Lighting is a substantial aesthetic as well as functional feature of interior design. It sets the mood of a room, highlights important elements such as paintings or antique accessories, and of course illuminates areas meant for daily activities like cooking or reading. Moreover, lighting comprises approximately 10 per cent of an average family's energy bills. Choosing the proper lighting is therefore crucial for both the appearance of your home and the situation in your wallet.
Ceiling full of lights at Eclectic Revival
Fortunately, Toronto has an abundance of exquisite lighting stores that offer a huge diversity of lighting designs and brands. Here is a short list of the best lighting stores in Toronto, where you'll definitely find the lighting solution you're looking for.
Eclectic Revival
Location: 3075 Dundas Street W
Website: www.eclecticrevival.com
E-mail: info@eclecticrevival.com
Phone: 416.766.5500
Price range: from $225 for a wall scone up to $6,550 for a chandelier
Eclectic Revival is a lovely antique shop with an astonishing number of vintage and antique lighting collected from all across North America, originating between 1800 and the 1950s. In a fairly small space they manage to showcase a vast amount of different types of period lighting, including oil, electric, gas, and combination fixtures.
Table lamps at Eclectic Revival
"We offer a full range of services including custom lighting service catering to restaurants and interior designers. We also offer lighting repair, rewiring or modification needs you may have for lighting items you already own," says Pete Breese from Eclectic Revival.
In the back, there is a small studio where Pete works on his own creations, customized pieces, as well as restorations. Here, you can find a beautiful, fully restored and functional gas chandelier from the 1800s, as well as new handmade pieces by Pete.
Fully restored and functional gas chandelier from the 1800s.
"If a customer has an idea, we can make it for them!" explains Pete.
Pete's own signature piece is an angel wing pendant made from metal wings that are salvaged from old car hood ornaments and radiator caps. He has them re-cast and incorporates them into pendant lights, sconces, and chandeliers.
At the left – angel wing pendant by Pete Breese
Eclectic Revival's goal is to leave all fixtures in their original condition (with the exception of new wiring and electrical components), so if you are looking for a unique antique addition for your home, this is certainly a good place to check out!
Casa Di Luce
Location: 4700 Dufferin Street
Website: www.european-light.com
E-mail: sales@casadiluce.ca
Phone: 416.650.9837
Price range: This store has the widest price range: The cheapest light is only $39, and the most expensive chandelier is worth $34,170.
Casa Di Luce offers the best modern and contemporary European light fixtures in Toronto. Their range includes products from more than 20 manufacturers, such as Calligaris, Swarovski, Schonbek, Sillux, Tonin Casa, Masiero, Artemide, Flos, etc.
Casa di Luce
Their current store is very spacious, pleasant, and well-organized—you can find a corner of Swarowski's crystal pieces, Murano glass chandeliers as well as a section devoted to colourful, modern floor lamps. The store also carries home accessories and modern Italian furnishings which are staged in harmony with the lighting fixtures. However, even better things are on the horizon.
Design inspired by Klimt
"After many years, we will be moving soon to a new and bigger location, which will allow us to carry an even wider selection of designers in our showroom!" announces the owner Tamara, excitedly.
Casa di Luce offers wide variety of European lights
The staff of this high-end boutique are always willing to help their customers find the best lighting solution for their homes. If you're looking for a quality modern European lighting fixture, this is the right place for you."If you are looking for something that says you looked high and low (without actually putting in the legwork) this is the place to head to," suggests one of Casa Di Luce's satisfied customers.
Lamp with coloured disks
The store
Lighting Originals
Location: 109 Cartwright Avenue
Website: lightingoriginals.ca
E-mail: info@lightingoriginals.ca
Toll Free: 1.877.781.7232
Price range: A pendant can be as cheap as $47, and a chandelier as expensive as $33,000.
Lighting Originals has been a family-run business for more than 50 years. They offer lighting from local, American, and overseas markets, but they also design, manufacture, and sell collections of their very own products. Their motto is: "Lighting is our Family Tradition".
Lighting Originals store
They specialize in crystal lighting and their showroom carries several collections of crystal ceiling lamps. What really steals the show though are the enormous, custom-made crystal chandeliers, perfect for high-end hotels, restaurants, as well as modern homes. If your house doesn't happen to be the size of a hotel, you can always customize the chandelier's components to fit your needs.
Lighting Originals crystal chandeliers
Lighting Originals also has a huge selection of outdoor lighting fixtures and lamps, which can be found in the back of the showroom.
"Great contemporary styles. Very modern feeling to this store. I really enjoyed shopping there," says Hugo, a happy customer.
If you don't have the time to visit the Lighting Originals showroom in Toronto's lighting district, you can visit their convenient online store.
At Lighting Originals they specialize in crystal lighting
Union Lighting and Furnishings
Location: 1491 Castlefield Ave
Website: unionlightingandfurnishings.com
Phone: 416.652.2200
Price range: One can find a cheap $10.99 flush mount, and a pricey $22,179 chandelier here.
Union Lighting and Furnishings is Canada's largest lighting showroom, with a range of products for every budget.
[u]nion
As you stroll around the store, the choices are seemingly endless. There are hundreds of displayed products organized in a series of different rooms, each with several lighting fixtures. Popping from one room to the next, you can compare different approaches to lighting design and pick your preferred style.
The products are organized in different rooms.
In such a huge complex, it's only natural that it sometimes might take a bit longer to find someone to help you, but the staff here are generally very professional and friendly.
The [u]nion store is pretty large, but staff are always very friendly and eager to help.
"Union Lighting's showroom is enormous, but they carry the widest range in style of lighting that I've seen during my home reno experience," remarked Tiffany, who was renovating her home just recently.
One of the many [u]nion showrooms.
This store is very popular amongst Torontonians, mainly due to its frequent sales and discounts. Moreover, Toronto Life magazine recognized Union as one of the city's best shopping destinations.
Make sure you have enough time when you visit this store, because you could spend hours just walking around!
One can easily spend hours just walking around!
AM STUDIO
Location: 1270 Castlefield Ave
Website: www.amstudio.ca
E-mail: info@amstudio.ca
Phone: 416.783.4100
Price range:
AM STUDIO is a contemporary and creative lighting store that is focused on beautiful custom lighting fixtures.
At AM studio they create beautiful custom lighting fixtures.
They create light fixtures, chandeliers, wall scones, and pendants by following each customer's individual specification, taking their budget, spatial dimensions, and the design of their home into consideration.
"We create lightings with you, for you!" explains Giora, the co-founder of AM STUDIO.
Each piece is uniquely designed.
The showroom is full of beautiful, elegant, and uniquely designed lights, using intriguing shapes and colours. Their latest collection came out of a collaboration with Canadian blown-glass artist Karli Sears. This collection was proudly showcased at the Interiour Design Show in 2015.
The showroom is full of beautiful and elegant lights.
Giora also showed us his spacious glass studio, which is located in the back of the showroom. This is the space where Giora and his team make fused glass, contemporary stained glass windows, architectural panels, and original wall art.
AM studio glass studio is located in the back of the showroom.
"Giora Meyer, a co-founder of AM STUDIO, has managed his family's international glass studio for over 20 years. Originating from Israel, Giora saw an opportunity to introduce many of the same artisan and unique glass technologies to the North American market. In 2007, together with Orly Meyer, he opened AM STUDIO in Toronto. As a team they look to serve the trade and public with their first custom lighting showroom and active glass studio," explains Sera Ghadaki from AM STUDIO.
If you're looking for non-traditional high-end lighting solutions, make sure you pay AM STUDIO a visit.
The glass lightings are all made in the studio.
Living Lighting
Locations: 4242 Dundas Street W, 1841 Queen Street E, 624 King Street West
Website: livinglighting.com
E-mail: postmaster@livinglighting.com
Toll Free: 1.866.463.4124
Living Light is a chain of specialized lighting stores with three locations in Toronto. They've got a decent selection and provide perfect services, including expert consultations and repairs. The philosophy of Living Light is to provide their customers with "light for living." That means offering products that are pleasing and practical and that fit each customer´s needs.
Living Lighting at 624 King Street West
We have visited the location on King Street, also known as Living Lighting on King.
Jodie, the Living Lighting owner
"We think outside of the box. If a customer comes to us with a lighting problem or a situation, we see it as an opportunity to be creative," says the owner Jodie, while showing us around enthusiastically.
You can find old-fashioned lightbulbs here.
This location is nicely decorated, bright and spacious, showcasing different styles of products.
There are many different styles of products in Living Lighting.
Among these is a very intriguing new collection that came out of a collaboration with the Toronto-based graffiti artist MEDIAH who created unique lightshade art. Each piece is created by using spray paint and brush, and then signed and dated.
New collection by graffiti artist MEDIAH.
"We had to repair some ancient track lighting and they were able to locate replacement hardware in Vancouver and get it to us, all re-wired and ready to go, in a matter of days," says a local restaurant owner Chris, about his experience with Living Lighting.
Living Lighting
Morba
Location: 665 Queen Street W
Website: www.morba.ca
E-mail: morba@morba.ca
Phone: 416.364.5144
Price range: Prices range from $49.99 for a cord lamp to $799 for a most expensive floor light.
Morba is an all-encompassing Scandinavian mid-century home design store with many beautiful lighting fixtures and lamps. They've got a funky and creative collection of both classic and contemporary styles.
Morba is design store offering also furniture and home accessories in addition to lights.
On top of all that, they offer furniture and home accessories which are also displayed in the store.
Everywhere you look something catches your eye.
Morba has a quirky feel—everywhere you look something catches your eye: oddly shaped lamps, old vintage pendants, cleverly designed lightshades, and even animal trophies decorating the walls.
Animal trophies are "looking" at the pendants.
"We have worked real hard on 'lightening ' up the store so it is less crammed as well I believe we really cater to a diverse budget range, especially since we have introduced a new (very successful) product line which is very affordable," says Josephine from Morba.
Morba "light" logo
As we learned from one of the staff members, their unique selection also attracts people from the film and television world, as they often rent these pieces out to shows and various shoots in Toronto.
If you are a hipster you will love this place, if you are not, doesn't matter—you will probably love it too!
Wonderful Dhalia lamp
Sescolite
Location: 1461 Castlefield Ave
Website: www.sescolite.com
Phone: 416.651.6570
Sescolite offers lighting from all around the world ranging from classical to contemporary design. Located right next to Union Lighting and Furnishing, it is definitely giving its neighbour a run for its money.
Sescolite was established in 1920
The showroom has hundreds of pieces on display, and you can possibly spend an hour just walking around. The selection leans towards more traditional styles, but you can also find some modern pieces. On top of this wide selection, they also custom design exclusive lighting fixtures.
Sescolite showroom has hundreds of pieces on display.
"They have a very comprehensive selection of chandeliers, scones etc... But the best thing about them is their customer service and after care," says one of their clients.
Sescolite chandeliers
Their specialists provide qualified consultations as well as help customers with developing lighting plans for their homes.
Sescolite showroom
Located in the Castlefield Design District, it is worth checking out their massive selection. Whatever it is you are looking for, they will probably have it.
Whatever you're looking for, at Sescolite they will probably have it.
Firefly Kids Lighting
Website: www.fireflykidslighting.com
E-mail: info@fireflykidslighting.com
Toll Free 1.877.781.7232
Price range: This online store offers lights from $39 for a table lamp for kids to $299 for a crystal chandelier.
This Toronto-based online lighting store specializes in lighting products that should not hurt your budget. They have chandeliers, ceiling lights, table lamps, and night lights but they specializes in children's lighting. Fun and whimsical, their lighting offers Canada's best selection of kids' lighting. Everything from airplanes to dinosaurs to dazzling chandeliers, you will find it there. A great selection of quality products together with outstanding customer services makes Firefly Kids Lighting a must-see for children's lighting.
"We design and create most of our products and you will not find them anywhere else. If you are looking for the perfect lighting solution for your child's playroom, bedroom or nursery, consider visiting our website," says Simona Voinic, founder and creative director of Firefly Kids Lighting.
Simona Voinic, Firefly Kids Lighting store founder and creative director.
And they sure have happy customers.
"Excellent quality! My son was screaming from the minute he saw the dinosaur picture on the outside of the box. Absolutely loves it," says a happy customer.
Great service is what it's all about.
Isabella and Sophia 4 Arm Crystal Chandeliers
"I would just like to send feedback to let you know how much I appreciate the fast delivery of our Jungle Animal Ceiling Light, and how impressed we are with the quality of the light. It looks perfect, and we couldn't be more pleased," another happy customer adds.
If you don't have the time to visit lighting stores in person, this online store is an excellent option for you!
Grey Chevron and Jungle Animals Light Fixtures
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