More and more contemporary homeowners are realizing that indoor lighting is a key factor in any home's design, setting the tone throughout the home. With so many modern designs available to help you make a statement, indoor lighting should never be just an afterthought in your décor scheme!

This is especially true when it comes to modern indoor lighting. If your home's décor style is contemporary/ modern, then modern style fixtures are essential to perfecting the look. The good is, modern lighting is widely available and more affordable than ever!

While the latest modern fixture designs include anything from whimsical, "sculpture-like" chandeliers to minimalist fluorescent bath lights, most lighting designers consider "modern" to have a few common features. Look for these factors when choosing lighting for your modern-day haven, and you're on your way to achieving a look that's truly up-to-the-minute.

• Clean, simple lines. Modern indoor lighting is usually "minimalist" in appearance. Think: streamlined, uncluttered, and versatile.
• Asymmetrical/abstract silhouettes. Some of today's bolder lighting designs are, in essence, contemporary works of art. They often contain the whimsical, exciting elements often seen in modern sculptures or paintings.
• Unique splashes of color. Specialty art glass is very popular in contemporary indoor lighting, particularly in mini pendant and bath light designs. Many of these glass pieces are hand-crafted, so each piece looks slightly different.
• Chrome, nickel, or silver finishes. Metallic finishes like these work particularly well with stainless appliances/ sinks/ fixtures; lighting with brushed silver/ nickel finishes offers a seamless look in the kitchen or bathroom.