<p>With your help CCers we now have a new dishwasher (Bosch), countertops (granite New Venetian Gold paired with natural cherry cab’s and white oak flooring), and downdraft cooktop (GE induction 30") to replace old Jennair. </p>
<p>Now. Time to replace old lighting. Every bathroom, every hall light, and the front hall light.</p>
<p>I have been searching and searching online and at the big box stores but there seems to be room in the design space for some more interesting lighting. Or - and here’s my question to you all - I’m just not finding the right places to look. Lightingdirect and Lampsplus.com so far seems to have some interesting options; Overstock too but I get so frustrated with that website b/c once you click on a particular item you lose your place and have to scroll from the beginning again.</p>
<p>Where do you shop for interesting lighting?</p>
<p>I wonder if you could use an interior designer to find some special unique pieces. H has access to the designer showrooms and lighting shops in NYC and found some Ingo Maurer lights for the dining room. I just googled his name and found a site “Lumens” – they seem to carry interesting lighting fixtures.
[Ingo</a> Maurer | Ingo Maurer Lighting at Lumens.com](<a href=“Ingo Maurer | Lumens.com”>Ingo Maurer | Lumens.com)</p>
<p>Yayyyyy thank you Class of 2015! A new lighting site. Will wander and this part is lots more fun so far than the agony of granite. Much obliged!</p>
<p>I like Classof2015’s idea about using an interior designer. Good designers are worth their weight in gold. If you know a good (aka successful) realtor they can give you a referral for one. The designer will also know a good electrician to do the installation. Our interior decorator has never given me a bad reference, even for OUTDOOR landscape design and installation-- knock on wood.</p>
<p>If where you are is anything like DC, a lot of the public design stores are in the same stretch of real estate. Go to some of those, or even a place like Ikea to get an idea of what kind of shapes you like and don’t like. You may find you want something simplistic and modern, or something a little more ornate, specific finishes, etc. so even if you don’t like the overall fixture you can say oh I like that finish with that shape and that size to at least narrow down some options</p>
<p>Hubbardton Forge–really cool stuff. [Hubbardton</a> Forge Lighting and Accessories Hand-Forged in Vermont](<a href=“http://www.vtforge.com/Products.cfm]Hubbardton”>http://www.vtforge.com/Products.cfm)
It was expensive, but we got some good ideas and were able to find look-alikes at a specialty lighting store near us.</p>
<p>When you’re browsing on a site, right-click anything you’re interested in, so it opens in a new tab, that way you don’t lose your place. Or put it in the shopping cart, because your shopping cart will track everything you’re interested in.</p>
<p>I like the stuff on Restoration Hardware. I have a friend who buy fixtures in junk shops and rewires them (way less expensive than you’d think). </p>
<p>When we remodeled, we replaced all the ceiling cans with LED cans. Four years since and we have not replaced a single bulb.</p>
<p>Onward, our huuuuge mirror (66" - the biggest they offer in residential selection) called [The</a> Silhouette](<a href=“http://www.electricmirror.com/products/mirror-tv/silhouette.htm#]The”>http://www.electricmirror.com/products/mirror-tv/silhouette.htm#) was close to $5K. We bought by directly contacting the company, and Mr B installed it with some help from me. The oval version of this mirror, powder room size, was close to $900. They are expensive, no questions about it, but our visitors get a kick out of them, and Mr B gets his financial news fix while shaving. :)</p>
<p>Get yourself a good designer. She/he will think of things about lighting that you’d never even contemplate. They will know the best lighting resources in your area, the online sources, the actual stores, who is best to order from, etc. When we did our big reno two years ago, my designer recommended a particular lighting store and accompanied me there. We spent hours looking not only at the fixtures on display but on the dozens of catalogues that were available. Size is important for chandeliers or pendants, depending on the area they’re going in, as well as the optimal height at which they should be hung. Placement of the fixtures within a room, for instance, in a bathroom is important and you want someone who knows what they’re doing (over mirror, through mirror, etc. If you’re installing pot lights, you’ll want a lighting design plan to insure that you have the correct number for the size of the room and the correct placement. In addition to the actual fixtures, the switches, both placement and type, are important. Put as many dimmers in as you can. The designer will also know of an excellent electrician who will know how to install the fixtures properly and safely.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.neenaslighting.com%5B/url%5D”>www.neenaslighting.com</a> has a good selection, including another brand I liked, Visual Comfort.</p>
<p>You can look at the websites of some lighting companies like Kichler, Quoizel, Minka Levery (a particular favorite of mine), and then find sources for those lights that you like (usually there is a link on the websites). </p>
<p>You can also visit a website like lightingdirect.com that sells a selection of lights from several manufacturers.</p>
<p>Wow thank you folks - so many great ideas. BB - I’m lolling just thinking about that TV mirror. Maybe in my next house - this remodel is to upgrade so we can sell and down size. I’m using this remodel round as practice for my next round. </p>
<p>Regarding hiring a designer, I priced out design help back in oh say 1984 when I wanted some help w/ curtains in our first house. She was going to charge me $1000 (1984 dollars) to advise on a two window room. Just. For. Curtains. I have not ever considered using a designer again BUT my house shows it. No - actually we had a designer help when we built this house - the builder’s designer - I hated what she suggested. One house in the neighborhood she put navy blue carpet in the master bedroom and she wanted me to put aqua and purple tile in the boys’ bathroom. Ack ack. So I’m shy about design help…</p>
<p>I like the idea to ask the realtor. That’s how we developed our list of what to replace. </p>
<p>Ok so it’s raining and I have a few free hours. To the lighting sites we go!</p>
<p>The key is to find a designer who you like and who you’re comfortable working with on the project. Every designer I know bills by the hour. The excellent one I had on our big reno charged $60/hr. She was worth even more. Get a few recommendations from friends, realtors, local design shops and meet with them to see who you like and what their work is like. Don’t be shy about design help. You’re the client, so you’re in the driver’s seat. :)</p>
<p>Lighting stores near me are also online. Lightbulbsunlimited (really like them, modern and edgy) and Capital Lighting (more traditional along with contemporary)</p>