20 Specialty Bulbs and Statement Lights to Brighten Any Space
These cool bulbs should be exposed! Shop the HGTV Magazine editors' top picks — plus light fixtures that let them shine.
Jared Kuzia; Design by Kristina Crestin
Designers have spent the past century hiding bulbs beneath shades and elaborate pendants, but now they’re doing everything they can to show them off. “There’s been an uptick in popularity of fixtures that let you see the bulbs,” says John Barnes, a lighting expert at Lamps Plus. The options for exposed bulbs are limitless now, and they’re way too cool to cover up. Take a look.
Exposed Bulbs We Love
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The Bright Idea
Did you know?
Creating the incandescent bulb wasn’t easy — or cheap. In the late 1870s, Thomas Edison tested thousands of different filament materials and spent about $40,000 (more than $1 million today) to make a bulb that burned for only half a day. But his design proved timeless.