Hi, I am installing track lighting in my living room (ceiling slopes from 9 to 12 ft) and the track will be placed low at about 9 or 10 ft. I want the light to feel warm (create a warm ambiance) AND I need the light to: 1) "point" at a painting about 10 ft away, 2) "point" at a painting about 5 ft away, 3) "point" reading quality light at a recliner about 7 ft away, and 4) uplight the ceiling to create some general purpose lighting for the room. With all the new products on the market, I'm not sure what's my best option.

Should I use line voltage or low voltage? And what type (and wattage) of lamp should I use? (I'd like to use an energy efficient approach if it will meet my needs. Initial fixture/install costs are not really a concern.)

Thanks very much!

For reading quality light at your recliner the light can not come from in front of the recliner. This inevitably creates both glare and shadows on the page, and makes for a poor reading experience. Lighting for reading, ideally, should come from above and slightly to the right or left of where the book is held. Track lighting can work fine in this placement, but otherwise I would recommend a second lighting source, or a floor lamp.

Otherwise, for the other applications, I would recommend low voltage halogens. I have a track of 5 that illuminate two paintings (2 fixtures per painting) and have replaced 2 of the halogens with LED bulbs. I will replace the others sometime in the future when the can get warmer LEDs, but right now, replacing 2 of them seems to be the right mix.

If you use halogen, and a dimmer, be sure the halogen is rated to be dimmed.

Standard halogens do not react well to being dimmed.

Track lighting, with any lamp, is great for accent lighting, such as wall hangings, or general lighting for an area, but not a good idea for task lighting, as mentioned by Lief. The floor lamp behind the recliner is a great idea.

No difference between low or line voltage regarding energy savings, a watt is a watt.

Since incandescent is what we are all use to, it is the "warm" light we are use to.

Incandescent lamps are 2700 Deg Kelvin in color temperature. Halogens are typically 2800K. If you use compact fluorescent lamps, find something in the 2700K to 3000K range. Anything higher in K temperature will not be "warm".

Thanks for the detailed posts. Are there halogen lamps that are warmer than other halogen lamps? If I go with halogen I want to maximize the warm ambiance.

2800 D Kelvin will be the best you can find.

Thanks tkrussell and leifweaver for the input. I appreciate it very much!