Fortunately, we had electricians that were so helpful! They educated us on the different types of recessed lighting available along with the pricing. Some lighting was obvious, recessed lighting in the kitchen, one light above the sink, chandelier above the dining room table, hall lighting, we had recessed in one hallway, ceiling lights in the other. We purchased some lighting from the box stores, some online, I used Bellacor.com, they used to have free shipping). We had the electricians do the recessed lighting. We chose from the different ones they showed us in a catalog and went with their suggestion. Hope this helps!

I had a similar feeling when I was given the long list of lights needed for our new home. I created a spreadsheet listing each room and the lights required for each. Over the next several months I started trolling the many websites on line for light fixtures. Because I had several months to make my decisions I was able to buy from whichever site had the best deals at the time. I got some unbelievable deals and I rarely if ever paid shipping. Whenever something caught my eye on site I just pasted the name of the product into Google and I was able to see who offered the best deal on that particular light at the time.

Because I had so many orders from so many different sites, I always made sure that I added the order date ,price and a link to a picture of the light from the web site to my spreadsheet. Whenever a light was delivered I checked to make sure it was not broken and marked it on my spreadsheet. I was always careful to make sure the lights were reputable brands and only ordered from sites that were given high marks online. My favorites were Lamps Plus, Overstock, Bellacor and CSN Lighting.

I did have one time when I tripped up during the process. I forgot to record my lamp post light purchase and ended up ordering it twice from two different sites. Because it was an end of season clearance I couldn't return it. Even so, I was still able to buy both for less than what it is being offered for right now online. You may see mine on eBay if I ever get around to it.

One more thing.....my electrician groaned when I told him I was ordering online. He wanted me to use a local supplier. Afterward he admitted that I had done pretty well with my choices.