Incandescent Light Bulb Types

The world of light bulbs is vast, and can be confusing. See our earlier post Light Bulbs 101: What am I Looking for? for our intro course. If you already visited that page, we will dive a little deeper!

1. Base

Every light bulbs have a base. Some light bulbs, usually halogen, will have a more complicated and unfamiliar base, such as a bi-pin or a GU10 like this one:

If your bulb is an incandescent, you will typically have six different base types.

Mogul- The largest size, reserved for high wattage bulbs.

Standard (also known as Edison or Medium)-

Looks familiar? This is your standard sized bulb with the "Edison" base. This will fit into most regular sockets, and most people have lamps or fixtures that carry this size.

Candelabra- 

This size is featured a lot in chandeliers and wall sconces. They are typically reserved for smaller and more decorative bulbs (like this torpedo bulb as shown), and usually gives off less light. We carry these from 10 watts up to 60 watts, although you will typically use only a 40 watt maximum in most fixtures.

European-

Obviously, these go into European fixtures.
 

Intermediate-

Just like it sounds, it's a size in between candelabra and standard. Not used as much, you'll find this size in some appliances, indicator bulbs and tubular bulbs.

Bayonet- 

 

There are a few different types and sizes of bayonet bases, and these aren't very common in light fixtures.
 
2. Sizing and Shapes

Light bulb sizes and shapes are standardized in the United States with a simple naming system. Just like the bases have a letter/number code. Incandescent bulb size is determined by measuring the bulb's diameter at it's widest point. The measurement is written in 8ths of an inch increments. 

For example, your typical looking light bulb:

 

Is a type A look that is 2 3/8 inches in diameter. The 2 3/8 is translated into 19/8", so the bulb type is "A19".

"A"s are the bulb shape that you always think of when thinking about light bulbs.

"G"s are globe bulbs. Used with vanity mirrors in bathrooms, in pop culture you think of broadway or dressing rooms for theatres.

    
"B10"s are torpedo shaped.

 

"BA"s are flame tipped.

 

Other important bulbs shapes:

R's and BR's are spotlight bulbs.

PAR's are a special type of spotlight bulb. More durable and used outdoors or indoors. Typically halogen.

Of course there are many other types of bulb shapes!

3. Coating

The coating of the bulb determines several lighting characteristics. The amount of light that shines, the direction and width of the beam, the color/mood of the light and how much glare exists. For instance, on a see through fixture, you may not want to use a clear bulb that will blind people in the room! But clear might be apappropriate for stronger lighting. 

Clear-

This type shines in a whitish yellow, broadcasts the light and produces significant glare. Most efficient for the amount of energy output.      

Frosted-

A softer light, typically more yellow in tone. Decorative, and can produce a lot of light, but needs a higher wattage to do so.

Satin White- 

Produces a specific soft white light, very decorative but doesn't broadcast light as well.

Silver Crowned-

The bulb is dipped in silver at the bottom. Great for a pendant! Keeps glare at bay and looks great in a modern fixture.

      
Colors- Can cover with any color to produce reds, blues, yellows, etc. Good for special events, parties or unique fixtures.  




In the world of light bulbs, it's easy to get confused. Follow these tips and you'll soon be a light bulb expert! 


Acknowledgments: Special thanks to Satco Products for providing us this information in their products guide, and for all of their awesome light bulbs!

Tour the Store

I got my hands on a professional-grade camera recently, and decided to go on an Accessory Store photo-shoot spree.

We are situated in the Antique District of Stamford, CT, minutes away from the Metro North train line into NYC. The building used to be an old paper factory, and years ago the owners reconditioned the space into a beautiful lighting and accessories showroom.

For our online customers, we are excited to show you our brick-and-mortar shop. We hope that you get a chance to visit us!

Enter through the front door and into an overwhelming and eclectic array of items. Note the blue glass aqua chandelier. Here you can find our decorative cattail balls, rattan accessories and of course our giant plant!

The Modern section of the store features some creative and whimsical pieces.

Even our check-out counter has all sorts of potential gift ideas, and convenient home care products.

From Caspari Napkins to Creative Candles, always be prepared for your next party. We even have hard to find candle accessories like sharpeners, stabilizers for placing a taper in a candle holder, and of course bobeches.

What’s a lighting store without lamps? We have many different styles of lamps, ceiling and wall lighting.

Lighting for paintings and pictures, courtesy of House of Troy.

Our traditional area features Asian-inspired porcelain lamps. Notice also our new WAC pendants that can be customized for over-the-counter or a minimalist single pendant.

A seemingly never-ending array of bases and display stands. 

Do you need a lamp shade or sconce shade? You’ve come to the right place…we have a few of those…

Make that a few thousand of those. Shopping for shades here, you get the VIP treatment. Refreshments, a comfy chair, and a dedicated “shader” who knows exactly what your lamp needs. And if you don’t find what you want, we can have one custom made, allowing for infinite possibilities!

Parker, the stoic store mascot, stands vigilantly, ready to greet customers. He was found when we first opened in the parking lot of the store, abandoned and disheveled. Dubbed “Parker” by the store owners, they adopted him and have dedicated themselves to helping dogs in need all across the country with our charity dog toys and accessories.

Head to the back of the store, and you’ve entered a totally new world. Any lighting accessory, bulb, part or accent you can think of we carry or can order for you! Our owner is an avid collector of rare and beautiful light bulbs, and loves to share his passion for unique decorative bulbs with you.

Our world-class lamp repair and restoration department has done some incredible works; from simply changing a socket on a lamp to turning a real hammerhead shark into a triple-hanging pendant! Your ideas become a reality back here…

We hope that you have enjoyed the tour of our store. We are proud of what we do here, and are excited to spread our knowledge and unique product line to our online store.

If you have any questions about us, contact us, we’re happy to chat and even answer your pressing lighting questions.

Have Happy Holidays,

-The Staff at The Accessory Store-

Mastering the Language of Lamps

Every field has its own jargon, and the world of lamps is no exception. Go from novice to pro in no time with this quick guide to the world of lamps!

Let's go from the bottom up!

Lamp Base

This one is easy! A lamp base serves both a decorative and practical function. It stabilizes the lamp and adds balance and accent to the lamp. In certain circumstances (such as a glass bottle), a base will actually take away from the lamp.

You can find a variety of base types: Wood, Nickel or Chrome, Brass, Bronze, Acrylic or even iron. For a cool industrial look, you can have a heavy piece of iron welded to the bottom. The weight will stabilize it, adding a minimalistic touch. On the other end of the spectrum, an ornate wooden base can do wonders for a more traditional piece. 

Lamp Body

The body covers up the "guts" of the lamp (the pipe or wire). And obviously it defines the lamp's shade, style and vibe.  

 

 Vase Cap

 

 Vase caps are critical for seamlessly joining the body to the "neck". It is especially important in ceramic lamps.

Neck

 

 The neck is between the vase cap and the saddle. This functions to protect the wire and to hold the lamp together.  Normally it is proper to cover it with your shade, but in this case it looks good with a little of it exposed.

Saddle & Harp

We aren't talking about horseback riding, we're still on lamps! The harp (bottom) and the saddle (top) function to hold the lamp shade in place. The saddle is placed under the neck, and the harp clicks into place. The top screw it where the finial screws into place. The great thing about harps is that they can be easily switched out to various sizes to raise or lower the shade on the lamp, giving it the perfect height to cover up the hardware. Risers can also be added to the top screw to raise or lower the shade and finial.

Finial

"Your finials are served, sir..." A wild assortment of finials at our sister store, Illumé, in New York City

Finials are the icing on the cake. It serves the basic function of keep the shade in place. But it can serve to accent the lamp, or even stand on its own in the piece! Some lamps are better served by a minimalistic finial that blends into the hardware. Other lamps, such as this one, deserves a custom and whimsical finial that was designed by our store manager, Wes!

Wes proudly standing by his creation!

   

Lamp Shade

Shades are our specialty here. We carry thousands in stock of any conceivable type and color. But the interior decorators that shop here will often order custom shades. Getting the shade right is critical for making a lamp shine, and fitting it perfectly in the room. A shade puts a lamp into context. Decorators sometimes try to match the color to their color scheme, even ordering shades with custom fabric from the throw pillow on the couch. Others make it clash, adding interesting elements to an otherwise homogenous room.

A shade can accentuate a lamp, but not take away from it...or sometimes, our customers choose to accentuate a shade with a lamp.

Lamps have been around for a long time, but very few people really take a chance to examine them closely. Little has changed in the basic makeup of a lamp, precisely because the set up works so well. The next time that you enter the room, take the time to examine the simplistic beauty of a lamp.