When we first revealed our kitchen remodel, we mentioned collaborating with Shades of Light to design the pendant lights used there. Those pendants were only one part of a much larger series of designs we’ve developed with Shades of Light over the past year. Here we’ll share several of the new pieces from our lighting collection and take you behind the scenes to show how catalog and product photography tricks are used to get the perfect shot (including how we briefly turned an armchair into a headboard to stage a bedroom).
After launching our initial collection in 2013, we gradually added a few pieces over the years—like the geometric flush mount we used in our laundry room remodel—but this latest wave of designs began when we wanted to use one of our $69 farmhouse pendants in a spec house kitchen. The existing colors felt too bold for that project, so we asked Shades of Light to custom-paint two pendants in a softer blue. That simple request led to a broader idea: why not refresh the color palette across the line so everyone can choose subtler options?
Now the farmhouse pendant is offered in neutral tones like soft gray and warm brown, along with gentle pastels—subtle pink, green, and blue—while the original brighter shades like teal, red, green, yellow and watermelon pink remain available as well. All of the farmhouse pendant colorways are affordably priced at $69, giving shoppers flexible styling options for kitchens, dining areas and more.
The updated colors inspired additional design directions, so we explored geometric and open-frame silhouettes and added new finishes like brass and aged gold. The collection now includes a range of hanging options—sconces, lanterns, ceiling lights and pendants—so you can coordinate finishes across fixtures in a room. These geometric pieces expand the collection while keeping the overall aesthetic cohesive.
We also experimented with warmer metals and glass styles, producing variations that suit different interiors—from modern to more eclectic schemes. The goal was to offer multiple fixture types in complementary finishes so it’s easy to mix and match across spaces like foyers, kitchens and living rooms.
Our metal convertible pendant from the kitchen is now available in six colors. These are “convertible fixtures,” meaning you can install them with the hanging rods for a longer pendant look or omit the rods to use them as semi-flush mounts—ideal for hallways, bathrooms, closets or mudrooms where you don’t want a long drop. We also developed complementary glass and chrome pendants and flush mounts to expand options for different ceiling heights and room types.
In addition to metal and glass fixtures, we introduced a variety of new fabric shades. Each pattern is available in multiple colorways, and a few of the shades include subtle textures—like a stitched helix—that add visual interest when used as a pendant or a flush mount with diffuser. These fabric options are produced both as complete fixtures and as standalone shades for anyone who wants to retrofit an existing lamp or create a DIY pendant.
Many of the new pieces remain within the approachable price points we established early on—under $99 in many cases—but we did raise the cap for select designs so we could add features such as diffusers, multi-bulb configurations, larger sizes, and higher-end materials. Even with those enhancements, most of the new fixtures are still priced at $150 or less, offering solid value for the additional functionality and finish options.
One standout is a $90 adjustable arm wall sconce that comes in a mixed black-and-aged-gold finish and in a sleek all-chrome option. It’s also available as a plug-in sconce, which makes it very easy to add to a bedroom or rental without rewiring or hiring an electrician—an accessible lighting solution for many homeowners.
Last spring, after many of the finished pieces and prototypes arrived, Shades of Light invited us to help photograph everything for their catalog and website at their new Richmond facility. They’d just moved into a dedicated photo studio, and it was fascinating to see how many clever staging and photography techniques go into creating catalog-ready images.
The studio is built with mobile set walls on casters, each finished with a different treatment—tile, beadboard, shiplap, various paint colors, even built-in windows and other architectural details—so the crew can quickly create dozens of room looks without visiting multiple locations. Gaps where casters sit are easily concealed with removable baseboard strips to make each set appear seamless in photos.
They even had modular cabinetry and furniture props to stage kitchen scenes and bedrooms. Once a scene was styled, the team would swap in every fixture variation to photograph each finish and configuration, sometimes adjusting the styling to better suit a particular light.
Because the studio had just opened, a few prototypes still needed finishing touches. In one instance, a lamp base hadn’t been wired yet, so the crew temporarily wired it from above to capture a photo with the light turned on and then removed the visible cord in post-production. Clever staging and a bit of Photoshop help bring many of the final images to life.
We even improvised a headboard with a tufted chair back and a bolt of fabric to simulate a bedspread when the prop furniture hadn’t arrived. From up close the setup was obviously makeshift, but with careful styling and tight cropping, the final image looks like the corner of a bedroom—a good demonstration of how staging can transform a shot.
Working in the studio was fun and creative. We enjoyed imagining different scenarios to highlight the lights, and we appreciated rifling through the prop furniture—John was especially fond of a chair that was “like a hug.”
You can browse the full collection directly on Shades of Light’s website. Many items are offered in different finishes, colors and configurations (sconce, pendant, flush mount, etc.) than those featured here. If you’ve purchased any of the pieces, we’d love to see photos of them installed—please share or tag us so we can see how they look in real homes.
PS: Last year we also shot a set of short DIY video projects for the DIYZ app. The six projects are quick, five steps or fewer, and include projects such as a paneled headboard, an outdoor house number plaque, a twine-wrapped shelf with leather brackets, a wall-hanging photo and recipe display, a wood centerpiece box, and a simple wood frame to upgrade an old mirror. If you search “YHL” in the DIYZ app you can watch those quick tutorials.