When going "not new," pairs are a conundrum.

I need to update my bathrooms. The marquee style vanity lights looked bad enough to begin with, but now the only LED replacement bulbs I can find are clear, rather than frosted, and they virtually blind you. I have been using CFL replacements, but they are a bit ugly as they have a big metal base a third of the way up the globe. Plus, the CFLs aren't as economical for a bathroom situation as the ballast in them blows off every time they are switched on...so they don't last as long in environments where they are frequently switched on and off. In fact, I "timed" (writing the install date on the bulbs) my CFLs in my downstairs bathroom (LOTS of off-and-ons) and they lasted slightly over a year rather than the projected seven. That's pricey and not good for the environment as they contain a bit of mercury.

I use the term "update" loosely as when you update with used stuff, you are mostly changing rather than updating. However, I like going with antique or unusual looks rather than the latest style (which is guaranteed to look dated in 10 to 20 years). However, finding matching pairs is a real problem. I guess I will just have to be patient. And probably have to pay a bit more. Oh well.