The Complete Guide to Customizing Your Light Fixtures
It's never been easier to design tailor-made lighting to suit the unique requirements of your space. With a vast assortment of shades available in a range of sizes—plus, customizable fixture lengths and finish choices—you can easily create a fixture that reflects your personal taste and enhances the overall look of your home. From wall sconces to pendants, chandeliers to surface mounts, it's never been easier to create a cohesive look while brightening up every corner of your home.
To get started designing your very own customizable light fixture, opens in a new tab follow these three simple steps:
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The Basics
Before we jump into how you can customize your very own fixture, it's important to learn the basic components that make up our wall sconces, opens in a new tab, pendants, opens in a new tab, and surface mounts, opens in a new tab. That said, keep in mind that not every fixture has every one of these components.
The canopy is the part of the fixture that attaches to the ceiling and covers the electrical junction box.
The fixture holds the lightbulb, opens in a new tab or integrated LED, opens in a new tab module and might also contain the on/off switch if the fixture has a pull chain, opens in a new tab.
Fitter: The fitter is the portion of the fixture that holds the shade, opens in a new tab. Usually, it does so using tightening or fitter screws which help to secure the shade in place.
Shade: The shade attaches to the fitter and covers the lightbulb. Often, opal, opens in a new tab shades are made to diffuse light, giving the lamp a softer glow, while clear, opens in a new tab shades can help direct light. We also have a metal shade option for many of our fixtures if you're going for a more traditional or industrial look.
Bulb: Don't forget a bulb, opens in a new tab! A lightbulb can dramatically change the overall look of your fixture, especially if it's an exposed one. There are many differences in shape, size, and style of light bulb available today, so we created a light bulb buying guide, opens in a new tab to help you narrow down your decision.
1. Pick Your Fixture
First things first, you need to choose which fixture you'd like to customize. Are you looking for a wall sconce, opens in a new tab to put over your bedside table? Maybe you're in the market for a cluster of pendants, opens in a new tab to hang above your kitchen island, or a unique surface mount, opens in a new tab to freshen up a bedroom or bathroom.
No matter what you're looking for looking for we've got the right lighting to make your space shine. A few of our favorite customizable fixtures include our newest icon, Fran, opens in a new tab, featuring a subtle scalloped detail that adds a touch of elegance to any room.
A forever favorite, the Princeton, opens in a new tab, is ideal for any space as it comes in a variety of different lengths, as well as hardwired and plug-in options depending on your needs.
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2. Choose Your Finish
After you've chosen your fixture, it's time to select the right finish for your space. With so many options to choose from, it can be hard to decide on the perfect fit, which is why our high-quality finish samples, opens in a new tab are here to help plan your projects with ease. Made in our Portland factory, each metal swatch is hand treated in-house for accuracy of finish to represent our lighting.
Still having trouble deciding? Our complimentary styling services are here to help. Book a free appointment, opens in a new tab with one of our stylists today.
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3. Select Your Shade
When it comes to selecting a shade, there are many options to match your new fixture, but not every option will fit every size of fitter. If you’re buying a light fixture with a 2.25" fitter, you’ll need to purchase a shade with a 2.25", opens in a new tab opening.
In addition to changing the overall look of the fixture, different shades will offer different lighting effects. For example, an opal shade will spread warm light around while also drawing the eye to the fixture itself, while a clear shade will help to direct light to a specific area of focus. You can even forego the shade altogether if you want to make a strong statement.
Most of our shades fall into one of three design philosophies: traditional, modern, or utilitarian. Traditional shades might feature painted glass and come in a range of shapes and sizes that reflect a variety of design traditions. Shades designed in the modern aesthetic offer simple geometric forms, clean lines, and minimalist finishes that highlight the materials from which they’re built. If you're looking for a more utilitarian design, our Factory Series, opens in a new tab offers the best example; their simple form and function are eye-catching but practical.
Additionally, since many of our shades are sold separately, you can always purchase a new shade if you want change up the look of your fixture down the line.
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