So are you ready to start picking out light fixtures for your new or improved kitchen? This is clearly one of the funnest parts of designing a kitchen! You may have a blueprint with a lighting plan or you may be working from scratch where you have to get creative. Either way, after reading last week's blogpost, you should now know what type of lighting you need and where to put it for best results in your kitchen. If you have an electrical plan, double check it to make sure it includes all the fixtures you want. Sometimes builders design plans thinking more in terms of practicality vs a combination of function plus decoration.
Let's start with where to shop and cover two options: shopping at local stores vs shopping on line. Shopping at local lighting stores is an option that allows you to actually experience the fixtures in person. There is something to be said for seeing the fixture size, finish, glass, beads, shades and hanging cord or chain it includes before purchasing. Another benefit to buying from a local store is the team of sales people that can review your plans and help you select appropriate fixtures. Sometimes brick and mortar stores can be more expensive but most offer discounts if you are working with a builder, contractor or designer they partner with. The best part about ordering from a local store or showroom is that they can warehouse all of your fixtures until you need them and then deliver them to the job site upon request with all of the correct bulbs you need. If you've never seen light fixture boxes before, let me tell you they are huge!
The other option is to shop on line for fixtures. There are so many websites and place to shop these days! Sometimes it can be a bit overwhelming but the plus side is you can really compare and contrast to save money. One of the big benefits of shopping online in addition to the plethora of fixtures, you can filter down to the size, finish, price and even material or style you are looking for. This saves a lot of time when scrolling through thousands of fixtures. One of my favorite sites for this is www.lampsplus.com. Now, for the other side of ordering on line... you will receive huge bulky boxes on your doorstep and sometimes have to pay additional for shipping. After working your way through all the layers of packaging (and I mean working!), you finally reach your fixture! You hold your breath so excited to see it.... the finish, the weight, the size, etc... If you're lucky, it will arrive on time, undamaged, and fit the space correctly. If it doesn't work out, be sure to save the original packaging to return it and be prepared to pay for return shipping.. Hopefully you can schedule a home pick up so you don't have to figure out how to get said boxes to the UPS store in your car. Also, remember to research what light bulbs you need because you will have to supply the lightbulbs once your fixtures are hardwired. To finish up, here are some of my favorite fun light fixtures currently available!
Hopefully this post sheds some light on the pros and cons of where to shop for lighting - pun intended! Would love to have you join me in my new FB group Kitchen, Baths and Mudrooms by Design. Each week I will select one member's design challenge to solve on a FB live for the whole group to learn from. Get in early and see you there!
Also, if you are working on designing your own kitchen check out my free guide 10 Steps to Design Your Dream Kitchen like a Pro!
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