstatic about the bulbs' ability to maintain colour integrity of other furniture as well as the fact that they can be exposed. See her tips on how to light a room and why she's opened her arms (well, arm -- she's sporting a Philips faux tattoo on her left arm in honour of the event taking place at Toronto's Tattoo Rock Parlour) to embrace LEDs.
Have you made the switch to energy saving bulbs? Any bulb in particular?