Basement: Choosing Lighting

Lighting is one of those things were there are sooo many options in such a huge price range that it can be very difficult to make a decision.

For the inside of our house we needed to choose three new light fixtures. The outside fixtures had been fairly easy because we knew what we wanted. It was more of finding what we knew we wanted and in a price range we were happy with. The fixtures for inside are a whole different story...

We opted to go with recessed lighting in the family room, so there really was no choice to make there. We needed a light fixture for the laundry room and the bedroom though. The ceiling is lower in the bedroom, so we wanted something that Bill wouldn't bang his head on. In the laundry room I was concerned with making sure it was bright enough. Being able to direct multiple lights in different directions would be a plus. For the third one, we needed a fixture for the top of the stairs, just inside the back door. We had that added so that we could have more light, especially at night, for coming and going out the door. For that space, we had to be sure that it would not be in the way of the door.

We looked everywhere for light fixtures... online and in every store locally that carries light fixtures. We didn't really narrow it down to possibilities, but we just did a lot of looking until we found what we thought would work the best.

The first one we found was the for the bedroom. It was "low profile," was a little fun, and definitely didn't look like a boob...

We spotted Lowe's Portfolio 17-in W Painted Champagne Ceiling Flush Mount light online first. Then we tried to track it down in store to see what it looked like. They had them in stock but didn't have any on display, so we just really hoped that the pictures were accurate and we would like it.

Lowes.com  |  Portfolio 17-in W Painted Champagne Ceiling Flush Mount

At only 4 inches tall, we knew it wouldn't be at a head bumping height with the slightly lower ceiling. It also helped that it was fairly big, energy star rated, and held 3 bulbs, which would hopefully ensure a decently bright light.

In the same trip we picked up that light, we also found the light for the top of the stairs. We went with the allen + roth Valencia 12-in W Brushed Nickel Fabric Semi-Flush Mount Ceiling Light. I immediately liked it. The shade reminded me of the CB2 arc lamp that we have in the living room and of the light we put in the bedroom that is actually more of a pendant with a double shade, but has the same glass diffuser on the bottom.

Lowes.com  |  allen + roth Valencia 12-in W Brushed Nickel Fabric Semi-Flush Mount Ceiling Light

I'm almost giddy about this one. I definitely have high hopes for this one and I kind of can't wait to see it installed. I think that having light in that area finally will also make a huge difference.

We ended up deciding that track lighting, as much as I'm not really a fan, would probably be the best way to go in the laundry room. That way we can make sure there is enough lighting and be able to redirect it as that room evolves... I'm thinking a sewing area might be in order...

We looked everywhere for something that we liked and never really found anything that seemed perfect or that we instantly liked. Home Depot's Hampton Bay Vortex 5-Light Satin Nickel Track Lighting Kit was what we found that looked the best.

Homedepot.com  |  Hampton Bay Vortex 5-Light Satin Nickel Track Lighting Kit

Now we just have to get them installed. Hopefully they look fantastic...