The company suggests “designing with light” with surface-mounted fixtures for walls, ceilings or cabinets. “Installed on either walls or ceilings, surface-mounted fixtures are integral to most home lighting designs,” says Michael Bornyk, president of Signature Lighting & Fans.

“They’re especially good at providing diffuse ambient light, though some fixtures are highly decorative.”

Bornyk explains most of the surface fixtures have their own mounting hardware that adapts to standard fixture boxes. Ceiling fan/light combinations and large chandeliers may need additional support like a mounting bar, hickey or J-hook, while pendants and wall sconces can often plug into a nearby receptable.

“Flush-mounted fixtures, which mount directly to a housing box, provide general illumination in traffic areas such as landings, entries, and hallways,” says Bornyk. “Kitchens, bathrooms, and workshops often benefit from the added light of surface fixtures used in conjunction with task lighting on work surfaces.”

Chandeliers and pendants “add sparkle and style in high-ceilinged entries and above dining tables and breakfast nooks,” he says. These fixtures provide can provide direct or diffused light or both.
What should you consider when choosing the fixture size? Bornyk recommends a pendant always be 12 inches narrower than the table. Chandeliers and ceiling fan/light combinations should also be installed with safety in mind, he adds.

For lighting options, Signature (located at 3500 Blackfoot Trail S.E.) sells a vast selection. How about pewter track lighting for your hallway? Blown glass pendants can be a fresh, decorative feature in the kitchen. And a classic chandelier always adds sparkle and a glam feeling to any room, from dining rooms to bedrooms.

Carrington Lighting (2513 5 Avenue N.W. or 400-33 Heritage Meadows Way S.E.) also offers a brilliant host of ceiling lights. Recently, the stores introduced a stunner in the new, contemporary crystal chandelier by Schonbek. Also getting a glowing review in the illumination realm is housebrand Design Store (202-2212 4 Street S.W.), which showcases a modern collection of lighting like Bocci’s 14 Series cast glass chandelier.

And Swedish accessory darling IKEA (8000 11 St. S.E.) can please both your home and budget with its design-savvy BRASA, LUNTA, RUTBO, or VESTOFTA pendant, each priced under the $50 mark.

“The pleasures of good lighting have an elusive quality,” says Bornyk. “When you walk into a room with a successful lighting design, you don’t remark ‘What fantastic lighting!’ But your eyes sense that everything is comfortably visible, and you feel somehow both stimulated and at ease. In fact, our eyes don’t observe the light itself, but rather the things on which it shines … a great lighting scheme serves as a silent partner in enhancing the surroundings.”  NL