Tip #1: What Type of Fixture
The options in lighting today are nearly endless. And, the fact is that there may be more than one type of light fixture that will work in any given location. For example, near a sofa or chair you may have a table lamp on a side table. Yet you might also choose a floor lamp, pharmacy-style floor lamp, wall-mounted fixture, or even a track light mounted on the ceiling overhead.
How to Decide on a Light Fixture:
Sometimes the best way to narrow your options is to try out a fixture in your home. You may be able to take a fixture home on approval from a local lighting store. If not, bring in a lamp from another room to try next to the sofa or hold up a lamp near the wall where you’d place a wall-mounted style.
Tip #2: What Size
One of the drawbacks of shopping online for light fixtures is that you may not have a grasp of how big or small the piece will look in your room.
How to Decide on a Light Fixture:
Note the measurements in the online description and use a tape measure to compare them to the size to an object that you already own. For example, see if the online fixture’s shade is larger or smaller than the lampshade in another room. If you own nothing similar, try creating a similar size outline from a piece of cardboard or poster board. Often this text will help see if a piece will be too large for a given location.
Read about Things to Consider
Page 3: Shape and Color
Page 4: Installation Types
