Lighting & Design Glossary - S
Italian for "excavation;" glass frosted to give the effect of dusty antiquity, of having been underground for a long time.
A wall light fixture installed on and supported solely by a wall.
Refers to the outward "scooped" shape of the opening in a recessed lighting trim, typically used for wall washing illumination.
Glass infused with tiny air bubbles; creates refractive effect and wavy surface texture.
A close-to-ceiling light fixture mounted close to a ceiling, typically with a drop of two to four inches and a visible, decorative ceiling canopy.
A resin secreted by the female lac bug found in the forests of India and Thailand. It provides good insulation and seals out moisture. Generally replaced by lacquer in the 1920s and 30s.
A slope adaptor is used with ceiling fans that need to hang from a sloped ceiling. Some slope adaptors can accommodate for ceiling pitches up to 46 degrees, some up to only 33 degrees and some less than that. Learn more about when you may need an adaptor for sloped ceiling fans.
Refers to an oblong opening in a recessed lighting trim, typically adjustable and used for its ability to hide the fixture's inner bulb.
Glass-making technique in which heated glass is bent or slumped over a mold.
The part of a fixture that houses and provides power contact for a bulb. The type of socket used establishes the bulb base type required.
A design style that lies in-between transitional and contemporary. It takes the clean lines of contemporary and relaxes them somewhat by incorporating warm and soft colors and materials.
A ceiling light or wall light with a narrow, focused beam meant to highlight a work of art or other important elements in a space.
Multi-colored and usually flat glass components crafted to create cohesive patterns, usually held together with lead solder or copper foil; think Tiffany.
A steel alloy containing 10.5-11% chromium, which makes it resistant to staining, rust or corrosion. Different surface finishes and grades exist depending on the application. In certain instances, may be called corrosion-resistant steel (CRES).
A functional fixture created to illuminate individual steps/stairs indoors or out. The design is usually flat (flush to the wall) in order to minimize obstruction into potentially narrow pathways and staircases, with light directed out and down to minimize glare and provide bright focus on the step below.
Wow, what a popular word--you'll see it everywhere on Lumens.com. Usually, we use 'style' as a way to characterize the overall look and feel of a piece. The color, shape, size and materials help determine a product's style, such as Contemporary or Traditional.
Suspension lighting refers to pendant lights that hang from two or more ceiling canopies.
Allows ceiling lights or a ceiling fan to be plugged into an electrical outlet (instead of being direct wired through a ceiling outlet box). As if was a long extension cord--that is wrapped through a length of chain that is draped and hooked on the ceiling and then drops down along the wall to the outlet.
A feature typical of wall sconces, where the light source is adjustable (usually horizontally) via an arm with one or more swivel joints. The arm is literally able to swing out from and back to the wall plate.
A circular motion. Lighting that swivels can be adjusted partially or wholly up to 360 degrees.
