Interior Lighting Specifications - Visual Guide

Lighting Specification Guide

A comprehensive guide to residential lighting, organized from top down by fixture placement and purpose. Use this as a framework when specifying lighting for any residential interior project.

Our clients may receive an outline specification for typical standard brands and a range of fixtures based on room types. This visual guide helps client see this and alternatives for understanding interior lighting.

Quick Reference: Top Brands by Category

  Recessed — Halo, Juno, Lithonia, WAC

  Sconces — Sea Gull, Visual Comfort, Hinkley, Kichler

  Outdoor — Kichler, Hinkley, WAC, Sea Gull

  Under-Cabinet — WAC, Kichler, GE, Feit, Philips Hue

  Track — WAC, Tech Lighting, Kichler, Hampton Bay, Juno

  Chandeliers/Pendants — Visual Comfort, Kichler, Quoizel, Progress, Hinkley

  Lamps — Visual Comfort, Robert Abbey, Ralph Lauren, Arteriors

  Cabinet/Display — Kichler, WAC, Sea Gull, Maxim, CSL

  Art/Picture Lights — House of Troy, Visual Comfort, WAC, Hinkley

1. Ceiling Lighting

Recessed downlights (older). Screw in ~5" bulb w/ 3" clip on trim plate.

Recessed Inserts (new)

Recessed modern, trimless squares

Recessed adjustable spotlights for taller rooms

LED Clip units feature minimal trim

LED channel, drywalled flush

LED strips for tray ceilings

Recessed magnetic track light. Flush to ceiling, channel spot and pendant lights get inserted as needed.

Flush-mount and semi-flush-mount fixtures

(An Architect's Guide To: Surface Mounted Lighting - Architizer Journal)

Feature pendants

Membrane ceilings:

Rarely seen in the US, a membrane ceiling is a heat treated vinyl sheet that shrink wraps onto a frame creating a solid luminaire at large sizes. Most famously seen at the Apple store.

Others;

Chandeliers and pendant clusters

LED panel lights

Track lighting configured for wide wash

Spotlights and Directional Ceiling Fixtures

2. Wall-Mounted and Integrated Lighting

Sconces and Decorative Wall Fixtures

  Swing-arm wall lamps

Light walls. Decorative walls that make a permanent statement.

Backlit Mounted Solid Stone

Common fixture types:

Uplight sconces (wash light toward the ceiling)

Swing-arm wall lamps

Typical applications:

Flanking a bed headboard for reading

Hallways and stairwells

Bathroom vanity (flanking the mirror)

Flanking a fireplace or accent wall

3. Cabinet and Display Lighting

Under-Cabinet Lighting

4. Brand Recommendations by Category

Recessed Lighting / Can Lights

Halo (Cooper Lighting) — Good to Better tier. Industry standard for 65+ years. Builder/contractor favorite. Widely available at Home Depot. Excellent value.

Juno (Acuity Brands) — Good to Better tier. IC-rated, shallow-depth housings. Great for bulk/budget projects. Strong professional following.

Lithonia (Acuity Brands) — Good tier. Reliable, affordable. Commercial roots but excellent residential line. Common at Home Depot and Lowe's.

WAC Lighting — Better to Best tier. Sleek modern designs, advanced LED tech. 5-year warranty. $100–$500 per fixture depending on options.

Element / Contrast by WAC — Best tier. High-end architectural recessed. Premium trim options. Often specified by designers. $300–$500+ range.

Wall Sconces

Sea Gull Lighting — Good to Better tier. Founded 1919. Strong heritage. Wide selection from bath vanity lights to decorative wall sconces. Energy-efficient options.

Visual Comfort — Better to Best tier. Designer collaborations (Thomas O'Brien, Chapman & Myers, Kate Spade). Premium quality and styling.

Hinkley — Better tier. Founded 1922. Transitional and contemporary styles. Known for quality and customer service.

Kichler — Good to Better tier. Versatile designs from modern to traditional. Rigorous safety testing (only Class 4 lab in America).

Progress Lighting — Good tier. Solid mid-range option. Wide style variety. Widely available at Home Depot and Lowe's.

Exterior / Outdoor Lighting

Kichler — Better tier. 85 years in business. Marine-grade aluminum and copper/brass construction. Class 4 lab tested.

Hinkley — Better tier. One of the oldest and most trusted outdoor brands. 5-year warranty.

WAC Lighting — Better to Best tier. 40+ years. Award-winning. 90% of components

Big Box Retailers

Home Depot — Largest selection of Halo, Lithonia, Commercial Electric, Hampton Bay, Kichler. Good for recessed, under-cabinet, and basic decorative. In-store and online. Pro desk for contractors.

Lowe's — Strong Kichler, Progress, Sea Gull, Allen + Roth selection. Similar breadth to Home Depot. Often has different exclusive SKUs.

Trade / Professional Showrooms

Ferguson Home (formerly Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery + Build.com) — Over 250 showrooms nationwide. 1,200+ product experts. Full omnichannel experience with showroom and online. Merged with Build.com in early 2025. Carries premium brands.

Capitol Lighting / 1800Lighting.com — Long-established lighting showroom chain. Extensive online catalog. Carries most major brands.

Local independent lighting showrooms — Often carry Visual Comfort, Hinkley, Kichler, and other trade brands. Offer personalized design consultation. Search "lighting showroom" in your area.

Online Retailers

Lumens.com (absorbed YLighting) — North America's leading luxury/modern lighting e-commerce. Huge curated selection. Expert advice. Showroom/pickup in Sacramento, CA.

Lightology (lightology.com) — Premier contemporary lighting. Three-story showroom in Chicago's River North. Certified lighting experts on staff.

LightingDirect.com — Broad selection across all price tiers. Part of the Ferguson/Build.com family.

Lamps Plus (lampsplus.com) — Large online and physical retail chain. Wide range from budget to designer.

Destination Lighting (destinationlighting.com) — Good selection of mid-range to premium brands.

Wayfair / AllModern / Perigold — Wayfair for budget to mid, Perigold for luxury. Large selection, frequent sales.

Specialty / Luxury

Visual Comfort (visualcomfort.com) — Direct from the manufacturer. Full catalog of Visual Comfort, Studio Collection, and partner designer lines.

Circa Lighting (now part of Visual Comfort) — Luxury decorative lighting. Showrooms in major cities.

Remains Lighting — Ultra-high-end architectural and decorative. NYC-based.

Price Tier Examples

Recessed Lighting (per fixture, not including installation)

Good ($): $15–$40 — Hampton Bay, Commercial Electric, Lithonia basic LED wafer or retrofit

Better ($$): $40–$150 — Halo, Juno, Kichler gimbal or adjustable trims, better color quality

Best ($$$): $150–$500+ — WAC, Element by Tech Lighting, architectural-grade with premium trims and advanced optics

Wall Sconces

Good ($): $30–$80 — Progress Lighting, Hampton Bay, Sea Gull basic models

Better ($$): $80–$250 — Kichler, Hinkley, Quoizel decorative sconces

Best ($$$): $250–$800+ — Visual Comfort, Hinkley premium, designer lines

Chandeliers and Pendants

Good ($): $50–$200 — Progress, Hampton Bay, basic Kichler

Better ($$): $200–$800 — Kichler, Quoizel, Hinkley mid-line, Sea Gull designer collections

Best ($$$): $800–$5,000+ — Visual Comfort, high-end Hinkley, crystal chandeliers, designer statement pieces

Exterior / Outdoor

Good ($): $30–$100 — Hampton Bay, basic Kichler, Progress

Better ($$): $100–$350 — Kichler, Hinkley, Sea Gull mid-range

Best ($$$): $350–$1,000+ — WAC, Hinkley premium, Unique Lighting Systems

Under-Cabinet (per fixture or strip)

Good ($): $15–$50 — GE, Feit Electric, Commercial Electric

Better ($$): $50–$150 — Kichler, mid-line WAC

Best ($$$): $150–$400+ — WAC premium hardwired linear, Philips Hue smart strips

Track Lighting (per head/fixture)

Good ($): $15–$40 per head — Hampton Bay, Commercial Electric

Better ($$): $40–$120 per head — Kichler, Juno

Best ($$$): $120–$400+ per head — WAC, Tech Lighting / Visual Comfort Modern

Floor and Table Lamps

Good ($): $40–$150 — Lamps Plus house brands, Target (Threshold, Hearth and Hand)

Better ($$): $150–$500 — Robert Abbey, Currey and Company entry lines

Best ($$$): $500–$3,000+ — Visual Comfort, Ralph Lauren Home, Arteriors premium

Picture / Art Lights

Good ($): $30–$100 — Cocoweb, budget LED picture lights

Better ($$): $100–$400 — House of Troy standard lines, WAC

Best ($$$): $400–$1,200+ — Visual Comfort, House of Troy premium, Hinkley

Mixing Metals

Modern design fully embraces mixing metal finishes within a room. Guidelines:

Limit to 2–3 metal finishes per space.

Choose one dominant metal (about 70% of fixtures) and one or two accent metals.

Warm metals (brass, bronze, copper, gold) mix well together.

Cool metals (chrome, polished nickel, brushed nickel) mix well together.

Matte black is considered a neutral and pairs with any metal family.