Need Help Brainstorming Lighting Set Up

[Becca]

Hi Everyone!

I'm getting ready to move and I have a room designated for my orchids at the new place. The room is 11' x 11' and has what I consider a small window facing east. I have my large orchidarium and a small converted exo-terra terrarium for my orchids and a fancy wood plant stand with a light on the bottom shelf. I would love to get my orchids out of their orchidariums so they would have some room to grow! I would plan on using a household humidifier for humidity if I could get it to maintain a good level with the door closed. But I feel I cannot stop growing in the orchidariums because I know the one east facing window is not going to be adequate for the collection. I have been tossing around the idea of installing lights, and still using my my T5 lights in my orchidariums in the room. But I think installing an adequate amount of T5 lights would be rather spendy but I'm not sure what my options are. I've seen articles on the lights that move slowly across a room or greenhouse...but I don't really know anything about them. I'm not even sure what to do for shelving...just a flat bench of shelves or should I do racks? And that would effect the lights I would buy. I'm trying to make due with the room for a year or two until I could afford a greenhouse so I would prefer not to have to spend a ton of money on it. It would also effect weather I carpet (if I left the plants in the orchidariums as is) or if I put something down like tile or vinyl flooring in that room. Eventually the room will be a babies room down the road...when I get a greenhouse that is So I'm turning to my large OB family for some help on what my options are. And it probably helps to know that I grow a little of everything...catt's, neo's, paph's, phrags, phals, and other odd's and ends..lol...you get the picture! So can someone please help me with some recommendations? I'd prefer to keep it under a few hundred if possible...lights rack and everthing...if I'm not dreaming to much TIA!!