First I'm not a lighting designer, I just used to work next to a few of them so I'm probably (definitely) overconfident in my opinions in this area. That said, I personally go back and forth on what you're saying.
Let me qualify: when I say "directional," I mean uniform 180° or narrower. The real difference is in the optic: flood vs spot. You can get a surface mount 180° flood fixture (ceiling mount) or a well fit recessed fixture with something like a BR40 (good wide-angle disbursement) to do exactly what you're talking about. If you want wide-area lighting, stay away from PARs, MR16s, GU10s, etc. Are omnis in a stood-off fixture easier? You betcha. Is paying to light your ceiling necessary? Nope.
All of that said, I hope they get dirt cheap but efficient omnis out there too. Forcing the general consumer to think about stuff like this is a barrier to entry, and broad swaths of people being more efficient is a Good Thing indeed.
First I'm not a lighting designer, I just used to work next to a few of them so I'm probably (definitely) overconfident in my opinions in this area. That said, I personally go back and forth on what you're saying.
Let me qualify: when I say "directional," I mean uniform 180° or narrower. The real difference is in the optic: flood vs spot. You can get a surface mount 180° flood fixture (ceiling mount) or a well fit recessed fixture with something like a BR40 (good wide-angle disbursement) to do exactly what you're talking about. If you want wide-area lighting, stay away from PARs, MR16s, GU10s, etc. Are omnis in a stood-off fixture easier? You betcha. Is paying to light your ceiling necessary? Nope.
All of that said, I hope they get dirt cheap but efficient omnis out there too. Forcing the general consumer to think about stuff like this is a barrier to entry, and broad swaths of people being more efficient is a Good Thing indeed.