The best lighting stores in NYC

This high-end Italian outfit nestled among the shops of Soho specializes in sleek light fixtures—from glam desk lamps to elaborate chandeliers that smolder to a spectrum of garish shades. The selection ranges from minimally modern pieces to elaborately expressive, artsy illumination. (Think: shapes that would please Salvador Dalí.)

With everything from glittery disco balls to vintage-looking Edison bulbs, this store is well-stocked and can satisfy nearly every imaginable style—but it specializes in high-quality, quirky fixtures. Whether you’re equipping the dance floors of the best clubs in NYC or are just a fan of purple lights in general, this spot has it all.

Since 1947, Barbizon has been the choice supplier of lighting for theater shows, film and television. But even if you’re not in show business, there’s plenty of reasons to check it out, like if you want your bathroom mirror to be as flattering as movie stars’ lightbulb-adorned vanity mirrors.

New York is known for its niche stores, and it’s hard to imagine a business casting a smaller net than “just bulbs.” But this place delivers—you may not have known you needed lights shaped like tropical fish, but when you see them you may wonder how you lived so long without them.

Whether you’re in the market for an antique lamp, trying to get your hands on neon-colored LED bulbs or are planning to find random parts and assemble your own illuminated masterwork, these guys can lend an electric sparkle to any space.

In 2013, Jessie Lee and Anthony Wong created Bulb Concepts, a tiny (fewer than 400 square feet) space in the East Village that serves as both a sales floor and a design studio. Their creative pieces often rely on repurposed materials, like portions of metal piping affixed with retro, filament-exposed bulbs, and include cool Cooper Union student art projects.

These guys peddle elegant lamps with a lot of Old World charm. Their friendly, professional staff comes in especially handy if you’ve got an antique that needs repair (as antiques often do). Whatever sort of lamp it is, they can tweak it and return it back to you shipshape.

If you’re seeking something like a glossy lamp embossed with Tiffany glass, look no further. These guys have got gaudy lighting on lock and can install the wide assortment in your home with the kind of no-nonsense efficiency you'd expect in Brooklyn.