A recent trip to the National Hardware Show in Chicago was an enlightening experience. We got to see firsthand the latest revolutions in artificial lighting - compact fluorescents and halogen bulbs. What we learned was interesting.

The newest kid on the block is an interesting looking "squared-off" bulb filled with halogen gas - the halogen bulb. Its manufacturer obviously decided to do something to make this one look unconventional, so they changed the shape of the glass bulb from rounded to a series of squares. It almost looks like a pair of geodesic domes with square panels instead of triangular ones. Don't be fooled. It is still halogen. And, in our experience, halogen is a hot-burning, short-lived bulb, no matter its shape. Don't be dismayed by new technology; there is a good side, too. Halogen bulbs are small, but burn brightly for their size.

Where you were once forced to purchase a streetlamp-sized light fixture to illuminate a large area of your yard, today a halogen bulb - equal in size to a standard 40-watt bulb - will easily illuminate a very large area. Doesn't it just drive you nuts when you cruise by someone's house and protruding from the wall above the garage door hangs a large light fixture that looks as though it was stolen from a freeway onramp. Halogen bulbs can be used in conventional light fixtures - without modification to the fixture. This means that you can brightly light the exterior of your home without using large, ugly light fixtures.

Halogen bulbs are rated to burn for 3,000 hours. We haven't seen one last that long yet, but this generation is still quite new on the market. We have had fixtures in our office for over a decade. That generation proved to be unstable - bright indeed, but short-lived. We really hope that this new technology works - so much so that we're installing landscape lighting in our back yard this week of the low-voltage quartz-halogen variety.

Compact fluorescents also are making great strides. They are getting less expensive and better looking. Even better, they last up to 10 times longer than other bulbs.

Fluorescent light is a soft light that is almost completely shadow-free. That means it's easy on the eyes. Whereas fluorescents once were all "green," they now are color-balanced. No more green.

When they were first introduced almost a decade ago, compact fluorescent light bulbs sold for nearly $40 each. After a few years the price dropped to $20 and now you can purchase one for $12 or less. But, as we said, there are other advantages. A conventional tungsten bulb will last up to 1,000 hours whereas a fluorescent will last up to 10,000 hours. Ten times longer. We know this one is true because we installed more than 30 compact fluorescent bulbs in our own remodel eight years ago. Since that time we have had to replace only one bulb. The replacement and all the others are still going strong.

There's more: Our electric bill is lower than ever. The average size bulb in our home used to be 60 watts, but now is only 13 watts. Remember: percentage off the wattage is percentage off the lighting bill.

Don't confuse wattage with illumination value. Just because we use less wattage doesn't mean we get less light. The amount of light is measured in lumens. The more lumens, the more light you get. So, whether you are thinking about halogen bulbs or compact fluorescents, think in terms of modern measurements. Consider wattage a way of determining how much energy will be used, and lumens for how much light will be generated. Everyone's lighting needs are different. Study the lighting in your home and find out what fits you best. Then, the next time you shop for a bulb you'll know what works before you make the purchase.