I hang many lighting fixtures during the course of my work and the one thing that I see is that the proper light bulb is not delivered for me to install. The wattage size usually is correct but I am talking about the style of the glass around the filament to match the globe on the fixture. I believe that the lighting fixtures are an extension to the furniture or artwork in a home and matching the right lamp to the fixture completes the look. With fluorescents or halogens, you have no choice except for wattage size but with incandescent lamps, there are many choices. Here are a few examples.

Frosted and clear lamps give off a different light, the frost diffuses the light and is not so bright to look at, whereas with clear lamps you receive more light but it is harder to look at the lamp. When using clear globes on your fixtures, it looks better to use clear lamps versus looking at at grey orbs inside the globe. When using a clear fixture globe that has prisms cut into the glass, the clear lamp will shine through these and the reflection will give a nice effect as it shines out and onto what the light lands on. You can especially see this on coach lighting on the outside of your house. There are also different color style lamps that you can use to create different effects. A good example of this is during the Christmas season when people put green or red lamps in their outdoor light fixtures.

Electrical lighting's predecessor was the candle. Some light fixtures are made to give the look of candlelighting. There are lamps that are made in this image, flame and bent tip, and some actually look as if there is a flame burning. The flame flickering filament type is low wattage and does not give much light but it does look good.

Fixtures that have a bowl as a globe, look good with round lamps. Also with bathroom bar light fixture, where the lamp is fully exposed.

Globes that are open with decorative swirls at the ends and sometimes etching in the glass are called "tulip" globes. These are made to look like flower petals. A bent tip or straight tip lamp, representing the pistil, finishes the effect well on these.

When you purchase your light fixtures, try to perceive what they will look like in your home. What effect are you trying to get? Something as simple as the light bulb you use in the light fixture will really add to the look of your home. These examples are primarily my opinion, you use what you like the best. Your satisification is what is most important. I prefer clear lamps versus frosted and I have used frosted images above so that you may better see the shape of the lamp glass.

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