How to Choose Coordinating Lighting

Here at Thingz, we often get the question, “I love this chandelier, so what do I use for ceiling fans or kitchen pendants that will coordinate with it?” Sometimes contemporary lighting companies make it easy by offering lighting collections that include chandeliers, pendants, sconces etc. But a lot of more unique modern chandeliers don’t have coordinating pieces and ceiling fan companies rarely dabble in lighting, so in these instances we have to get creative to make all of the pieces look cohesive.  It also makes for a more custom look when the fixtures aren’t so “matchy matchy”. So here are a few tips on selecting the perfect modern lighting collection.

The easiest way to tie your contemporary lighting together is to choose fixtures with the same finish or colors. Stainless and chrome are always very popular choices for modern lighting, so you’ll have lots of options in these finishes. A lot of contemporary fixtures also come with color options for glass or shades. A good way to keep your look cohesive is to choose a color that you’d like to work around. Popular colors in contemporary design are white, amber, red and cobalt, so there should be lots of options in any of these color schemes.

Let’s say you’ve got a chrome chandelier that you like, but you can’t find any chrome ceiling fans that work for you. Don’t worry – Stainless looks great with chrome! But you’ll want to find another way to make the two work together. Take the chandelier and ceiling fan below, for example. Both are contemporary fixtures, but one is chrome and the other stainless. They still work though because they have similar shapes. Notice the round body of the fixture itself and the irregular lengths of the arms and blades. These similarities help both fixtures seem like they were meant to go together.

You might also look for contemporary fixtures that have that have similar shades. For example, some fabric shades have a distinct texture that when combined with other like textures can make them seem more cohesive. Or in the case of glass shades, look for glass that has a similar look. Glass shades come in lots of varieties. Some glass is clear, marbled, and might come in varying levels of opacity.

Once you’ve picked out a modern fixture that you love, keep an eye out for other characteristics too such as crystal, shells or suspension cables. Once you’ve picked out a few of the defining characteristics of your fixture, it will be much easier to spot similarities in potential companion pieces.

If all else fails, drop in or feel free to contact our knowledgeable staff here at Thingz and we’ll help you pick out the perfect combination of contemporary fixtures. Whether it’s chrome or stainless, glass or crystal, shades or bulbs, we’re sure to have some great suggestions!

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