Did you use "cool white" (standard white) or "warm white" LEDs for the GI?
The trick to use an incandescent to mix in some wamer tones with an otherwise harsh non-incandescant source is a good one -- I use it around the house to soften the effect of fluorescent lights.
I agree that brighter and whiter is not necessarily better for many situations. I've also got a mix of LED and incandescents on my game at the moment.