Ceiling Lights

Contemporary Ceiling Lights: Versatile Yet Stylish

For many areas in your home, ceiling lights are an excellent source of illumination, with the ability to light up greater spaces in large rooms and to eliminate shadows and dark corners. That being said, you have outstanding options when it comes to bringing style and grace to your overhead lighting fixtures.

Finding the Right Ceiling Light

So which rooms can accommodate ceiling lights? Actually, every room will find indoor ceiling lights to be an effective way to light up the entire area of a room with equal intensity, since they are typically placed in the center point of the ceiling. This does not necessarily mean each room or area in a home should be equipped with ceiling lights, but it does mean that you significantly increase your lighting options by including quality ceiling lights in your prospective design choices.

Fortunately for you, at Urban Elegance, we carry a full line of top-flight, high-quality ceiling lights, which makes your shopping and decision-making so much easier and enjoyable. Just like you, we are demanding when seeking out the best types and styles of ceiling lights on offer today.

Types of High-End Ceiling Lights

Excluding chandeliers (for which we have a special section for your review), when considering ceiling lights, you will find four distinct types of ceiling lights from which to choose.

• Flush Mount Ceiling Light - this is your "classic" type of ceiling light, where the fixture fits snugly to the ceiling; however, when reviewing our inventory of flush mount ceiling lights, "classic" is a very loose term, as you will see by the broad range of impressive looks you can attain  
• Pendant - a hanging light can produce some outstanding lighting effects and is especially useful for rooms with higher ceilings
• Semi-Flush Ceiling Light - fitting between a flush mount ceiling light and a pendant ceiling light, you can create some unusual looks with this type
• Track Light - originally popular in art galleries for their repositioning ability, this allows selected areas to receive deserving spotlights 

Within these types are lots of different styles; this means an expansive menu of design choices for you to browse through for ideas and inspiration. And within those styles you will find an impressive array of shapes with which you can work:

• Candle Style
• Circular Drum
• Empire
• Geometric
• Linear
• Sphere/Globe
• Square
• Tear Drop

 You will also find models which are compatible with sloped ceilings, as well as being able to install dimmers and use LED bulbs. In essence, everything you want or need in a ceiling light.

Popular Modern Ceiling Light Styles

We are proud to carry 62 models of superior, high-quality indoor ceiling lights, categorized into 28 distinctive and attractive styles (some models meet more than one category of style and thus appear multiple times). 

• Art Deco - with four models in this style, you can recapture an early 20th century look which still feels contemporary
• Art Nouveau - the one model in this style offers a stunning open-air globe shape in a midnight bronze finish
• Asian - select from a flush or semi-flush type, each screened with a woven tan rattan shade and a black silk finished base
• Coastal - offers one model, a pendant type supporting 3 bulbs with a unique shade of three steel bands mimicking a light wood finish
• Colonial - the one model in this style accommodates 4 candlestick light bulbs in an ornate frame antique black finish frame
• Contemporary - the nine models in this style offers track lighting as well as flush and semi-flush ceiling light types
• Cosmopolitan - this collection of nine models includes crystal-filled fixtures arrayed in different unique designs
• Craftsmen - the three models in this style, one each of a flush, semi-flush, and track light type, employ various bronze finishes to excellent effect
• Crystal - these ten models are ideal for those focusing on elegance, using crystal as the central theme
• Designer - with five models, making a clear designer statement is that much easier
• Farmhouse - there are six models offering six unique looks, all reflecting a farm-style simplicity with an elegant flair 
• French Country - these five models are all of the semi-flush or pendant type, with varying finishes and shapes
• Industrial - you will find four models in various metallic finishes and designs
• Industrial Chic - with these three models, you will find two vintage designs and one contemporary look
• Mediterranean - this one model is a semi-flush type in a native copper finish
• Metropolitan - the one model in this style is offered in a Palladian gold finish
• Mid-Century Modern - these six models deliver the ultimate in contemporary ceiling light styles
• Modern - there are thirteen models for this style, mainly designed to deliver maximum lighting effects in tasteful designs
• Modern Farmhouse - these four models beautifully merge simplicity with modernity
• Moroccan - offers one model with an ornate design in an antique silver finish 
• Nautical - the one model in this style is a flush ceiling type with a watery-textured glass shade 
• Old World - this one model creates an antique ambiance within its circular shape
• Rustic - brings you six models of differing shapes and finishes
• Shabby Chic - delivers six models, all employing circular forms in different ways
• Traditional - the five models in this style all emphasize clear glass and crystals with outstanding results
• Transitional - offering four models, two use open circular frames while the other two employ rattan shades 
• Urban Industrial - gives four models, all examples of merging industrial framing withing urban lighting layouts
• Vintage - offers five models, all semi-flush types using circular shapes in unusual ways

At Urban Ambiance, an important aspect of our commitment to you is to go through the trouble of ferreting out inferior products and designs, making your decisions easier and more certain. We only work with the most reputable and best-recognized manufacturers of high-end ceiling lights, with an eye toward best values, materials, and workmanship.

Placing and Sizing Indoor Ceiling Lights

When selecting ceiling lights, it's important to consider the size of the fixtures. You want to make sure they fit in the space, appearing neither too large nor too small for the area it is lighting up. Fortunately, as with most lighting situations, we can offer you a simple formula to use which helps you determine the overall size of the fixture you should be seeking for each room.

Assuming you are working with a central overhead ceiling light, measure the diameters of the room, in feet. Take those two measurements and add them together. Convert that sum to inches and you now know what size fixture works best for the measured area.

As an example, if your room measures 10 feet by 12 feet, then look for fixtures measuring about 22 inches wide, give or take a few inches either way.

Luxury Ceiling Light Intensity and Direction

Even when you know the size of your fixture, you still want to consider the direction you wish the light to flow and how intense it should be. You have several factors which will affect the intensity of the light flow:

• Number of Bulbs - the more light bulbs a ceiling light fixture has, the greater the intensity of light
• Distance from Floor - pendant ceiling lights hang lower than flush ceiling lights, delivering greater intensity due to it nearer proximity
• Wattage - light bulbs with high wattage burn faster and brighter
• Direction - track lights can effectively direct away intense lighting, using its reflection to achieve muted results

Also, think about each area you are lighting. You may desire less lighting for certain areas, like the dining room and bedrooms, whereas the living room may benefit from brighter lighting. You have full control over the light intensity and direction and can achieve it through advanced planning.

Installing a Quality Ceiling Light

Safety First! It goes without saying that, when working with electrical wiring, extreme caution must be taken. But by following instructions carefully, removing an existing fixture and replacing it with a new one can be accomplished with simple household tools, a good ladder, and a little patience. Also, since you are working with fixtures attached to the ceiling, having a helper to hold and steady things for you is strongly recommended.

Replacing an Existing Indoor Ceiling Light Fixture With a New One

1. Kill the Power - double check by flipping the switch of the wiring going to the old fixture before continuing
2. Remove Cover and Bulbs - also take out any other extras attached to the base of the old fixture
3. Remove Nuts and Screws - you may need help holding the fixture so it doesn't crash to the floor 
4. Disconnect Wires - it's recommended have someone hold the old fixture while you disconnect the wires
5. Remove Old Fixture - carefully lower the old fixture to the floor and move it out of the way of your work area
6. Prepare New Fixture - read instructions and attach any necessary components, such as the mounting base
7. Strip Insulation - remove about 1/4 of an inch of insulation of the tips of the wire on the new fixture
8. Twist and Connect Wires - connect fixture to ceiling wires, matching the colors (white to white, black to black, and copper to copper)
9. Put Caps on Wires - cover each connection with a wire cap twisted on top of it
10. Attach Fixture - mount the fixture onto the cover plate and connect to ceiling, following installation instructions for the new fixture

Install Accessories and Bulbs - add shades, globes, or other accessories, and install light bulb

After this, you should be good to go. Turn your power back on and try it out. If not successful, carefully review the ceiling light wiring to ensure the new fixture is correctly connect or look for other tips.  

Luxury Ceiling Light Care and Maintenance

As with any light products you acquire from Urban Ambiance, you are in possession of quality fixtures which requires regular and gentle care and maintenance to preserve its elegant appearance and superior performance.

Fortunately, a care and maintenance schedule of ceiling lighting is neither demanding nor time consuming. Including these steps in your weekly cleaning routine only takes minutes but adds years of newness to your quality ceiling lights.

Be sure to:

• Turn Off Lights - before checking and cleaning your ceiling lights, turn them off for at least 15 minutes to cool them down
• Steady Support - use a sturdy step-stool or ladder to make sure your foundation is solid and your balance is stable  
• Hand Cleaning - bring down all removable pieces where you can clean them in clear bright light
• Dry Polish and Dusting - use a feather duster or dry microfiber cloth to remove any settled dust or dirt 
• Cotton Gloves - if you must handle glass, always do so wearing gloves to avoid fingerprints
• Never Use Glass Cleaners or Abrasives - using harsh chemicals will likely leave clouded crystal and other permanent disfigurements

These simple and easy practices will ensure your high-end ceiling lights remain in pristine condition, as if they were just installed yesterday.

As you can see, we love lighting and always have new ideas and tips for making your home shine in style! Or contact us today and we'll brainstorm together to make your home brighter and happier!