Today I was talking on the phone to Susan and she mentioned for the millionth time how much she hates the light fixture that hangs in her staircase. But it is one of those things, we all have them in our house, that we despise and fully intend to replace yet somehow it gets pushed to the back burner time and time again.

So when Susan described her light fixture to me I made her photograph it and send me a photo. It couldn't possibly be as bad as she described. Although the faux "melting gold candle wax" scared me a little bit.

Oh was I wrong. It is hideous.

The upside? Anything I suggest will be an improvement.

When choosing a light there are several factors to consider. The type: ceiling, wall mount, pendant, chandelier, etc. The style: Traditional, contemporary, rustic, Asian, etc. The amount of light you need: You don't want to bring home a light you love only to find out that it throws 60watts of light when you need 240 watts to light the area.

Susan's light fixture needs to light her stairway. It needs to be substantial enough not to look lost in the vast area. It needs to be attractive from the vantage pint of the second floor as well as from the foyer.

I have a few suggestions.

I have light fixtures from Rejuvanation and can't speak highly enough of the quality of their products. They are, however, somewhat pricey. This is the Caruthers Neoclassical Bowl with shade it sells for $616. It has great detail in the cast brass that holds the shade and the thick white glass shade is cast from an antique shade form. The simplicity of the overall design is what makes it beautiful.

While I love this light fixture I am not convinced it it entirely right for Susan's needs. At 24" in shade diameter, I think that it would be too large for her space. However if you have a larger more open stairway and foyer I think it would be fabulous.

Another option:

This is the opposite of simple design. A Tiffany Urn Pendant with beautiful stained glass and a malaga finish. I think this light could be a striking focal point in an otherwise simple foyer and stairway. It takes 4 60watt candelabra bulbs. This sells for $675.

Another option:

The Acharn Water Glass Foyer Pendant
The clear mouth-blown glass creates a rippled effect in the glass. the acorn-shaped bowl of this foyer pendant is suspended by three forged steel arms. The shade is 17" in diameter at its widest spot, making it perfect for a smaller area. Seven 60 watt candelabra bulbs mean that this light fixture could light up the entire neighborhood should you desire. This one sells for $612.

Another Option:

This is the Draped Loop Foyer Pendant water glass urn of this foyer pendant is suspended from the draped loop steel arms, giving the fixture an understated elegance. This light is 17" in diameter, but only takes three 60watt candelabra bulbs. This could be a concern if your location has no natural light or is very large. It sells for $473.

Light fixtures are somewhat expensive. The ones I chose to highlight here are definitely middle of the road as far as price goes. Yes, you could probably find less expensive options by searching for the shape and style that you like. I usually buy things that I love that are good quality for rooms that are highly visible, like a foyer, and save my bargain hunting knock-offs for rooms like bedrooms and private bathrooms.

When she isn't blogging about her life at Notes from the Trenches or taking a year off from spending money at A Year Off, Chris is working at rescuing her house from a century of neglect and bad taste. She can also be found writing about home improvement and design at DIY This N' That.